Volvo Group produces engines for various functions, as an illustration for vans , industrial energy techniques and boats, and the manufacturing course of for these giant, heavy engines depends on utilising autonomous guided automobiles (AGV).
AGVs allow extra flexibility for all the manufacturing chain,in comparison with a extra conventional fastened manufacturing chain, however it additionally creates challenges within the manufacturing course of. A 24V battery powers the AGVs, however when the voltage goes beneath 22V, the AGVs cease and easily block the manufacturing chain; stops which lead to manufacturing lack of roughly two engines per week.
To proactively monitor the well being of the AGVs and stop their shutdown, the IoT staff at Volvo Group Digital & IT, supporting the manufacturing unit in Lyon, envisioned a wi-fi system for predictive upkeep. The staff initially checked out WI-FI expertise, however the WIFI 2.4GHz band was already getting used for vital processes within the manufacturing line. Confronted with this problem, the IoT teamlooked towards LoRaWAN, a LPWAN protocol designed to attach battery-operated ‘issues’ to the web for powering the massive fleet of AGVs. LoRaWAN is ideally suited to the manufacturing course of because it offers long-range functionality, good resistance to interferences, and a secured and versatile community structure.
The staff additionally put in their very own LoRaWAN sensor on each AVG to obtain periodic voltage information of the battery ranges (<23V) or battery failures. With the brand new system, the upkeep staff receives common notifications, offering extra time to maneuver the AVGs to the cost level, with out blocking the manufacturing line. They’ll additionally organise interventions in circumstances of battery failure.
“Implementing a radio infrastructure in our manufacturing unit was a problem, and we wished to have a LoRaWAN community related on to our safe Ethernet community to keep away from any cloud dependence. So, we’ve got chosen a Multitech industrial grade LoRa Gateway, with some edge computing capabilities and sturdy cybersecurity options to efficiently qualify it via an full IT audit.” says Julien Bertolini, principal answer architect IoT at Volvo Group Digital & IT.
The entire system for predictive upkeep now features a LoRaWaN sensor put in on each AVG, a non-public LoRaWAN community, the upkeep platform on PTC Thingworx with its cell utility, and a few screens dispersed all through the manufacturing unit to show the real-time standing of any AVG.
The related manufacturing unit, with its LoRaWAN, has opened up for brand spanking new alternatives for Volvo Group in Lyon: new sensors have been added for extra functions, akin to a temperature and humidity sensor designated for portray to enhance the rendering high quality and strain distinction sensors for monitoring filter clogging.
Because of current developments in mobile and IoT applied sciences, producers can now unleash their community to make the most of varied efficiency and enterprise advantages, akin to improved operational value, velocity, and effectivity.
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