For several years, SEW EURODRIVE has been working to shape the factory of tomorrow. The company's system solutions are consistently designed to increase productivity and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and condition monitoring and predictive maintenance play a vital role in achieving this. The services in SEW EURODRIVE's DriveRadar^® portfolio give operators the tools they need to draw conclusions about statuses, wear and tear, and capacity utilization based on real data from the installed components/systems, so they can then derive recommended courses of action.

DriveRadar^® provides an end-to-end digital map of drive components (smart product) and system solutions (smart system), with the added value of giving users detailed insight into drive components, system solutions, and processes. DriveRadar^® is based on Smart Support, which forms the technical infrastructure between local aggregated drive or system data, e.g. from an edge computing system and the higher-level IT systems (SEW cloud, customer cloud, open platform).

As a result, differentiated vibration analyses and monitoring can already be used to maximize the OEE of industrial gear units – which often operate in critical process steps, making their availability a critical factor – and derive recommendations for preventive measures. Similarly, comprehensive monitoring and system analysis can already be used with monitored process modules such as electrified monorail systems and skillets, to draw conclusions about system statuses, capacity utilization, and unplanned stoppages, which in turn helps increase OEE. Ideally, solutions like these are based on the MOVI C® modular automation system, as this already features seamlessly integrated mechanisms for straightforward connection, data acquisition, and optional preprocessing.

DriveRadar^® can be used to determine the status of products/machinery and systems based on existing data that is recorded during the operation of SEW drive systems. Cutting-edge data analysis processes can be applied to accurately predict an imminent failure using a digital twin. This means DriveRadar^® can prevent unplanned operational disruption, identify wear, and minimize downtimes. SEW EURODRIVE plans to continue expanding the range of scalable IIoT services in its DriveRadar® portfolio.

DriveRadar^® products give operators of these systems the opportunity to unlock considerable added value and tap into potential for optimization. For example, it can provide greater transparency for the operational conditions of a drive, boost OEE, make it easier to plan maintenance work, reduce the need to hold spare parts in stock, and create opportunities to optimize processes. Data and analyses are displayed using web tools, that also serve as communication interfaces with experts at SEW EURODRIVE.