Bearings & Industrial Solutions | Schaeffler Thailand

Customer benefits

No costs incurred by production stoppages
Low system acquisition costs
Reduced maintenance costs
Increased plant availability
Greater security due to self-reporting system

Sector:

Wood processing industry

Application:

Motors

Product solution:

Condition Monitoring solution

Mikael Eriksson, operator of the Kåge sawmill, is delighted.

Thanks to the SmartCheck, unexpected motor failures are almost entirely prevented. We can now see immediately if something is not right, such as unusual temperature increases or significantly changed vibrations for example, and can intervene before major problems arise. As a result, downtime costs of approx. EUR 20,000, as incurred in the most recent incident, are a thing of the past.

Mikael Eriksson Operator of the Kåge sawmill

Challenge

Running motors in the Norra Timber sawmill are a fundamental requirement for the smooth production of sawn timber. During this process, the bearings in the motors are subject to particular stress. When the main motor failed, the plant was brought to a standstill, and it took several hours before operations could resume. A failure of this kind can impact on the entire supply chain. In order to avoid such incidents in future, the sawmill operator sought a proactive solution.

Solution

Schaeffler experts on site recommended the use of the SmartCheck for motor monitoring. The SmartCheck is an online measuring system for monitoring machinery and process parameters. This maintenance solution enables early alarm triggering and visualization of potential damage, thus allowing maintenance work to be planned on a specific and proactive basis.

Special features of the project

Schaeffler has been supplying roller bearings to the Norra Timber plant through local Schaeffler sales partner Sesemic for years. By using the Schaeffler condition monitoring solution, the sawmill operator is once again placing its trust in Schaeffler’s expertise. This maintenance solution can also be applied and expanded to other units such as fans, pumps, gearboxes, compressors, and machine tools in practically every plant across all sectors.

Customer

The Norra Timber sawmill in Kåge is one of the largest wood processing companies in Northern Sweden. Approximately 240,000 m³ of wood are processed into sawn timber every year and shipped to customers all over the world.

Sawmill control center

Commissioning of the SmartCheck on the main motor

Schaeffler SmartCheck in action

Our solution products

The SmartCheck from Schaeffler is a compact, innovative, modular online measuring system for continuous monitoring of machinery and process parameters on a decentralized basis.

Product page Schaeffler SmartCheck