Enhancing Machine Reliability with Preventive Maintenance and Advanced Troubleshooting Tools
Mitsubishi and Corey Foster, Valin
In industrial automation, preventive maintenance is crucial for minimizing downtime and extending the lifespan of machinery. Mitsubishi Electric offers advanced diagnostic functions for mechanical drive components and servo amplifiers to ensure optimal machine performance.
Preventive Maintenance
Machine Diagnosis (Mechanical Drive Components): This function predicts machine failure based on the total travel distance of the servo motor. It notifies users when it is time for component replacement if the rated service life is set.
Servo Amplifier Life Diagnosis: Tracks cumulative energization time and inrush relay on/off times. This data serves as a rough guide for checking the service life of parts like smoothing capacitors and cooling fans.
Corrective Maintenance
Drive Recorder: Continuously monitors and records servo status transitions, such as conditions before and after alarms. This data helps analyze the cause of alarms using MR Configurator2, displaying monitor values, waveform history, system configuration, and servo parameters.
Connection/Communication Diagnosis
Disconnection Detection: Detects input and output open-phase issues in servo amplifiers, distinguishing these alarms from others to expedite system restoration. MR-J5D-G4 drive units support output open-phase detection.
Servo Motor Incorrect Wiring Detection: Multi-axis servo amplifiers (MR-J5W2-G/MR-J5W3-G) detect incorrect servo motor connections and provide protection by matching encoder capacity information with connected servo motors.
Encoder Communication Diagnosis: Checks the encoder communication circuit in the servo amplifier, useful for identifying errors like disconnected encoder cables.
By leveraging these advanced diagnostic functions, Mitsubishi Electric ensures robust predictive and preventive maintenance, enhancing machine reliability and reducing operational costs. Stay tuned to our blog for more insights into advanced automation solutions.
For More Information:
If you have any questions or are just looking for some help, we're happy to discuss your application with you. Reach out to us at (855) 737-4716 or fill out our online form.
Enhancing Machine Reliability by Predictive Maintenance with Mitsubishi Electric’s Maisart AI Technology
Mitsubishi and Corey Foster, Valin
In the rapidly evolving world of industrial automation, predictive maintenance is key to minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency. Mitsubishi Electric’s cutting-edge AI technology, Maisart, integrated with their servo amplifiers, provides a robust solution for predictive maintenance, helping detect early signs of machine failure.
Ball Screws Diagnosis
Mitsubishi Electric introduces a ball screw machine diagnosis function that monitors friction and vibration to predict potential failures. By employing statistical algorithms, the system sets automatic failure warning limits. This proactive approach allows users to prepare necessary parts before a failure occurs, significantly reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Dynamic friction states of the ball screws are sent to the host management PC via CC-Link IE TSN, ensuring seamless and efficient maintenance planning.
Function:
- Monitors friction and vibration to predict failure.
Process:
- A failure warning limit is automatically generated based on statistical algorithms.
- An alarm is activated upon signs of failure, enabling preparation before failure.
Benefit:
- Allows you to prepare necessary parts before failure.
- Reduces Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
- Notifications via CC-Link IE TSN.
Belts Diagnosis
The belt machine diagnosis function focuses on detecting tension reduction in belt-based systems, such as automated warehouse machines. It estimates the tension in real time and sends maintenance notifications when a reduction is detected. This function helps reduce periodic maintenance costs and prevents unexpected machine failures by allowing timely belt adjustments and replacements.
Function:
- Detects tension reduction in belt-based systems.
Process:
- Measure the tension at startup.
- Estimates real-time tension.
- An alarm is activated upon signs of failure, enabling preparation before failure.
Benefit:
- Reduces periodic maintenance costs.
- Prevents machine failures.
Gears Diagnosis
For gear-based systems, Mitsubishi Electric offers a gear machine diagnosis function. This system sets initial gear ratios and normal backlash values, periodically estimating backlash with a dedicated tool to detect signs of failure. Early warnings enable users to prepare necessary parts before a gear failure, ensuring continuous and reliable machine operation.
- Function:
- Monitors gear ratios and backlash values.
- Process:
- Initially set a gear ratio and a normal backlash value.
- Measures the current backlash.
- Periodically estimates backlash using a dedicated tool to predict failure.
- An alarm is activated upon signs of failure, enabling preparation before failure.
- Benefit:
- Provides early warnings.
- Allows for preparation of necessary parts before gear failure.
Conclusion
Mitsubishi Electric’s Maisart AI technology provides a comprehensive predictive maintenance solution that enhances machine reliability and reduces operational costs. By enabling timely maintenance and replacement of parts, this innovative technology ensures optimal performance and longevity of industrial machinery.
Stay tuned to our blog for more insights into advanced automation solutions and how they can benefit your operations.
For More Information:
If you have any questions or are just looking for some help, we're happy to discuss your application with you. Reach out to us at (855) 737-4716 or fill out our online form.
Predictive Maintenance with Mitsubishi Electric’s Maisart AI Technology Overview
Mitsubishi and Corey Foster, Valin
Mitsubishi Electric’s unique AI technology, Maisart, enables predictive maintenance and monitors operation status through servo amplifiers that detect early signs of machine failure.
Ball Screws Diagnosis:
- Function: Monitors friction and vibration to predict failure.
Process:
- A failure warning limit is automatically generated based on statistical algorithms.
- An alarm is activated upon signs of failure, enabling preparation before failure.
Benefit:
- Allows you to prepare necessary parts before failure, reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), with notifications via CC-Link IE TSN.
Belts Diagnosis:
- Function: Detects tension reduction in belt-based systems.
- Process:
- Measure the tension at startup.
- Estimates real-time tension.
- An alarm is activated upon signs of failure, enabling preparation before failure.
- Benefit: Reduces periodic maintenance costs and prevents machine failure.
Gears Diagnosis:
- Function: Monitors gear ratios and backlash values.
- Process:
- Initially set a gear ratio and a normal backlash value.
- Measures the current backlash
- Periodically estimates backlash using a dedicated tool to predict failure.
- An alarm is activated upon signs of failure, enabling preparation before failure.
- Benefit: Provides early warnings, allowing for preparation of necessary parts before gear failure.
These predictive maintenance solutions help reduce TCO by enabling timely maintenance and replacement of parts, ensuring continuous and efficient machine operation.
If you have any questions or are just looking for some help, we're happy to discuss your application with you. Reach out to us at (855) 737-4716 or fill out our online form.
Addressing Backlash with Mitsubishi Electric’s MRJ 5 Servo Amplifiers
Mitsubishi and Corey Foster, Valin
Understanding Backlash
In mechanical systems, backlash is the clearance or lost motion between parts, often due to manufacturing imperfections. This gap causes positioning errors, which can degrade machine performance.
Traditional Mitigation Methods
- Load-Side Encoder: Provides real-time feedback, compensating for backlash. However, it increases machine cost and complexity.
- Built-In Backlash Compensation: Allows input of backlash amount, offsetting motor motion accordingly. Accurate measurement requires special tools.
Mitsubishi Electric’s Innovative Solution
Our MRJ 5 servo amplifiers feature a built-in backlash estimation function, providing a quick and easy way to estimate and compensate for backlash without expensive tools.
Steps to Use the Backlash Estimation Function:
- Power and Connect: Power on the amplifier and connect to your PC via USB.
- Open MR Configurator 2: Switch to online mode.
- Diagnosis Tab: Select Gear Failure Diagnosis to open the estimation function.
- Set Parameters: Adjust settings to fit your application, write to the drive, and cycle power.
- Start Process: Click Start. The drive moves and estimates backlash within two minutes.
Conclusion:
Mitsubishi Electric’s MRJ 5 servo amplifiers simplify backlash estimation, enhancing machine performance efficiently and cost-effectively. This innovative solution eliminates the need for complex, costly equipment, ensuring precise machine operation.
Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more insights into automation solutions on our blog.
For More Information:
If you have any questions or are just looking for some help, we're happy to discuss your application with you. Reach out to us at (855) 737-4716 or fill out our online form.