Nidec’s Wireless Equipment Monitoring Platform


Nidec Corporation, the leading motor and controls expert, has introduced FORECYTE™, a stand-alone remote monitoring platform that uses battery powered wireless sensors to measure equipment vibration and temperature, enabling users to predict when equipment failure might be imminent and to better operate and maintain equipment.

FORECYTE collects continuous, real-time data, and visualizes deteriorating equipment health. The data is sent wirelessly from the sensor to a gateway and from there through either Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular to a “cloud” portal where it is aggregated, stored, analyzed and visualized using a web interface.  Data can be accessed at anytime from anywhere using a browser on a web-enabled device.

This advanced form of monitoring gains even more value when predictive analytics are added to the equation. Using algorithms, the data collected through monitoring can be modeled to identify patterns that help users not only intervene on imminent breakdowns, but predict future behaviors and events. Additional sensors and analytics currently being developed by Nidec will empower end-users to make smarter, performance-based equipment decisions, ultimately leading to lower operating costs and longer equipment service life. Plant operators can identify and address failing equipment early on and schedule the ideal point in time and scope of service needed to ensure equipment uptime, functionality and lifespan.

FORECYTE helps identify the root cause of preventable problems and define timing and scope for predictive system maintenance, making service providers even more valuable to their customers. The platform is scalable and has the capability to be integrated with existing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and legacy systems.

Innovation in sensor, communication and analytical technologies, combined with their subsequent cost reductions, are leading to an increased demand for remote wireless condition monitoring solutions in a wide array of industries. These include the manufacturing, oil and gas, metals and mining, water and wastewater, food and beverage, and automotive industries, according to Thomas Schardt, Nidec Senior Director of IoT (Internet of Things).

“End users expect access to real-time data at a much lower cost compared to traditional route-based monitoring. We recognize an increasing demand in the manufacturing industry to monitor and assess machine health condition in order to avoid unexpected downtimes and loss of production time,” said Schardt. “There is a global trend for companies to use IoT to gather real-time data and achieve quantifiable results that deliver better performance and cost savings. Our solution is based on simplicity, reliability, connectivity and diagnostic intelligence.”

Additionally, Schardt points out that with Nidec’s extensive experience, resources and relationships, the company is uniquely positioned to leverage IoT and develop FORECYTE and other innovative customer-centric solutions for service partners, OEMs and end-users around the world.