The quest to maximize profits unfortunately usually boils down to reducing operating costs. Especially for production plants. And because many managers still associate maintenance costs only with expenses, it is mainly here that savings are sought.
Table of Contents
However, one of the biggest mistakes made by these managers is ignorance of the real cost of non-compliance with maintenance procedures, i.e. downtime costs. The more so because quite often not everyone in the company remembers that taking remedial actions to reduce or even eliminate downtime means greater profits for the company.
Reduced downtime = Increased uptime = Higher productivity = Higher profits
We wanted to present a few simple ways to improve maintenance procedures at a low cost.
Risk assessment audit
This is the basic and most effective way to detect the weakest points in a production plant's systems, to see problems and find solutions before these problems stop production.
Risk assessment audit procedures have been extensively described and certainly everyone will find the solution best suited to the needs of their facility.
Installation of inexpensive sensors
In a world that is increasingly based on data collection and analysis, as well as the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), industry is increasingly using sensors to monitor - periodically or in real time - machine parameters such as temperature, voltage and AC / DC current, pressure, flow, vibration, i.e. conditions that may affect the proper and long-term operation of the equipment.
These sensors are inexpensive, equipped with long-life batteries and can be easily installed in any machine. And because they allow you to control and record any signals properly, they are worth putting out a small amount compared to the cost of downtime or repair of the device or the entire system.
It is worth noting here that, according to a 2017 Research & Markets report, monitoring the status of devices is a constantly evolving business practice, and the estimated size of this market segment in the US is already about $ 11 billion.
Collection and analysis of data collected by sensors
Many industrial plants are currently using remote data acquisition systems to send, record and collect analogue and digital data, as well as analyze and monitor information collected by sensors. These are very convenient solutions that support conservative maintenance, enabling you to notice problems before they cause downtime and alert people responsible for maintenance in the event of non-standard situations.
These solutions use Wi-Fi, Ethernet, FTP, modems and clouds to transfer data and enable:
Data acquisition
On-line access to all measurement data and information on the status of devices
Automated data transmission at set intervals, in accordance with a predetermined schedule.
Immediate notification of alarms and faults via e-mail, SMS and telephone (using generated voice messages).
