By installing SmartCheck condition monitoring devices on 58 critical drives, Schaeffler’s European Distribution Centre has seen a range of benefits, including the prevention of unplanned downtime, reduced maintenance costs and increased machine availability.
Schaeffler’s European Distribution Centre (EDC Central) in Kitzingen, Germany, is one of Europe’s most modern logistics centres with several thousand shipping units rolling off the lines every day. Standard products can be delivered to customers within 24 to 48 hours after receipt of order.
Opened in June 2018, EDC Central covers a total area of 148,000 square metres and employs around 200 people. The site has two storage racks with a height of 38.5 metres, which provides space for 28,000 Euro pallets and 95,000 containers. Equipped with an in-floor, 2km long conveyor system and state-of-the-art conveying technology, the centre also provides 20 ramps for up to 85 trucks per day.
Challenge for Schaeffler
Inside the EDC Central are seven automated storage and retrieval systems, which continuously handle loads in various directions from storage racks with a height of around 38.5 metres. The bearings in the drives of these storage and retrieval systems are subjected to severe loads during operation. Any unplanned downtime of the storage and retrieval systems due to bearing damage can affect the entire supply chain. In the worst case scenario, this may result in delayed deliveries of customer orders. The logistics centre was therefore looking for a Predictive Maintenance solution.
Schaeffler Solution
The EDC Central relies on intelligent maintenance solutions developed in-house for monitoring the automated storage and retrieval systems. Of the approximately 3,000 drives at Kitzingen, 58 of the most critical are monitored using the Schaeffler SmartCheck condition monitoring solution.
51 of the SmartChecks are installed on spiral conveyors and lifting stations, where they monitor vibration, temperature and speed of the bearings. The SmartChecks are connected to the Schaeffler network, allowing local visualisation in the control room at Kitzingen.
Seven SmartChecks are installed on the drives of the storage and retrieval systems. After an operating period of around 18 months, one of the SmartChecks detected an irregular upward trend. The subsequent visual inspection carried out by local maintenance staff confirmed that grease had escaped from the track roller bearing. Due to the early detection of this irregularity, the site was able to schedule and perform the bearing replacement in good time and therefore prevent any unplanned downtime.
Customer Benefits
The online monitoring solution is an important tool for Kitzingen in eliminating unplanned downtime and malfunctions during operation. Other advantages include:
- Prevention of costs resulting from production downtime.
- Prevention of subsequent damage to the drive.
- Low purchasing costs for the monitoring system.
- Reduced maintenance costs.
- Increased machine availability.
- Enhanced reliability through a self-reporting system.
Oliver Massa, Intralogistics Portfolio Manager at Schaeffler summarises the benefits of the monitoring solution: “Bearing damage was detected at an early stage thanks to the SmartCheck. The team was able to carry out the four-hour maintenance work outside of our regular operating hours. Production was therefore safeguarded and subsequent damage to the drive was prevented. With predictive maintenance, we can save costs of up to 70,000 euros every year.”
This holistic solution can also be applied and extended to other machines and equipment in almost every plant. In order to ensure optimum lubrication of the chain and roller conveyors, the EDC Central also uses the centrally controlled CONCEPT8 automatic lubrication system from Schaeffler with specially developed lubricating pinions for continuous and precise relubrication during operation.
The CONCEPT8 multi-point lubricator provides up to eight separate lubrication points for dispensing precisely metered quantities of lubricant. The system is fitted with four pairs of lubrication points (eight in total), which are controlled by four individual dispensing pumps. This means users are able to individually control each pump in order to optimise cycle times and volumes of dispensed lubricant. The system can therefore be adjusted to meet up to four different bearing sizes, each with varying lubrication requirements. Rather than purchasing multiple single point lubricators to cope with different bearing lubrication requirements, users can buy just one CONCEPT8.
At Kitzingen, 169 CONCEPT8 systems are installed to lubricate all chain conveyors at the site, including the automated storage and retrieval systems, and points for the in-floor conveyor system.
New cartridges allow rapid refilling
Schaeffler has recently introduced refillable replacement cartridges for the CONCEPT-series of automatic lubricators. Users simply refill the cartridges themselves, which means they can utilise lubricants that are already in circulation at their company in combination with Schaeffler’s high performance lubricators. Due to their ease of use, the cartridges can be filled directly on site. The filling adapter, which is available in three sizes, can be combined with all common grease guns and the cartridges can be refilled up to three times. This reduces waste and helps to sustainably protect the environment.
