World Grain - April 2020 - 66

SUPPLIER NEWS

NORD offers condition monitoring for predictive maintenance
HAMBURG, GERMANY - NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has
launched condition monitoring for predictive maintenance
concepts.
The system regularly or permanently records drive and status data in order to optimize the operational safety and ef¿FLHQF\ RI PDFKLQHV DQG SODQWV %DVHG RQ WKLV LQIRUPDWLRQ
concepts for predictive maintenance also may be developed.
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digital data (measurements, signals and operating parameters)
by the intelligent PLC in the drive electronics forms the basis.
The objective of predictive maintenance is to maintain machines and plants proactively and to detect changes at an early
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entire plant, NORD said.
A status-oriented maintenance replaces the traditional timebased maintenance. The detection and avoidance of impermissible operating states at an early stage avoid unplanned The drive-based approach from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS significantly imdowntimes and machine failures. Predictive maintenance en- proves operational safety and efficiency of machines and plants.
ables plannable machinery and plant downtime based on real
drive and process data.
NORD frequency inverter's integrated PLC that is used as an
For plant and machinery operators using drive technol- evaluation unit. The customer can access the calculated data
ogy from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, this results in a reduc- via all common interfaces.
tion of service and material costs as well as increased plant
The drive equipment can be optionally extended and adavailability. Further advantages are a longer service life of justed to the respective automation task. Customers can select
components and machinery as well as a plannable and cost- what tasks (drive monitoring, drive control, process control)
optimized maintenance.
they want to directly shift into the drive. In smaller production
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS uses a drive-based approach DUHDVWKLVVFDODELOLW\R൵HUVWKHSRVVLELOLW\WRJDLQ¿UVWH[SHULwhere intelligent algorithms and virtual sensors transfer infor- ences before reorganizing the plant.
mation from condition monitoring to predictive maintenance.
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An example is the sensorless determination of the optimum level, the drive unit PLC only performs the drive monitoring.
oil change time based on the oil temperature. This is based The drive parameters are pre-processed in the PLC and comon the fact that the oil temperature is a key factor for oil ag- municated to the higher-level control system that is responing in gear units. This information in combination with avail- sible for drive and process control.
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At the medium level, the PLC integrates the drive control
make it possible to precisely calculate the oil change time. A DQGDOVRUXQVGULYHUHODWHGIXQFWLRQV$WWKHKLJKHUFRQ¿JXUDphysical temperature sensor is not required. The pre-process- tion level, the inverter PLC completely replaces the highering of drive data using intelligent algorithms takes place in the level control system.

AGI acquires Affinity Management Ltd.
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA - Ag Growth
International Inc. (AGI) announced on Jan. 16 that it has acTXLUHGRIWKHVKDUHVRXWVWDQGLQJRI$൶QLW\0DQDJHPHQW
/WG$൶QLW\ZDVODXQFKHGLQDQGFXUUHQWO\KDVHPployees, with headquarters in Oakville, Ontario. The transaction was funded from the company's operating facilities.
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\HDUVLQSDUWQHUVKLSZLWKRQHRIWKHZRUOG¶VODUJHVWDJULFXOWXUDO LQSXWV PDQXIDFWXUHUV $൶QLW\ SURYLGHV VRIWZDUH
solutions to the agriculture industry under the brand name
Compass and includes a comprehensive Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) system for growers and ag retailers.
The ERP system provides full accounting functionality, including management of accounts receivable, accounts payable,
66

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to its grower customers. Compass also acts as a central data
repository and portal that allows for the sharing of information with a grower's trusted advisers, including agronomists,
accountants, lenders and insurance providers.
AGI said the Compass product suite is highly complemenWDU\WRWKHFRPSDQ\¶VFXUUHQWR൵HULQJDQGZLOOEHDNH\FRPponent of the full AGI SureTrack platform. Compass customers include independent growers, agronomy companies and
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across North America. Dilawri will take on a senior leadership
role with the AGI SureTrack platform and will provide vision
and guidance to the platform going forward.
April 2020 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - April 2020

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