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Summary
The application of wireless technology for machine-condition
monitoring should come as no big surprise to most maintenance
managers. But for many, the question is: Why use wireless?
After all, most plants already have hard-wired, on-line
monitoring and portable data collectors. This article explores the
generic aspects of wireless condition monitoring, and shows a
few case studies based on the SKF wireless sensor system.
Frequently asked questions and additional resources are included
as well.
Wireless Condition
Monitoring
Battery-Powered, On-Line Data-Acquisition
GS03012
SKF
10 pages
December 2003


SKF Reliability Systems
@ptitudeXchange
5271 Viewridge Court
San Diego, CA 92123
United States
tel. +1 858 496 3554
fax +1 858 496 3555
email: [email protected]
Internet: www.aptitudexchange.com

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 2
Introduction
We live in an increasingly wireless world -
think of cellular phones, cordless phones and
pagers. Consequently, the application of
wireless technology for machine-condition
monitoring should come as no big surprise to
most maintenance managers. But for many,
the question is: Why use wireless? After all,
most plants already have hard-wired, on-line
monitoring and portable data collectors.
How Wireless Is Wireless?
Battery-operated, wireless units can collect
condition-indicating vibration data and
transmit that information to other devices. The
units are truly wireless in the sense that they
require neither power nor data wiring. The
only wires necessary are between the sensors
and the data acquisition and communication
module. In real-world industrial applications,
wireless condition monitoring provides
optimum results when the sensor and
communication module are not located in the
same place (although there are systems that
combine the two).
It is technically feasible to have a condition-
monitoring system that is wireless for
communication and hardwired for power. The
obvious advantage with this system is its
limited need for cabling at the data-collection
point.

Figure 1. A wireless monitoring system includes
acquisition device(s), accelerometer(s), a base station,
and software that configures and runs acquisition
devices and interfaces with the diagnostic software.
Addressing Common Concerns
Far from being just the latest gadget made
possible by evolving technology, however,
battery-powered, on-line data-acquisition
devices are the right choice in many industrial
settings. These devices, fitted with an
accelerometer and capable of sending reliable,
analyzable, machine-generated data via a
wireless medium, serve well when data-
collection points:
Are on moving assemblies that might
damage power or communications cables,
or interfere with assembly or work piece
motion.
Are inaccessible or hard to reach.
Are in restricted or hazardous areas.
Require frequent monitoring for a
relatively short period of time.

Figure 2. Wireless conditioning monitoring is ideally
suited for areas that are hazardous or inaccessible.

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 3
While the first items are somewhat intuitive,
you may be puzzled by the last one. After all,
when does a machine require monitoring for a
relatively short period of time?
As noted maintenance expert John Moubray
points out in his book, Maintenance
Management - A New Paradigm, 72 percent
of machines, components and systems suffer
from infant mortality. That is, they are more
likely to fail during initial wear-in than during
any other time of their service lives. In the
latest edition of Reliability-Centered
Maintenance, Moubray points out that
machine overhauls can actually reintroduce
infant mortality into relatively stable systems.
Common sense would then dictate that more
frequent condition monitoring should take
place immediately after commissioning a
machine or replacing components. Common
sense also dictates that intensive monitoring
should continue until the machine is operating
at steady state. This period of intensive
monitoring would be relatively short
compared to the machine's service life. Many
of the successful early adopters of this
technology are incorporating it as an integral
part of their post-maintenance test regimes of
critical machinery.
Wireless condition monitoring also can be
used to troubleshoot potential problems. When
a pump or fan sounds bad, for example, a
single maintenance worker can quickly set up
a wireless monitoring system to assess the
situation in about ten minutes.
In either case, these installations are
understood to be temporary, requiring no hard
wiring for either power or communications.
They work around the clock, making the data
collection automatic and eliminating frequent
visits by technicians armed with data
collectors.

Figure 3. Temporary wireless on-line system.
Wireless Condition Monitoring
To understand why battery-powered, wireless
condition monitoring makes sense, one must
understand what it consists of and how it
works.
The principal component is a data-acquisition
device, which collects vibration data from an
accelerometer at a specific time (based on an
on-board timer) or at the occurrence of a
counted event (based on the closure of a dry
contact or limit switch). After data collection,
the unit sleeps to conserve the battery.
Collected data are transmitted to a base station
via a RF connection designed to keep the data
reliable. One base station can serve multiple
data-acquisition devices.
The base station links to a computer having
diagnostic software, which helps the
technicians identify, among other problems,
imbalance, misalignment, incorrect gear mesh
and bearing wear. As is the case with every
condition-monitoring system, the overall goal
is to spot trouble before a breakdown occurs.
The maximum distance from base station to
data-acquisition stage is approximately 100
meters. The outdoor, line-of-sight range is
about a kilometer.

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 4

Figure 4. Multiple data-acquisition base monitoring
system.
Available accessories include tachometers and
limit switches, which can serve as triggers in
certain applications.
Implementing a Wireless
Monitoring System
Plants performing diagnostics and using either
on-line, hard-wired technology or data
collectors should contact the providers of their
current systems. The plant will need wireless
units that are compatible with existing
diagnostic software. In this situation,
incorporating wireless into the program is
relatively easy. Required system components
include acquisition device(s),
accelerometer(s), a base station, and software
that configures and runs acquisition devices
and interfaces with the diagnostic software.
Plants that outsource condition monitoring
will want to consult with their contractors
about implementing wireless. Wireless
condition monitoring makes it possible for
service providers to monitor troublesome
machinery, even when service personnel are
not on site.
Plants not presently using condition
monitoring will want to do some careful
comparison-shopping. Interoperability among
vendors simply does not exist in the condition-
monitoring arena. Hardware and diagnostic
software must be able to interact.
Industries That Need Wireless
Although nearly any industrial plant might
employ the troubleshooting capabilities of
battery-operated, wireless condition
monitoring, several industry segments stand
out as likely candidates:
In pulp and paper mills, machine
components are replaced on a regular
basis. Consequently, machines and their
components are almost perpetually in the
infant mortality mode. Wireless units can
be moved and reinstalled easily during the
frequent bearing and roll changeovers.
In automotive engine plants, wireless
condition monitoring can help maintain
throughput and capacity. For example,
engine plants often have complex drill
boxes that bore the cylinders in engine
blocks. The wireless monitors are attached
to a drill box's gear and spindle boxes. At
one engine plant, wireless monitors
detected enough problems in a three-
month period to save the company an
estimated $25,000 in lost production.
Thanks to the significant numbers of
pumps and control devices, hydrocarbon
and petrochemical plants are wiring-
intensive. Therefore, being able to monitor
machinery without additional wiring
should be attractive to maintenance
managers and plant engineers. These
plants also have many hazardous areas
where installing cabling is costly and
dangerous. Wireless condition monitoring
addresses these concerns, too.
Limitations
Current wireless condition-monitoring
systems have limitations. Temperatures at
data-collection points must be between 0 and
175F (actual ranges vary from manufacturer

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 5
to manufacturer), and, as noted earlier, the
range between data-collection device and base
station is limited. In terms of reliability,
however, an end-user can realistically expect
the same performance from a wireless system
as from a hard-wired, on-line system or one
using hand-held data collectors.
Pulp & Paper Case Study
The Braviken, Holmen paper mill is one of the
most advanced paper mills in Europe. Over
several years they have developed a predictive
maintenance program and are successfully
using SKF Condition Monitoring products to
reduce unscheduled downtime. The mills
monitoring system is comprehensive, covering
all critical areas in the mill. Over time, on-line
monitoring equipment is replacing manual,
portable vibration measurements.
Braviken was one of the first sites to
implement the Wireless Sensor System. A
wireless system is especially applicable to the
pulp and paper industry as bearing and roll
changes must be performed quickly, and
online system sensor cables are often in the
way and interfere with maintenance work, or
are damaged as a result of maintenance work.
With wireless sensors, the wireless transceiver
unit (D-DAQ = Distributed Data
AcQuisition unit) is mounted on the roll, and
stays with the roll if it is replaced. No time is
spent dismounting sensors or disconnecting
wires.

Figure 5. Two D-DAQs with tachometer installed on a
paper machine.
In the Braviken mill, four D-DAQs, each one
connected to a conventional accelerometer,
were placed in critical locations on one of the
paper machines. Two were placed in the wet
section, the other two in the calendar. The
base-station, which receives vibration signals
from the D-DAQs and routes them into the
computer system, was located near a PC in a
control room that overlooks the paper
machine. During a three-month period,
vibration measurement results were collected
every hour around the clock, without
disturbance or lost information. The predictive
maintenance personnel could confidently
follow problem bearings through the four
bearing failure stages.
In this application, the speed of the machine in
question is important as bearing defect
frequencies are plotted as a function of the
machine speed. The D-DAQs innovative
design includes an input for a tachometer and
a trigger. Several D-DAQs can share a single
tachometer when performing measurements
on the same machine. The RPM reading is
wirelessly transmitted along with the vibration
data, and displayed in the software.
The vibration analyst monitored the machine
from his office PC using the mills internal
computer network. Typically, for thorough
analysis purposes, spectral measurements

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 6
were analyzed, but the Wireless Sensor
Systems trend displays were also used.
One of the biggest advantages of having
SKF's Wireless Sensor System is the time and
ease of installation. Since there are almost no
cables to be installed or potentials to pay
attention to, the installation is done in no time.
All to be done is:
1. Install your accelerometer as usual,
2. Put the wireless transceiver unit (D-DAQ)
at a convenient location nearby and,
3. Connect the accelerometer to the D-DAQ.
Not only provided the Wireless Sensor System
the predictive maintenance personnel with
useful information about the machine
condition, it also shortened the machine
downtime because no cables had to be
disconnected, the D-DAQ stays with the roll.
Automobile Manufacturing Case
Study
An automobile industry manufacturing plant
was experiencing problems with their cylinder
head production. Problems with drill boxes
were resulting in unscheduled downtime.
These drill boxes had a large number of
spindles (up to 26) and gear wheels, and were
experiencing problems due to high operating
temperature and poor lubrication. Monitoring
the machine with conventional, cable-based
vibration monitoring equipment proved nearly
impossible, as every time the line changed
engine types, for example from a 4-cylinder to
a 6-cylinder, the machine in question rotated
to change drill boxes.
A breakdown resulted in total disassembly of
the machine and close examination of the
cause. The components in question were
ordered and manufactured externally (two of
each) as it was deemed too expensive to stock
all the necessary types of spares. While
waiting for the ordered parts, the drill box was
reassembled with unhardened parts to avoid
additional downtime. When the hardened parts
arrived and production allowed, the correct
parts were installed.
The machines in question were only
monitored on weekends, once or twice a
month, using a portable data collector. As
wear propagation in this situation is very fast
(with only a few days between an incipient
defect to the machines break down) this
monitoring method was unsatisfactory for this
application.

Figure 6. Two D-DAQs (prototypes) on one of the drill
boxes. Machine is in a service position. Trigger (green
switch) is located in the pictures top centre.
Two D-DAQs, each connected to a
conventional accelerometer, were mounted on
the machines with the highest failure
probability. One D-DAQ monitored the
gearbox, the other monitored the spindle box.
The D-DAQs superior design allows
measurements to be triggered by external
events and/or on a user-defined schedule. In
this application, measurements where
triggered by the machines horizontal
movement. When the D-DAQs counted 60
machine cycles (approximately once per
hour), they would wake up and perform
their user defined vibration measurement(s).

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 7
The acquired vibration data was transmitted
automatically and wirelessly to the systems
base-station. The base-station is connected to
a host computer conveniently located more
than 100 meters (300 feet) from the drill box.
The host computer runs analysis software to
aid the analyst in predicting bearing failures
and in identifying mechanical problems.
The SKF Wireless Sensor System was put to
the test shortly after installation: One of the
spindle boxes developed a rapidly increasing
enveloped acceleration overall trend. This is
typically caused by higher than normal energy
in the bearing. In a two day time period, the
overall value rose from 1 gE to 4.2 gE. After
changing the bearing in question, trend levels
returned to normal.

Figure 7. Trend of overall vibration.
Using SKFs Wireless Sensor System,
predictive maintenance personnel were able to
detect problems early and thus avoided several
breakdowns within three months of the
systems installation, saving the customer an
estimated $25,000 in production losses due to
avoided unscheduled downtime. The wireless
technology used to transmit the data proved
suitable for industrial environment. Although
the base-station was located in a corner of the
plant, it successfully monitored the entire
plant floor (more than 100 x 100 meters). Note
that the plant does not have floor to ceiling
walls, but line-of-sight was not available due
to large machinery.
Train Derailment Case Study
A passenger train coach can derail without
creating any real damage or risk. The coach
can continue for quite a distance with at least
two wheels off a rail. If the derailment is
detected in time, the situation can be
corrected. However, if left undetected, the
situation can easily evolve to a full derailment
when the train encounters a switch or curve.
To learn more about derailment situations,
analysts analyze the amplitude and
characteristics of an acceleration signal.
Acquiring accelerometer signals as the couch
derails should provide the necessary
derailment detection information. The
acceleration level is expected to be in the
range of several hundred G's, and the
measurement data should be delivered as data
files to be filtered and analyzed in various
systems. The tests include:
1. The coach rolls on a rail with several
jumps (steel ramps). The coach will be
pushed onto these jumps at different
speeds.
2. One coach will be derailed (with two
wheels off the rail); the coach will be
pulled by the locomotive at different
speeds.
Using two wireless sensors, it was possible to
start the measurements and collect data from a
car stationed close to the test rail. Naturally,
this was safer than having personnel operating
a data collector on the test train.
Acceleration in the vertical direction was
found to be close to 200 Gs during derailment
(at 30 Km/h). This information has been used
in the development of a coach monitoring
system that will be able to detect and alert
when a derailment occurs.

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 8

Figure 8. D-DAQs monitoring horizontal and vertical
acceleration on the rear bogie of a passenger coach.
Frequently Asked Questions on
SKF's Wireless Sensor System
What is the Wireless Sensor System?
It is a complete on-line system with no need
for long wires and extensive cabling. This
enables the monitoring of machine points that
are moving, out of reach, located in hazardous
areas, or temporary for any critical machinery.
What are the components of wireless
system and how do they work?
A battery-powered transceiver unit called D-
DAQ (Distributed Data AcQuisition Unit) is
linked to a conventional accelerometer at each
point monitored. In addition, the D-DAQ
provides input capabilities for a tachometer
and a trigger.
After taking the measurements, the D-DAQ
transmits the information wirelessly to the
systems base-station, which is connected to a
personal computer where the data can be
analyzed and recorded in analysis software.
What are the benefits of using a
wireless system?
The Wireless Sensor System is the
complement to existing cable based on-line
system (LMU) and/or manual data collection
(Microlog). The flexibility and the ease of
installation of the Wireless Sensor System
gives you the opportunity to deploy it where it
is needed the most, for example on machinery
that just became critical and need further
monitoring. Obviously using the Wireless
Sensor System allows you to benefit from
condition monitoring on machinery that was
once off limits, or too dangerous to monitor.
Machines that are moving, out of reach, or
located in hazardous areas can be easily
incorporated into your reliability program. It
also eliminates the need for technicians to risk
taking measurements in perilous locations.
The wireless system does the hard work for
you, sending the data directly to the base-
station that is connected to PC and software.
What types of measurements can be
taken?
You can easily monitor acceleration, velocity
and enveloped acceleration measurements in
combination with speed and trigger inputs.
Multiple point-type acquisitions are also
implemented. These enable the user to take
more than one type of measurement, such as
velocity and enveloped acceleration, at the
same time, from the same point without
changing the point set up.
What is Enveloped Acceleration?
Enveloped acceleration, or demodulation, is
a signal processing technique that enhances
repetitive signals of the impact type, providing
early warnings of developing component
damage. This greatly enhances an analysts
ability to determine the condition of rotating
equipment. The acceleration process first
filters out the machines low frequency
vibration signals, then looks for harmonics of
repetitious signals occurring in a higher
frequency band specified by the user.
How do I read measurements taken by
the D-DAQ?
The base-station, that receives the data from
the D- DAQ, is connected to your PC and
software. With the data being sent, users
navigate the software interface just as if the

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 9
measurements had been collected manually
with a portable data collector or with a cable
based on-line system. The data can be
thoroughly analyzed, checking vibration
diagnostics to identify problems such as
imbalance, misalignment, gear mesh, bearing
wear, and more.
Is installing the wireless sensor
system complicated?
The installation process is faster, more
efficient, and less costly than traditional
methods because there is almost no cabling
required. This convenience allows for easy
movement should a sensor need to be
relocated, and is especially significant and
cost effective for temporary installations when
troubleshooting or testing machines.
What is the range of the
transmissions?
The Wireless Sensor System has a range of at
least 100 meters (300 feet) inside industrial
environment buildings and several times
further with line-of-sight.
How reliable is the data collected from
a wireless system?
The Wireless Sensor System is equipped with
advanced communication protocols and
several other integrity processes to help ensure
the accuracy of the transmitted data. Because
the analog vibration signals are converted to
digital signals before being sent to the base
unit, sensitivity to disturbance is virtually
eliminated.
What are the data rate and bandwidth?
The maximum data rate of the radio is 2
Mbps. At this rate, the wireless transceiver
sends 2 million bits (ones and zeros) per
second to the base-station. This high data rate
lays the ground for a bandwidth from DC to
30 kHz, which allows the implementation of
SKF Condition Monitorings enveloped
acceleration technique.
Do I need to purchase a license for the
transmissions to radios?
Licenses are not required since data
transmissions are carried on the license-free
ISM (Industrial-Scientific- Medical) band,
reserved by the Federal Communications
Commission for applications in these areas
alone.
What areas of industry are best suited
for a Wireless Sensor System?
The Wireless Sensor System can be used for
predictive maintenance in any industry with
rotating or moving machinery, or with
monitoring points located in hard to reach or
hazardous locations. Any critical machine
where conventional cabling was not possible
can now be monitored using the Wireless
Sensor System.
Can I monitor high-speed machines
with wireless technology?
Even machines that are operating at 10,000
rpm and more can be monitored using the
Wireless Sensor System.
Additional Resources
http://www.bluetooth.com/
"Founded in 1998 by Ericsson, IBM, Intel,
Nokia and Toshiba, Bluetooth is an open
standard wireless technology used for short-
range transmission of digital voice and data.
Bluetooth covers a range of ten meters to 100
meters and eliminates the need for almost all
cables and attachments for connecting
computers, mobile phones, mobile computers
and handheld devices. The greater mobility
and responsiveness that this will allow, will
enable a whole range of data, voice and
content-centric industrial applications, from
remote operation to sales and service support.
What makes Bluetooth unique is that it can be
used for so many different applications. Its

GS03012 - Wireless Condition Monitoring
2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 10
low cost and built-in security opens up new
connectivity opportunities for wireless
communication in industrial environments. In
addition to eliminating communication cables,
it offers flexible topology and the possibility
of mobile applications."
http://www.abb.com
"ABB leads the pack in wireless technology
research for industry. As this wireless boom
starts to affect industry, ABB is getting close
to commercial applications. A wireless
communications pilot project, in cooperation
with Ericsson, has removed all the cables from
a point-welding robot on a Volvo production
line in Sweden, cutting installation costs and
the need for replacing cables in the robots
arm joints. The wireless ABB research team is
also working with Bluetooth technology.
A tiny Bluetooth microchip, incorporating a
radio transceiver, is built into digital devices
at ABB this can be embedded on a robot or
control device. The microchip enables secure
transmissions of both voice and data, even
when the devices are not within line-of-sight."
http://www.wilcoxon.com/
Various white papers on wireless:
Bluetooth gets a filling, May 01, 2003
Bluetooth gets greasy and gritty, July 28,
2003
Security Comparison: Bluetooth
Communications vs. IEEE 802.11, -
February 01, 2002. "The basic differences
between the two wireless communications
standards are power consumption and, as a
direct result, communications range".
Bluetooth Applications in the Industrial
Environment, July 10, 2002. "The
announcement of Bluetooth wireless in the
late 1990's promised a low cost, low
power, small size technical solution for
immediate vicinity information exchange
between personal computers and
peripherals. One of the stated goals of the
system was to replace the wires and cables
linking personal computer equipment on
the desktop. The Bluetooth technology
would enable wireless interconnection of
the equipment and would enable portable
equipment to link to the stationary
equipment without connecting cables or
using the very limited range and
occasionally "fussy" infrared optical
links."
http://www.techkor.com/
Various white papers like:
An Intelligent Wireless Data Gathering
System for Condition Based Maintenance
"Advances in wireless technology, battery
chemistry, and miniaturization have made
large-scale wireless CBM data gathering
systems practical. Wireless sensing no longer
needs to be relegated to locations where
access is difficult or cabling is not practical.
Wireless CBM data gathering can be cost
effectively implemented in extensive
applications that were historically handled by
route running. This publication will detail the
major issues surrounding the development of a
wireless surveillance system for practical
application in the factory environment. A
wireless surveillance system must address the
reliability of the wireless communication
network, cost, battery life, ease of
configuration, miniaturization and
intelligence, all while retaining the accuracy
and bandwidth of traditional sensors."