• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sensor Tips

Sensor Product News, Tips, and learning resources for the Design Engineering Professional.

  • What’s Hot
    • Development Tools
    • Energy Harvesting
    • Market Research
    • Packaging
    • Sensor Fusion
    • Sensor-specific software
    • Signal Conditioning
    • Touch Sensing
    • Wireless
  • Motion Sensing
  • Vision systems
    • Smart cameras
    • Vision software
    • Lighting
    • Optics
  • Pressure
  • Speed
  • Temperature
  • Suppliers
  • Video
  • EE Learning Center

How has sensing changed in industrial automation? (Part 1)

January 19, 2022 By Randy Frank

The Industrial Revolution or what we might call Industry 1.0 started over 250 years ago. In 1771 Richard Arkwright, today known as Father of the Factory System, used water to power the first fully automated spinning mill. One hundred years later, the automotive assembly line initiated the Second Industrial Revolution or Industry 2.0 with significantly increased output and lower production costs for complex products.

While sensing was the responsibility of the operator or a manufacturing engineer in Industry 1.0 and relied on a few electromechanical devices in Industry 2.0, it wasn’t until another 100 years passed that Industry 3.0, the Third Industrial Revolution, brought a dramatic increase to sensors’ role in factory automation. With digital logic in programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and later the widespread use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based sensors, Industry 3.0 was considerably different than Industry 2.0.

Today with Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT), there are many aspects that differentiate this latest era from its predecessor and sensing is an integral part of the differences. Instead of only providing feedback for process control, sensors help determine the need for and timing of maintenance and repairs that previously were totally disruptive to the manufacturing process. To be easy to implement, these battery-powered sensors use wireless technology.

An example of sensing for predictive maintenance in Industry 4.0 is TE Connectivity’s 8911 Wireless Accelerometer for Proof of Concept (POC). Designed for predictive maintenance and conditioning monitoring in industrial applications, the 8911 in its 1.25” (31.75 mm) x 3.1” (78 mm) package combines a sensor, data collector, digital signal processor and radio into a battery-operated device that measures both vibration and temperature data.

The ±50g, single axis piezoelectric accelerometer uses the LoRaWAN™ communication protocol operating from 868/915 MHz. Digital signal processing in the 8911 provides fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the vibration signature. Output data includes the center frequency, peak value, bandwidth and percent of the total spectral content for the eight most significant acceleration peaks in the vibration signal.

“What Industry 4.0 is doing is it’s basically connecting all of those devices in the factory,” says John Tuley from IoT Business Development -Sensor Solutions at TE Connectivity. “You’re starting to see that rapidly deployed in a lot of factories today.”

The discussion with John Tuley continues in Part 2 of this blog.

You may also like:


  • How has sensing in industrial automation changed? (Part 2)

Filed Under: Accelerometer, Featured, Frequently Asked Question (FAQ), Piezoelectric, Vibration Tagged With: TE Connectivity

Primary Sidebar

DesignFast

Component Selection Made Simple.

Try it Today
design fast globle

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Randy Frank delivers weekly sensor industry news, sensor resources, new sensor product innovations and more.

Subscribe Today

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion

EE TRAINING CENTER CLASSROOMS

“ee

“ee

“ee

“ee

“ee

“ee

RSS Current EDABoard.com discussions

  • could calibre lvs do not check mosfet B term
  • Sign-Off MMMC setup in 65nm CMOS
  • 1k to 2kHz Frequency converter
  • Mahindra Inverter continuous beep sound and all led glowing except battery indicator
  • Charge injection simulation in cadence

RSS Current Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • Voltage Regulator 12 - 5volt
  • XOR Gate Circuit From Diodes
  • Positive and negative sides of voltage source
  • DIY Mini 12v Router UPS malfunction
  • 24v dc relays not de-energising


SensorTips Videos

RSS Featured White Papers

  • Implementing Position Sensors for Hazardous Areas & Safety
  • How New Rotary Sensor Technology Enables New Application Solutions
  • Magnetic sensor ensures safety features in depaneling machines

Footer

EE WORLD ONLINE NETWORK

  • DesignFast
  • EE World Online
  • EDA Board Forums
  • Electro Tech Online Forums
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Analog IC Tips
  • Connector Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips
  • Wire and Cable Tips
  • 5G Technology World

SENSOR TIPS

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
  • About us
Follow us on TwitterAdd us on FacebookFollow us on YouTube Follow us on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy