Nikola Labs recently launched a new equipment monitoring system to simplify maintenance and power sensors without wires or disposable batteries. The Vero is an industrial internet of things (IIoT) solution designed to help manufacturers closely monitor critical equipment. The platform is entirely wireless and maintenance free, powered by cells that convert radio frequency energy into usable direct-current (DC) power. Once the system is installed, data capturing and system maintenance are touch-free.
“Battery-powered sensors have a life of one to three years,” said Will Zell, CEO and co-founder of Nikola Labs. “That’s OK if you have one device, but imagine if you have a thousand. You’d have to hire a full-time maintenance person who walks around doing nothing but replacing batteries. That’s a nightmare. The whole premise of the Vero system is you can make maintenance more efficient.”
The system, which can be customized and retrofitted to any size or age of production equipment, is intended to allow manufacturers to shift from a time-based maintenance schedule to a condition-based maintenance schedule. Once it is installed, plant technicians have immediate access to the sensors’ data, which can be translated into real-world recommendations by a live analyst.
“If I just give you vibration data and you don’t have any context, it’s like handing a patient an EKG report and expecting them to figure out what’s going on with their heart,” Zell added. “Vero analysts are going to be aware of problems and will proactively recommend action.”
The subscription-based platform includes a free trial period, custom system design, professional installation, and lifetime hardware and software upgrades.
For more information, visit www.nikola.tech.