The Etherline Torsion Cat 7 is a high-speed cable for industrial Ethernet. © Lapp

With this solution, the measurement takes place in the so-called Predictive Maintenance Box, or PMBx for short. It has two Ethernet ports and is simply inserted at the beginning of the line to be monitored. The data packets are transmitted transparently and almost without delay from one Ethernet port to the other. The PMBx is therefore not visible to a connected PLC and has no influence on data transmission or the function of the control system. It is therefore also suitable for existing systems without the need for changes to the PLC software.

The decisive parameter for failure prediction is the "Lapp Predictive Indicator", which is based on several transmission-relevant parameters. This also enables plausibility checks to prevent misinterpretation of measured values. In its in-house test center, Lapp has collected measured values for its energy chain cables using a big data approach and then analyzed them using mathematical algorithms. The company analyzes the data during the development process in the PMBx, but this can also be done later in the cloud, depending on customer requirements. The more data there is, including from the customer's operations, the more accurate the prediction becomes. Following the initial test runs in its own logistics center, Lapp is examining the use of machine learning approaches to improve the prediction quality of the algorithm. In the future, it should be possible to calculate a remaining service life that is dependent on the movement profile of the cable. This is because the same type of cable can last for different lengths of time in different applications. This allows the appropriate replacement time to be planned and a period to be used when the system is at a standstill anyway, for example during a conversion or at the same time as other maintenance processes.

Testing new technical solutions in specific applications

Guido Ege, Head of Product Development and Management at Lapp. © Lapp

"We are in talks with a number of interested parties and pilot customers with whom we want to integrate our solution into specific applications and tailor it to the customer," says Ege. "This also includes a suitable business model, which we then want to develop."

A new innovation process called "Innovation for Future" guaranteed success. With this, the company also wants to enable radical and disruptive innovations for which a classic stage-gate process is unsuitable, for example. Innovation for Future has three requirements: You have to have a technical solution, you have to talk to at least one potential customer and you have to create a business model canvas. Guido Ege is optimistic that Lapp will undergo profound change as a result. "Innovation for Future creates the scope for us to evolve from a provider of physical products to a provider of system solutions."

Bernd Müller, freelance journalist / am