Acoustic-Emission: the next sensor evolution in the market of condition monitoring for enabling condition-based maintenance

With the advent of IoT technologies, maintenance inspection procedures are evolving. Today engineers can use vibration sensors bolted on a machine to perform a mechanical diagnostic without opening the asset. The vibration data recorded, once analysed, indicate if maintenance is needed, thereby avoiding costly downtime. Unfortunately, the latter statement is not valid for all machine categories. While monitoring of rotating machinery (e.g., electrical motors, pumps and gearboxes) with vibration sensors is slowly becoming mainstream ($B3.9 market); the monitoring of non-rotating machinery such as reciprocal machines using pistons to induce motion (e.g. engines, compressors, electric or hydraulic actuators) is far less widespread since mainstream monitoring technology such as vibration sensors are not effective on those assets.

In this project, we aim to commercialise an Acoustic-Emission (AE) monitoring system that will be able to monitor a wide range of non-rotating machinery. The proof-of-concept system was developed during the SFI Mechatronics project by NORCE; the scientific results of the tests performed on hydraulic cylinders, spindles, and steel rope monitoring are published in different Level 1/Level 2 journals.

A core part of this project is to refine the market data, identify a business case, subsequently price the technology, and create a commercial forecast. Once a viable business model is established, the ambition of NORCE is to open NewCO AS to commercialise this product.