Smart sensor developed to predict rubber failures

West Lafayette, Indiana – A recent technology developed by Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, can help predict failures in the integrity of a tire, hose or other mechanical and medical equipment up to two weeks in advance.

Developed by a team led by Gary Krutz, professor of agricultural and biological engineering, the technology is designed to give advance warnings to users of rubber, tires and hoses before they break up, according to a university press release issued 13 April. The sensor, according to Kurtz, will address both cost and safety issues surrounding damaged tires and hoses.

The relative cost to replace a hydraulic hose or tire before it breaks down is “substantially less” if it is replaced before it breaks down, explained Kurtz . “For example, it takes about $100 (€86) to replace a hose versus costs of up and greater than $100,000 for one failure occurrence,” he said.

Cleveland-based power management company Eaton Corp. has already licensed the technology for its LifeSense sensing product, which monitors hydraulic hoses to identify the wear and tear of a hose that could lead to a failure. When the integrity of a hose is compromised, the device automatically sends a report to the user, alerting them about the need for repair or replacement, said the press release.

Notification is provided with enough time to replace the hose during planned maintenance and saves downtime, clean-up costs, environmental damage and potential injury.

The "smart" sensor technology has also been tested on more than 100 different products including shoes, airplane wing composites, boat hulls and sporting goods. Other target applications include vehicle isolators, door and automotive seals and orthopedic devices.