Ericsson noted that a condition monitoring solution requires a network that can manage high connection density and transfer data in real time with extremely high reliability
Ericsson said it has identified condition monitoring of critical assets as one of the leading use cases driving the adoption of private networks in port operations globally.
According to the Swedish vendor, the ability to monitor the performance of connected equipment in real time makes it possible for port operators to resolve issues proactively, before a breakdown occurs, thereby preventing delays in port operations.
Ericsson also highlighted that IoT plays a key role in guaranteeing optimal port operations by minimizing disruptions caused by unplanned equipment downtime.
The vendor said that some of the most relevant use cases to enable smart port operations are remote-controlled ship-to-shore cranes, automated rubber-tired gantry cranes, automated guided vehicles, condition monitoring and drones for surveillance and deliveries.
“In our conversations with port operators during the past few months, we have noticed a particularly strong interest in condition monitoring of critical port assets. This is not especially surprising, considering that most port operators say that lack of visibility about equipment status is their biggest problem today. Condition monitoring ensures immediate awareness of problems for fast response, which has a major impact in terms of reducing costs, saving time and helping ports to remain competitive in the long term,” Ericsson said in a blog post.
The European vendor said that private networks are the best option for those ports that aim to implement real-time condition monitoring of critical port assets.
“Depending on the use case, the sensors used in condition-monitoring applications can require response times as fast as a fraction of a second, which makes a private 5G network ideal. In a 5G private network set-up, the condition-monitoring software has the ability to receive data wirelessly from a large number of sensors in real time, detect any abnormalities and determine when an asset requires maintenance. Beyond the sensor data, a dedicated, AI-based pattern monitoring function in an edge controller (or in the cloud) is used to identify critical situations based on several data points from the machine,” Ericsson said.
The company also noted that early detection of potential faults and their causes can make breakdowns a rare occurrence and minimize response times when they do occur.
“The robust and reliable condition monitoring solution requires a network that can manage high connection density and transfer data in real time with extremely high reliability. The port also needs to be able to process and analyze the data in the cloud securely in real time,” Ericsson added.
Ericsson highlighted that apart from preventing breakdowns, condition monitoring also eliminates the costs associated with “over-maintenance.” According to Saab RDS, this enables port operators to reduce expenditures on spare parts, oils and maintenance resources by as much as 50%. Ericsson also cited data from HBM indicating that condition monitoring of cranes in particular can reduce maintenance costs by as much as 75%.
