Aleris Aluminium saves Euro200k a year via condition monitoring

Koblenz, Germany - Aleris Aluminium, based in Koblenz, Germany, has reported achieving annual cost savings of around 200,000 following its installation of online condition monitoring systems on its aluminium rolling mills.

The on-line system ‹ two FAG Dtect X1 condition monitoring (CM) systems from Schaeffler Group company FAG Industrial Services to monitor the pedestal bearing on the bridle roller, 14 bearings on the deflector and flatness monitoring rollers, and 12 bearings and four gears in the mill pinion gears.

The system is based on16 sensors and two of the 8-channel Dtect X1 CM systems. Ten sensors are positioned on the bridal rollers to monitor the two pedestal bearings on each roller. Another sensor monitors the condition of the two bearings on the deflector roller input, while a further sensor monitors the two bearings on the flatness monitoring roller; and two sensors monitor the mill pinion gears.

Aleris has noted cost savings in three main areas: faster repair times and material savings on roller bearings, which amount to some Euro30,000/yr; avoiding chatter marks was calculated to be worth a further Euro120,000/yr; and the elimination of stand fires due to overheated roller bearings amounts to around Euro50,000/yr.

In addition to this, FAG is also providing remote condition monitoring services to the aluminium company via two GSM wireless modems, one on each Dtect X1 unit. Engineers at the supplier¹s Diagnosis Centre in Herzogenrath, Germany, evaluate and report back any irregularities and recommend remedial actions. Aleris also receives a monthly report on the condition of its machines, with FAG guaranteeing a minimum warning time of four weeks before any failures.