Renold has launched a new version of Smartlink, their chain monitoring technology, that can be installed and operated either by maintenance engineers or OEMs. Previous versions of Smartlink have had to be installed and monitored by Renold’s own engineers, limiting its use to larger projects. Now, Smartlink can be owned and operated by anyone, bringing the benefits of chain monitoring to a much wider range of applications.
The new Smartlink devices are supplied already fitted to a section of chain; users simply install the new chain link and Smartlink is ready to go. The new Smarlink units are available for operation on one inch, one-and-a-quarter inch and one-and-a-half inch pitch chains. They are remotely controlled with a choice of two hand-held devices, providing users with two levels of sophistication.
The simpler of the two hand-held controllers is no bigger than a key fob and enables Smartlink to be operated as an overload detector. In this instance, Smartlink will provide a warning when chain exceeds a predetermined load, enabling engineers to check machinery and make sure that it is safe to continue operating the system. The alarm conditions on the Smartlink device can then be reset using the remote control.
A more sophisticated handheld controller is available that is capable of downloading much more detailed information from Smartlink about the nature of the stresses and loading the chain was subjected to during a given period of operation. This data can then be analysed on a PC to identify the exact location of load peaks in the drive system using software specially written by Renold.
These developments have been possible thanks, in part, to the availability of smaller PCBs and miniature batteries that were initially developed for high-grade military applications. These new batteries are so small that Renold’s team were able to integrate them with the PCB itself so that they were no longer a component on the board, they became part of it.