--- title: "DIGITAL Mechadigital solutions" description: "DIGITAL Mechadigital solutions (Poggipolini, 2018/19): Sensor bolts on roller coasters report vibration and loosening straight to a technician's tablet" url: "https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/digital-mechadigital-solutions-2018-19/" lang: "en" --- # DIGITAL Mechadigital solutions **Sensor bolts on roller coasters report vibration and loosening straight to a technician's tablet** _A new era of maintenance_ - **Corporate partner:** [Poggipolini](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/partners/poggipolini/) (https://www.poggipolini.it/en/innovation.html) - **Cohort:** [2018/19](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/cohort/2018-19/) - **Theme:** [Industry & operations](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/themes/industry-operations/) - **Type:** Service concept - **Universities:** [Kyoto Institute of Technology](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/kyoto-it/), [University of Bologna · Almacube](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/unibo/) - **Team:** 7 master students - **Disciplines:** Architecture, Business and Management, Energy Engineering, Law, Mechanical Engineering, Product Design ## Challenge Poggipolini wanted new uses for its SENS-IN bolt, a fastener with built-in sensors, and a way to turn it from a product into a service. Roller-coaster structures are still checked by eye. ## What the team learned Technicians check every critical bolt by hand and write reports back at the office. Abnormal vibration and bolt self-loosening are the main causes of damage in roller coasters. ## What they built The team designed DSI (Digital System Integrator), a real-time monitoring service for roller coasters. SENS-IN bolts at critical points of the carts measure vibration and self-loosening. Software tracks every bolt and pre-fills daily maintenance reports on a tablet. ## Impact For Poggipolini, the service opens a new market: it could sell bolts and the services linked to them. Parks would save on maintenance, and ride makers would gain design data. ## Full project text Innovative roller coaster maintenance service which collects real-time data from the structure status and automatically generates reports. ### Challenge Our challenge is based on finding new applications and relative service for the innovative Poggipolini’s product SENS-IN bolt. SENS-IN® is a bolt with sensors embedded within, which can intercept physical in order to provide complex information of the mechanical system in which they are introduced. An intelligent fastener inserted in a cyber-physical system requires artificial intelligence to give the maximum outcomes and an interface in order to communicate with humans who deal with Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul. Furthermore, entering a new market implies the development of a new business model. ### Solution Our solution consists of a service that improves the efficiency and precision with which maintenance is carried out, by placing the sens-in bolts in the critical points of a roller coaster. The sens-in bolts are supported by software that 1. is able to constantly monitor the status of critical bolts in the roller coaster, thanks to the data sent by the sens-in bolts to a unique software 2. simplifies the reporting, using data collected by the sens-in bolts. In particular we have decided to use two types of sensors inside SENS-IN Bolts: vibration and self- loosening. These two physical phenomena are the most important causes of damages inside RC. ### Impact Currently the technicians has to check manually all the critical bolts and write the information collected ina report at his office. Through Digital, the technician can check critical bolts through his tablet, which automatically generates pre-filled reports. For the amusement park there will be a saving in the maintenance. The data collected by sens-in bolt could also be useful for the manufacturing company of the attraction in order to improve the design of the roller coaster. In this way it could have more guarantee about the safety of the roller coaster because they are the responsibles in case of mechanical failures. For Poggipolini, digital represent the opportunity of entering a completely new market swithcing from being a product provider to a service provider. In this way Poggipolini can make money in two ways: selling sens-in bolts and selling service connected with them. ## Who built it. - Liu Fazhen, Architecture (Kyoto Institute of Technology) - Kotona Takata, Management & business (Kyoto Institute of Technology) - Fumihiro Nakayama, Mechanical Engineer (Kyoto Institute of Technology) - Sara Chinaglia, Business & management - political business (University of Bologna · Almacube) - Simona Micoli, Law (University of Bologna · Almacube) - Mattia Paganelli, Energy Engineer (University of Bologna · Almacube) - Emma Varotti, Product designer (University of Bologna · Almacube) ## Video - Poggipolini Digital - Mechadigital Solutions: https://vimeo.com/349962417 ## Sources Summarised by the SUGAR editorial team from the team’s project page and SUGAR Expo booklet. Open the 2018/19 booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LXAxO2gzyp7wzqCeOPwAfQZG15NYTX0L/view?usp=sharing