An innovative sensor monitors the spring and, by means of a wireless interface, can transmit all important data for evaluating its current actual condition, which can be evaluated online using special software.
Technical springs are used in industry in a wide variety of applications. Many applications have one thing in common: the real stresses on the spring in operation are usually not known precisely enough to make a reliable statement about its condition. The design of springs is often based on theoretical assumptions and models, e.g. to determine the relaxation or service life. These theoretical assumptions are the result of various tests under laboratory conditions and cannot always be transferred 1:1 to the specific application.
The smart sensor is generally made up of the following components:
Monitoring module consisting of a strain gauge to determine the deformations and thus stresses on the surface, a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, a memory module, which temporarily stores the acquired data and an output module that transmits the stored data via a suitable interface (Bluetooth).
In addition, there is the software, which processes the data obtained in this way in a suitable form and displays the desired information on a display device (e.g. smartphone). With clever networking, it is possible to make the status of a Smart Spring visible from anywhere in the world.
With the data obtained, it is possible to determine various key figures through the software, in addition to an online display of the data, remaining service life until theoretical failure in a dynamic application, failure probability of a spring in relation to its force absorption capacity and remaining spring force below critical limit.
This solution opens up many new possibilities for spring.