Condition Monitoring of Car Gearboxes: A Study on IoT-Enabled Wireless Vibration Sensing

A vibration gearbox sensor is a device designed to detect issues or faults in a car’s gearbox mesh or bearing by analyzing the frequency of vibrations it produces. This invention eliminates the need to dismantle the gearbox for inspection, as was previously done by mechanics. The sensor can determine if parts need replacing or can still be used, preventing issues like jerking during transmission. While most research has focused on heavy machinery and tractors due to high maintenance costs, recent studies have extended to car maintenance. One such study proposed a wireless vibration sensor using the Internet of Things system (IoT) technology. This paper aims to identify gearbox bearing failures, extreme vibrations causing jerking, and gear slipping affecting the clutch plate system. The study employs studies for modifications and runs experiments with the prototype. Results showed differences in amplitude vibration against frequencies between normal and abnormal gearboxes. Normal vibration shows the amplitude is 5.889 at 2000 Hz whilst abnormal vibration presents a significant spike, reaching a vibration amplitude of 33.09 at 2000 Hz. The highest spike reached 55.73 at 2145 Hz which signals potential mechanical issues such as misalignment or wear. In this way, providing faulty indications by using an IoT wireless vibration sensor is one of the good preventive measures against malfunctioning in car gearboxes.