November/December 2019

30 n MAINTENANCE November/December 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com Predictive maintenance: can you afford to ignore it? M achine breakdowns are normal occurrences in manufacturing. The repetitive functions of machinery inevitably lead to failures and downtime. The trouble with this, of course, is that manufacturing today requires higher levels of efficiency, reliability and quality. Any equipment failures resulting in unplanned downtime can lead to service delays, disgruntled customers, and possible losses in productivity and income. However, technological innovations, such as the development of the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) have made it possible to use machine data to improve operational performance and process efficiency. Manufacturers can harness the remote monitoring and maintenance capabilities of the IIoT to minimise the costs and consequences of both planned and unplanned downtime. This is a process commonly referred to as predictive maintenance. But even with its apparent benefits, some manufacturers have yet to adopt the practice. Predictive versus reactive First off, we need to distinguish predictive maintenance from reactive maintenance. Reactive maintenance, as most of us know – and practice, is when machines are serviced or repaired only when they actually fail or break down. Predictive maintenance, by contrast, anticipates the maintenance requirements of machinery in production facilities and factories. Based on this differentiation, it is easy to understand that reactive maintenance leads to substantial costs in terms of the kind of repair work required, or even the possible need for replacement. In some cases, a single part failing but not being attended to or addressed, can lead to other parts being damaged as well, when this could have been avoided easily. Moreover, unexpected breakdowns impact significantly on production output and quality, and any delays in production affect the bottom line negatively. Predictive maintenance – as opposed to reactive maintenance – utilises data collected from machines based on their normal patterns of operation or performance. Any minute changes or inconsistencies with the baseline data detected by sensors will alert operators so that they can reasonably predict the Predictive maintenance promises multiple benefits to manufacturers, but many companies have been slow to adopt it. Martin Thomas, European marketing manager for Radwell International, examines what it involves and offers guidance on practical steps to implement predictive maintenance practices in your company. Predictive maintenance can reduces, or even eliminate, the incidence of unexpected equipment failure