What is Predictive Maintenance? The Definitive Guide
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Companies need to reduce downtime to a minimum and make sure their assets perform as well as they can. Predictive maintenance is a novel way to use data and current technology to discover likely equipment failures before they happen.
Predictive maintenance is not the same as reactive or preventive maintenance because it helps businesses avoid unexpected problems, perform more efficiently, and cut costs. This article will describe what predictive maintenance is, how it works, its benefits, the basic technology behind it, and how businesses may utilize it effectively.
Understanding Predictive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance is a proactive method that requires you to always be in contact with your most vital assets. It collects and analyzes a lot of data using IoT-enabled technology, sensors at the machine level, AI, and advanced analytics.
Advanced analytics can look at both old and new data to figure out how well equipment is operating. With PdM and decisions based on data, firms can undertake maintenance at the right moment, not too often or too little. This method cuts down on the cost of repairs and maintenance and also cuts down on the number of unexpected breakdowns.
What is the Process of Predictive Maintenance?
The Internet of Things (IoT), predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) are just a few of the technologies that predictive maintenance leverages. Things like machines and tools send data to sensors that are connected to the internet. An AI-powered enterprise asset management (EAM) or computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) gathers this information at the edge or in the cloud. AI and machine learning are used to look at the data in real time and find out how the machines are doing right now. If a problem is identified after that, the maintenance crew is notified right away.
What Are the Benefits of Predictive Maintenance?
Businesses may get great results and save money by using real-time data and advanced analytics. Here are some major benefits of PdM:
Better Safety for People and Buildings
Knowing that equipment will break down makes people and property safer. Regular maintenance makes the workplace safer by preventing accidents and other potential threats.
More Time and a Longer Life for Equipment
Deloitte’s research shows that advanced analytics can assist in finding problems and increase equipment uptime by as much as 20%. Fixing maintenance problems before they happen instead of after they do can make equipment much more reliable and last longer.
Lower Costs and Improve the Performance of Assets
People are less likely to have problems when they are notified about them ahead of time. This also means that there will be less planned or unplanned downtime. When you can easily see how your equipment is doing over time, it lasts longer and works better. AI can guess better how things will work in the future. This last benefit is the most essential in a world where prices are rising and unexpected catastrophes like the pandemic and natural disasters caused by climate change have shown how crucial it is to have more predictable spare parts inventory and labor costs and a smaller impact on the environment from operations.
Reduce Downtime and Production Loss
PdM helps companies fix faults with their equipment before they cause problems with their daily operations. You can plan repairs for times when your business is closed, which can cut down on production losses even more.
Key Technologies for Predictive Maintenance
Companies use cutting-edge technology to gather, study, and synthesize data so they can generate accurate predictions about when things will break down. These predictive maintenance solutions make sure that assets perform as well as they can and that downtime is kept to a minimum.
IoT Sensors
Machines come with IoT sensors that keep an eye on things like temperature, vibration, pressure, and energy use all the time.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are particularly crucial for analyzing big sets of operational data.
Big Data Analysis
Predictive maintenance looks at a lot of old and fresh data at the same time using big data analytics.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing makes it easier for businesses to save and manage maintenance data. A cloud-based predictive maintenance solution makes it easier for individuals to work together and keep an eye on equipment from multiple areas in real time.
Digital Twins
Digital twins are computer models that depict how things look and work in real time. Companies can use simulations of different operational circumstances to predict faults before they happen.
Also read: Top 10 Benefits of Implementing a CMMS for Your Organization
Factech’s CMMS will help you keep up with maintenance.
Adding Factech’s CMMS to your PdM plan will make a big difference. Our comprehensive solution will give you the tools you need to switch from reactive to proactive maintenance. This will give you the benefits you’ve heard about, such as extended equipment life and dependability, less downtime, and huge savings. Learn how Factech’s CMMS can benefit your business and use the latest technologies to improve your maintenance work. Join the growing number of satisfied customers who have seen how our predictive maintenance solution can benefit them.
FAQs
Q: What is the main notion that makes Predictive Maintenance (PdM) different?
PdM is a means to use data and technology to find problems with equipment before they happen.
Q: What is the main advantage of PdM for the equipment’s life?
It can increase the amount of time that equipment is up and running by as much as 20% and make the asset far more reliable and long-lasting.
Q: What do IoT sensors do in a PdM system?
IoT sensors keep track of things like temperature, vibration, and pressure in real time all the time.
Q: How can Digital Twins make it easier to plan maintenance ahead of time?
They are computer models that show how equipment will work in different situations to predict when it will break down.
