VocalZoom Unveils Vibration Sensors to Monitor Machine Health for the IIoT

VocalZoom, a provider of vibration sensors for industry 4.0, recently launched its new predictive maintenance sensors for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). VocalZoom’s sensors are designed to measure the vibrations emitted by industrial machinery to predict and prevent mechanical failures before they occur. Because they can monitor machine health without touching the equipment, VocalZoom sensors reportedly cover a greater array of equipment and use cases than traditional predictive maintenance solutions, without the factory downtime and deployment costs associated with most sensors.

The rise of IIoT-enabled equipment can allow facilities to monitor equipment health and machine functionality in order to reduce downtime and prevent mechanical failures, but most sensors rely on micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS), piezoelectric or acoustic technology that VocalZoom says can fail to address many of the established equipment found in many industrial settings. VocalZoom’s non-contact vibration sensors reportedly help industrial manufacturers deploy accurate sensors on both new and old machinery, even when it is wet, hot, moving, hard-to-reach or too small to deploy traditional sensors on.

“The Industrial IoT is only as good as the sensors that monitor machine performance,” said Tal Bakish, CEO, VocalZoom. “Unfortunately, most IIoT sensors are built on technology that makes predictive maintenance solutions expensive and unreliable for a number of important use cases. Our vibration sensors represent the next generation of predictive maintenance solutions, offering better monitoring at lower cost for up to 70 percent of all industrial machinery.”

VocalZoom’s patented vibration sensors use a SMLD (self-mixing-laser-diode) technology to measure the velocity, distance and vibrations of a machine. The sensors are 15mmX6mmX3mm in size and they operate at a distance up to 3 meters away from the machine they are monitoring.

“We believe data is the key for new and improved industrial IoT applications in a digitized era, and that vibration sensor provides the best data possible,” said Bakish. “Our mission is to build the next generation of sensor technologies to serve a diverse range of markets, from oil and gas to automotive, consumer industries, medicine, and others.”