Think Outside the Box When Implementing Predictive Maintenance Systems
Integrating a predictive maintenance system into an operation can help to reduce unplanned downtime by enabling better monitoring of potential issues before they occur. But to properly do so, it is necessary to take the time and evaluate what assets are best to monitor.
Dr. Felix Tenner, Lifetime Solutions Americas Vice President at Schaeffler, said it is important to think outside of the box and consider monitoring not just the large, expensive machines but also the smaller systems such as fans and pumps. These assets may be just as critical to an operation and if failure occurs, the entire facility could be shutdown to address the problem.
Schaeffler developed its OPTIME ecosystem comprised of connected components – a sensor, automatic lubricator and communication gateway – to make it easier to monitor rotational equipment of all types and thus help minimize downtime for customers. Alerts are provided should a potential maintenance issue be detected so appropriate steps can be taken to address it.
In addition, the company focused on making its system easy to deploy. There are fewer maintenance professionals working in manufacturing and other industrial facilities noted Frank Mignano, Condition Monitoring Sales Manager at Schaeffler. Therefore, when looking to implement a predictive maintenance solution it is important to consider how easy it is to install and use.
In this interview with Power & Motion, Tenner and Mignano discuss the various factors to consider when choosing to implement a predictive maintenance system as well as the challenges still facing the industry when doing so.
