Trelleborg’s fluid handling operation has introduced the Wear Indicator System (WIS) for its industrial hoses. A first in rubber hose technology, a combination of embedded wires and sensors alerts operators to wear issues within the processing plant or wirelessly.
Ludovic Dumoulin, Segment Manager for Trelleborg’s industrial hoses, says: “Up until now, monitoring the wear and tear of an industrial hose was extremely difficult and often a very time-intensive business. Trelleborg’s new Wear Indicator System changes all that. A specially engineered hose incorporating conductive copper wires links to a sensor that indicates when there is wear to the hose. This is either through an LED on the hose in the processing plant or wirelessly. It’s a first for our industry and yet another example of how Trelleborg is making the Internet of Things a reality in today’s manufacturing environments.”
The hoses used for the Wear Indicator System (WIS) incorporate a network of copper conductive wires wound into the hoses inner tube. An electronic sensor and indicator box connects to the wires via a specially developed gasket. The sensor monitors when, due to wear, a wire is broken within hose. When this occurs, the electronic sensor and indicator box signals this to the operator with red LEDS in the processing plant. In addition, an alert is sent wirelessly to an operators computer or smart device.
Courtesy of Trelleborg.
