The Challenge
Detect conveyor belt damage before catastrophic failure. Sensors are embedded in the belt itself with no batteries (impossible to maintain), must survive continuous flexing and impact from ore loading.
The Solution
Flexible polyimide PCB with an NFC antenna coil that harvests power from reader stations along the conveyor frame. When the sensor passes a reader, it powers up, takes a strain measurement, and transmits back over the same NFC link, all in the fraction of a second it takes to pass by. The flex PCB is thin and compliant enough to bond into the belt rubber without creating a stress concentration.
Results
Early detection lets the mine schedule repairs during planned downtime. The battery-free design is install-and-forget. Some sensors have been through millions of flex cycles without failure.
Have a Similar Challenge?
Embedded wireless sensors for harsh environments are part of the practice.
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