Intelligent breakage detection for e-chains

EC.B energy chain with break detection and warning signal connected to a control cabinet.

Accidents - not always a disaster thanks to i.Sense EC.B

Links in e-chains® are made for tough continuous use. But forces may still sometimes overtax your e-chain®. When that happens, the EC.B sensor detects link breakage in your e-chain® immediately and, in the worst case, sends a notification right away. This allows you or your system to intervene, frequently preventing both additional damage (to the opposite chain link) and system shutdown.

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The advantages of i.Sense EC.B at a glance:

▲ Tech up

Real-time condition data acquisition for the energy supply system
Longer maximum service life
Integration into Industry 4.0/IIoT concepts

▼ Cost down

No unplanned downtime
Prevent total failure if individual links break
Reduced maintenance costs due to early warnings

How does intelligent breakage detection work?

What are the technical components of i.Sense EC.B?

What is on-site i.Sense EC.B assembly like?

What practical i.Sense EC.B success stories are there?

How does i.Sense EC.B fit into a predictive maintenance concept?

At what point does purchasing an i.Sense EC.B pay off for me?

Where can I download further information?

i.Sense EC.B intelligent breakage detection

Discover EC.B functionality in 82 seconds

Module (EC = e-chain B = break detection) detects breaks in individual chain links
A rope is passed through the e-chain and tightened to record any change in length and report it to the EC.B. sensor.
This detects chain breaks, shuts down the system and prevents further damage

What are the technical components of i.Sense EC.B?

The technology for smart breakage detection in detail

Sensor module with tilting housing and wheels.

Sensor technology

The sensor unit consists of a housing, a steel cable guide, a guide roller, a tension spring, and a 100mm travel measuring system. Starting at a travel of 35m, a rope hoist sensor measures the rope's linear movement and converts the change in travel into an electrical signal. Chain widths greater than 350mm require two sensor units.

The associated rope hoist is made of an extremely tear-resistant, non-elastic Kevlar fibre. The special separators guide the rope along the e-chain's neutral axis. Separators are mounted in every second chain link.

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i.Sense module for cable condition monitoring.

Evaluation module

Subsequently, all supplied push/pull force sensor data are continuously evaluated with the i.Sense Module II, which is mounted in the control cabinet of the system to be monitored and connected with chainflex cables. The module detects all movement anomalies immediately and transmits them directly to the user or the machine control system, e.g. Siemens PLC, via an NC contact. This new generation can connect up to four condition monitoring sensors at the same time with just one control cabinet module, saving lots of space and costs.

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Dashboard for monitoring smart plastics KI machine data on a laptop.

Connectivity

The module also offers many typical Industry 4.0 use cases, such as remote resetting or an SMS/e-mail alarm function. The i.Sense module offers other network options besides direct integration into the PLC plant control system to prevent total machine failure in an emergency.

One is location-independent alerting with the optional SMS module. Another is that, in connection with an i.Cee module, all acquired sensor data can be output to an online dashboard.

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How is the i.Sense EC.B sensor box mounted on the chain?

A sensor on a cable chain in an orange machine monitors cable movement.

EC.B sensor box with standard mounting plate assembled on the mounting bracket

Download assembly instructions

i.sense ec.b monitors an energy chain in an industrial plant.

The sensor cable is attached inside the sensor box and the in chain with the special separators.

Download the operating instructions

i.sense ec.b sensor on a conveyor system for monitoring cable condition.

Mounting with 180° special mounting plate specifically for crane applications

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Final EC.B mounting on a container crane

Konstantin Schmer explains the system

The EC.B (EC = e-chain, B = break detection) module is installed on the e-chain's moving end
Special mounting brackets allow the EC.B. sensor to be mounted on the moving end of the e-chain®
With the addition of an EC.M (EC = e-chain, M = motion) sensor to the break detection system (EC.B), condition monitoring can evolve into predictive maintenance. The additional measured values (speed, acceleration, and temperature) allow the system to calculate service life and display maintenance times

Intelligent breakage detection implemented successfully

Industry 4.0: i.Sense EC.B in practice

Sewage and wastewater treatment plants

Ports and container cranes

Conveying and bulk handling

Conveyor system with cable carriers in an automated production line.

Abrasion and breakage monitoring

"In the past, visual inspections of energy chain systems resulted in no complaints, but two weeks later the chain failed. Intelligent breakage monitoring with i.Sense EC.B can prevent this."

New product of the month at the engine factory of a German

premium car manufacturer

igus e-chains with smart plastics application examples in industrial plants, cranes and machines.

Worldwide customer application

i.Sense EC.B systems are successfully used wherever operators want to reduce maintenance costs and prevent machine downtime, e.g. in international automotive production, the global crane industry and regional wastewater plants.

Click here for the application overview

When regular maintenance work requires a complete shutdown ...

When people cannot detect abnormal or irregular movements in time ...

When maintenance work poses a health or safety risk ...

When operators would like to reduce maintenance costs and extend system service life ...

When plants or machines require frequent or continuous monitoring ...

When travels of energy supply systems are difficult to access or view ...

The EC.B system as the basis for predictive maintenance

Always the optimum maintenance solution with igus smart plastics

For a solid foundation for predictive maintenance concepts, you need a smart network of individual condition monitoring systems, such as i.Sense EC.B. At igus, everything related to predictive maintenance falls under the term i.Cee. Similarly, i.Sense encompasses all condition monitoring systems.

The central element of this system is the i.Cee software. which, combined with i.Sense condition monitoring sensors on the energy chain, the plain bearing bushing, or a linear carriage, transform stock products into smart ones. This upgrade creates the capability of determining maximum service life and optimal maintenance intervals in real time based on real usage data.

More about predictive maintenance with smart plastics

smart plastics infographic with i.Sense for condition monitoring and i.Cee for predictive maintenance.

At what point does it pay to purchase i.Sense EC.B?

The financial benefits of safety systems are often difficult to assess, especially because the initial investment in a modern condition-monitoring system increases costs instead of reducing them. For this reason, we performed a break-even analysis for the entire usage period based on practical experience in an automotive production hall.

Given the average cost per working hour for all typical maintenance expenses in the German manufacturing industry (€41.60), an i.Sense EC.B system reaches its break-even point in the third year of use, even if your estimate is based on a conservative scenario (regular case).

View the full break-even analysis

Chart comparing the break-even point between Smart Investment and maintenance costs in euros over the years.

View the full break-even analysis

Personal advice is guaranteed
Do you also have a crane or system where you would like to determine the tensile strength of the e-chain so as to increase system safety?
If so, please don't hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to your message!

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