Condition Monitoring

An increase in failures on an automated production line filling vials with drugs prompted a world-leading healthcare product company to turn to Plextek for help. In addition to delays to production while the problem was diagnosed and fixed, a costly re-sterilisation process needed to be performed each time maintenance was completed.

To improve monitoring of the filling process for early identification of components likely to fail, the Plextek team developed a custom sensing unit with an embedded processor and multiple sensors, supplied in a sterile encasement.

During a planned shutdown, multiple sensors were deployed on the line to collect real-time environmental data, and the line was set up to progress through a series of experimental states.

The data was then analysed to identify patterns associated with different simulated faults – and algorithms were developed which would be capable of detecting problems in real time and provide automatic alerts. These alerts could be used to identify potentially faulty components which could then be replaced during regular line maintenance, preventing unscheduled shutdowns.

When underground electrical wires are damaged – causing sparks that ignite surrounding gases – the result can be explosions within service manholes.

That’s why a client wanted a system to detect and transmit early warnings about the build-up of gases at sites before they reached a critical state – so that preventative action could be taken.

Designing a sensor array capable of operating in such a harsh environment was no mean feat – with the solution even including a novel power harvesting technique using locally available ‘free’ energy sources to extend the sensor lifespan.

Ceramic body armour can be damaged during training or operations – resulting in a considerable reduction in its ability to provide impact protection. Damage to the ceramic plate often takes the form of hairline fractures which are only visible during X-ray analysis.

When the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory asked Plextek for help to reduce the need for body armour to be returned for X-ray analysis, it was clear the solution would have to be low size, weight, power, and cost in addition to being easy to use.

The team developed a sensor system with fine-tuned accelerometers to detect the shock waves associated with the altered response of the armour to subsequent shocks if it was cracked – all with a five-year operating life from a coin cell battery.

A user can rapidly assess the integrity of their body armour through status information presented as a simple, single-screen graphic on a smartphone app or by a press-to-test button showing a simple pass/fail via an LED indicator.