OMRON Launches New Condition Monitoring Device Built With Predictive Maintenance to Support Measuring Tasks

OMRON Corporation (OMRON) is a global leader in automation technologies and industrial automation and mechanical components solutions.

Recently, the company announced the release of its new insulation resistance monitoring device, the K7TM. The new device will be launched globally on April 1, 2022. The state-monitoring device has been designed to measure the tendency of heater equipment used in automotive and semiconductor manufacturing processes to deteriorate.

The K7TM state-monitoring device monitoring heaters in a furnace. Image used courtesy of OMRON

The K7TM is hoped to contribute to predictive maintenance activities and avoid timely and costly malfunctions in equipment that can hinder production processes. Additionally, temperature monitoring can help to reduce energy use and consumption, which can ultimately reduce carbon emissions and potentially benefit the environment.

K7TM

The K7TM device could allow for easier installment in existing equipment. A clamp-type current sensor and heater voltage allows users to measure the current value of the heater to aid deterioration tendency monitoring.

By combining temperature data along with data concerning the electric power of each heater, the K7TM can help facility operators detect abnormal production conditions. With the implementation of rapid maintenance, users can maintain production conditions and product quality.

The K7TM device uses a method to minimize the effect of heater temperature characteristics which also enables a more accurate report of the deterioration tendency of each heater. Image used courtesy of OMRON

By using the K7TM for constant equipment monitoring, the heater(s) can be replaced at the right time required to avoid losses in productivity and reduce the toll of energy consumption involved in restarting production.

The new monitoring device converts the deterioration state of the heater to the rate of change of the heater resistance value. The threshold value can also be set with the rate of change of the heater resistance value to determine the optimal time of replacement. This allows for optimal maintenance time without the need for experienced personnel.

Key Features

Some of the key features of the K7TM device include:

• The ability to retrofit to existing equipment and facilities onsite
• Automatic measurement of heater resistance during operation for determination for deterioration tendency
• The ability to carry out time-critical maintenance without the need for highly skilled staff
• Network connections enable status monitoring of equipment through data collection both on-site and remotely. 
• The ability to manage energy consumption and carbon emissions through visualization of equipment quality status

The performance and reliability of the facility heater equipment are highly dependent on the condition monitoring. It helps in reducing energy consumption and also helps in maximizing productivity.

Predictive maintenance using the K7TM could effectively manage preventive maintenance tasks and improve plant availability. This could result in increased manufacturing output, increased productivity, reduced costs, less downtime, and less risk for unplanned events.