ABB smart motor condition sensor

Until now, the monitoring and preventive maintenance of low-voltage motors has been time-consuming and expensive. ABB has announced sensor technology that attaches directly to the motor and supplies information regarding operating and condition parameters via wireless transmission.

The smart sensor provides information on operating and condition parameters such as vibration, temperature or overload and calculates power consumption. The data is analysed by a specially developed software program and provided to the plant operator in the form of graphics for maintenance planning, thereby enabling claimed downtime reductions of up to 70%. At the same time, it is claimed that the lifetime of the motor can be extended by up to 30% and energy consumption reduced by as much as 10%.

This solution is not restricted to new motors made by ABB. The sensors can be installed at the factory or retrofitted on already operating low-voltage motors.

Cybersecurity is guaranteed because the sensor is not electrically connected to the motor, so unauthorised parties cannot access the motor. The smart sensors wirelessly transmit the data via encryption protocols to a secure server where they are analysed using special algorithms. The cloud-based server implementation fulfils all of ABB’s specifications for cybersecurity, and the data is stored in the cloud in encrypted form. The internet-based customer portal also uses a role-based access protocol to make the data securely accessible.