Latest predictive maintenance tools – Did you welcome them in your company?

Manufacturing has evolved with time, thanks to the intervention and advancement of technology. Companies have started eliminating human interference to tackle every aspect of their manufacturing process. We live in an era where a large volume of industrial activities is completed by robots, modern technologies, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) that allow companies to make the most out of their efforts.

One such improvement is predictive maintenance which operates by leveraging techniques that will be outlined in this article. The predictive maintenance tech tools can reduce potential failures and repair them to avert downtime. This leads to lesser funds spent on repairs and reduced human effort in handling manufacturing processes.

Predictive maintenance tools – The different classes

There are more than 1000 tools that allow predictive maintenance in 3 main categories. A maintenance planner also needs to update himself with the latest tools that facilitate the process of predictive maintenance. Here are the few tools that can help your facilities run smoothly.

IoT sensors

Sensors have always been a part of a maintenance plan as they help you in monitoring even the smallest changes and make adjustments to prevent such issues from escalating into bigger issues. Having numerous sensors that monitor various metrics can be a key to enhanced understanding of the process and preventing failures that may lead to downtime.

The data that is gained from these IoT sensors can be gathered along with several other major analytics to help you in designing strategies that include different operations. This detailed and deep knowledge will certainly have far-fetched impacts on the business beyond the manufacturing floor.

Thermal Imaging Sensors

It is true that excessive heat is equivalent to a death sentence for composites, metals and electronics. In other words, for any electric machine, excessive heat is a deal-breaker. Hence, for telecom companies, one of the most important maintenance concerns is excessive heat. Catastrophic delays and hazardous working conditions may occur due to a problem that may look as simple as not properly lubricated bearings.

Thermal imagery uses infrared images to keep a tab on temperatures of the machine parts. Thanks to this constant monitoring that any kind of abnormality can soon get apparent. With other change-sensitive monitors, the thermal imagery triggers alerts and warnings after which appropriate action can be taken to prevent any type of equipment failure.

Sensors that enable sonic, vibration and ultrasonic analysis

The components of equipment undergo normal stress, wear and tear, and strain that are later on indicated in its frequencies and vibration. Majority of the components have a ‘normal’ frequency and whenever things get deviated from this standard, it smells of failure, especially when left unaddressed.

Unanticipated vibrations can have a fatal impact on a machine. In the technical sport of Honda Formula One, the engines faced unpredicted vibration issues. The vibration was so massive that the engines literally shook themselves to death. This led to Formula One downtime.

Vibrations can occur due to any reason. The brackets and bearings of a machine might begin to lose their strength. Some component might be near to its lifespan’s end. On further analysis, learning machines or technicians will determine the right course of action and take steps, whenever needed.

Lubricant and oil sensors

If you still don’t know what is deferred maintenance, you’d be already suffering the costly consequences of the same. For the proper functioning of machines, oil analysis is one of the biggest determining factors. Oil analytics systems have been here for a long time now and the latest cars have already integrated them into their system. The quality of oil is one of the most practical examples of predictive maintenance.

For industrial organizations and manufacturers, the goal should always be to locate the most effective way of minimizing inefficiency and waste so that there is no significant impact on the bottom line of the business.