Prior to achieving anything in the manufacturing industry, organizations must consider how their machinery will be maintained. Preservation of equipment is typically accomplished through one of two separate strategies, known as preventive and predictive maintenance.
Of the two, preventive maintenance is certainly the most traditional. This strategy relies on calendar-driven maintenance intervals for each piece of equipment in an organization’s fleet. The way these intervals are determined vary from business to business, but ultimately come down to two different elements of a particular piece of equipment. The age and average run-time of a machine typically dictate how often it will receive maintenance in this strategy. While this isn’t the most effective in regards to maintenance resources, it will ensure that all pieces of equipment are well maintained throughout the year.
The much more advanced maintenance strategy, however, is predictive maintenance. This strategy uses real-time data collection from each piece of equipment in an organization’s fleet in order to determine the most optimal maintenance schedule. This is accomplished through the link to the Internet of Things from each piece of equipment. These systems are able to collect and analyze performance and external data unique to the machine in order to diagnose an issue and recommend the best fix. While predictive maintenance is much more efficient than its counterpart, it is also far more expensive.
While the costs to implement these systems are high, the actual implementation has never been easier. As more and more pieces of equipment find their way into the Internet of Things, the easier it becomes to more accurately track all pieces of equipment connected. The information that is able to be collected in real time as a result of these systems are what make it easier to predict the optimal maintenance period for a certain piece of equipment. For example, the performance data, surrounding temperature, or any other indicator of a machine may give managers a better idea of when this piece of equipment will require maintenance. This, in turn, leads to an increase in efficiency and less down time for organizations most important pieces of equipment.
Even though preventive maintenance may seem like the most optimal choice for every manufacturing operation, this isn’t always the case. For most organizations, the barriers to entry for these systems are just far too high. Not only will these systems require the use of highly sophisticated and integrated technology platforms, they will also require the retaining of existing personnel to work alongside these new systems. For some organizations, these systems can shake up the entire way they’d look and approach maintenance, which can lead to a long adjustment period. If your organization has deep enough pockets, employees capable of handling such technologically advanced systems, and a willingness to change, predictive maintenance is likely the solution for you.
Success in the industry is impossible to achieve without properly maintained equipment. For more information on these two maintenance strategies and how they can benefit your organization, be sure to take some time to check out the infographic paired with this post. Courtesy of Industrial Service Solutions.