Maximizing Uptime: How Condition Monitoring Keeps Intralogistics Moving, Part 1

Our recent blog, Automation for Intralogistics: A Practical Perspective, provided an overview of automation in intralogistics and the warehouse. Now, let’s take a closer look into one of the sub-topics: the role of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance in intralogistics.

Challenges faced in the warehouse

I’ve spent a lot of time talking to machine builders, facility operators and integrators, and one challenge stands out: unplanned downtime. It is consistently mentioned as a top concern in warehouse and manufacturing operations where customers expect and demand accurate, fast delivery, and the breakdown of a conveyor, robot, or automated storage and retrieval system can stop shipments, leading to lost business.

That’s why many intralogistics teams are turning to condition monitoring as a proactive strategy. In fact, it is often the first step companies take toward predictive maintenance and improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)​. By continuously tracking critical equipment health with sensors and data, companies can detect potential issues before they develop into costly failures.

What is condition monitoring, and why does it matter?

Instead of waiting for a part to break (reactive maintenance) or servicing machines on a fixed schedule regardless of need, condition monitoring lets you maintain based on actual equipment condition. In my experience, a “run it until it breaks” approach is too risky for essential conveyors and automated storage systems, while strictly scheduled maintenance can waste resources if performed too early​.

By contrast, continuous measuring key indicators and condition monitoring provide real-time warnings when something drifts out of its normal range. This allows you to fix problems during planned downtime – rather than peak operations – reducing surprises and increasing uptime and productivity.

Think about the many moving parts in a typical warehouse or distribution center: conveyor belts and rollers, motors and gearboxes, lifts and automated shuttles, robots and sorters, and AGVs and AMRs. These systems form the backbone of intralogistics, and operations grind to a halt if any fail unexpectedly.

From my analysis of real-life installation data, motion-related intralogistics applications are by far the most common for condition monitoring. These include tracking the health of motors, bearings, gearboxes, pumps, fans that drive conveyors, storage/retrieval machines, and transport systems​. This data also reveals those key parameters – vibration, temperature, pressure, and motor current – are the most effective indications of potential failures while the machinery operates​.

Vibration, temperature, pressure and motor current are the most common condition monitoring indicators.

Your intralogistics equipment is at risk

Through many discussions with customers and condition monitoring experts, I‘ve confirmed the most common pain points in intralogistics, the equipment best suited for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance approaches, and the critical indicators that can signal potential failures:

• Most customers I speak with mention unplanned failures with motors and gearboxes in conveyors, robots, storage/retrieval systems, and material handling equipment as their top concern. Vibration and temperature are key indicators for detecting impending problems with bearings, shafts, gears and component imbalance, while anomalies in current, power, speed or torque can signal potential motor and drive problems.

• Intralogistics customers also frequently cite conveyor belts as a pain point. Vibration can indicate tension issues, while optical sensors detect belt tears or misalignment.

• Pneumatic or electric actuators are critical elements in sorters and grippers. Condition monitoring sensors track position, air pressure, vibration, temperature, and force, providing both process data and real-time condition status.

• Robotic, linear, and automated picking systems include many different elements that can fail, including motors, gearboxes, gantries, tracks, pneumatics, and hydraulics. Monitoring vibration, temperature, pressure, flow, position, and current/power are effective ways to detect potential failures.

• Several customers have expressed the need to monitor control cabinets for environmental and operating conditions. Typical indicators include temperature, humidity, ambient pressure, and power consumption, as excessive moisture or extreme temperatures (high/very low) can damage sensitive electronic components.

Lastly, many sensors can often self-diagnose issues like misalignment, LED deterioration, dirt or other damage, helping to reduce unplanned downtime due to sensor failure. Advanced sensors may also include functions to detect inclination, vibration, LED health, dirty windows, cycle count, life expectancy, and signal strength. When working with customers to address these pain points, I’ve found that it’s worth taking the time to understand the application, identify the relevant failure points, and assess the failure modes of the equipment. This allows us to develop application-specific condition monitoring solutions that provide early warning of impending failures.

Ready to learn more and take your intralogistics condition monitoring to the next level?

Stay tuned for my next blog about how to get started with condition monitoring. Until then, I recommend this free guide: Find the best condition monitoring solution.

This blog series will continue with upcoming posts on key intralogistics topics, like traceability and vision systems, to help boost efficiency and stay ahead of the curve. Keep an eye out for those, and in the meantime, happy monitoring.