B-PHOT’s Photonics Sensors Make Mechanical Bearings More Durable and Safe

B-PHOT researchers, in collaboration with KU Leuven and Flanders Make, are proud to announce the publication of a new article in IOP Publishing’s Journal of Physics: Photonics, which recently rose to an impact factor of 8.4.

The study presents a simple and non-invasive method for retrofitting rotating bearings with optical fiber sensors. Using only adhesive, the sensors can be mounted quickly, without any modifications to the mechanical parts, making them suitable for real-world industrial use.

Rather than developing new diagnostic algorithms, the research focused on a key practical question: can we trust the measurements from these sensors if we install them multiple times directly onto the (rotating part) of the bearing? The answer, as this study shows, is yes; especially when the sensors are placed at the right location.

These strain-based signals can provide valuable input for vibration analysis and fault detection, offering a new way to monitor the health of machinery. This approach opens the door for more reliable and scalable use of fiber optic sensing in industry.

This is the first peer-reviewed journal publication from the SAFOS project (“Smartify Assets using Fiber Optic Sensors”), supported by Flanders Make as part of its industry-driven research program.

👏 Congratulations to all co-authors: Sidney Goossens, Panagiotis Mantas, Damilare Ojo, Octavian Axinte, Alexandre Mauricio, Konstantinos Gryllias, and Francis Berghmans.