Performing predictive maintenance on equipment is essential to maintain the smooth operation of any industry. When carried out strategically and periodically, the factory can improve productivity while reducing costs.
This is because keeping equipment stopped and outdated is detrimental both to the company’s profit and to the manufacturing process. Since malfunctioning machinery can delay the entire production chain.
However, it is necessary to plan maintenance in a way that does not cause unnecessary expenses for the company and does not keep machinery out of use during critical moments.
To learn more about how predictive maintenance benefits industries, continue reading the article!
What is predictive maintenance?
Predictive maintenance is a routine supervision activity. In it, the performance and condition of machinery and equipment are observed, aiming to reduce failures and losses.
With this type of monitoring, it is possible to reduce costs and time spent on repairs, as well as unforeseen events caused by wear or wrong configurations. This type of problem results in emergency shutdowns, which impact the entire operational process and therefore must be avoided.
In addition, structuring a maintenance routine helps save budget on spare parts and supplies. This is because by acting proactively, it is possible to avoid countless equipment damages.
What is the difference between predictive and preventive maintenance?
Both types of maintenance, predictive and preventive, aim to anticipate greater expenses and loss of time due to equipment failures. However, there are differences between them:
- Predictive: predictive maintenance constantly monitors the conditions of the equipment, aiming to anticipate adjustments that need to be made.
- Preventive: this type of maintenance takes into account a specific time periodicity for replacing components and configurations in the machinery. Therefore, it does not depend on the conditions found in the equipment.
How is predictive maintenance performed?
To perform predictive maintenance, in addition to visual inspection, it is necessary to work based on data collected by sensors. Information such as temperature, vibration, oil analysis, and thermography can assist in a more assertive diagnosis of machine conditions.
Thus, it is possible to define alert conditions to guide decision-making. Having greater knowledge about the state of the machinery, one can, for example, identify if it is overheating and schedule corrective maintenance to solve this problem.
It is also possible to quickly identify if a certain equipment is failing more frequently and, with that, analyze what can be done to solve this problem.
What are the benefits of predictive maintenance?
Anticipate machinery maintenance
Knowing the ideal conditions and those presented by the machinery, it becomes easier to identify when preventive maintenance will be necessary. Thus, it is possible to always stay one step ahead and foresee equipment degradation, bringing more scalability to the factory in the face of unforeseen events.
Decrease failures in the production chain
By ensuring that the machinery is working under appropriate conditions, it prevents the production chain from being affected by failures. This is because the speed, force, and precision of the equipment will be in accordance with the demand required for that specific manufacturing process.
Otherwise, working with faulty, too slow, or even too fast equipment will end up affecting team productivity and hindering the development of production flows.
Reduce emergency shutdowns
With predictive maintenance, the factory converts unexpected shutdowns into planned shutdowns, which require less downtime and are more effective in resolving problems quickly and in an organized manner.
With this, equipment availability is optimized, contributing to better productivity and operational efficiency.
Increase equipment lifespan
With monitoring, it is also possible to prolong the lifespan of equipment. The use of parts and components is also better managed, as the viability of replacements is analyzed before making a decision, avoiding unnecessary expenses.
Now you know the importance of investing in predictive maintenance in your factory. To perform this activity, it is essential to rely on technological platforms that allow tracking and managing the shop floor in an assertive and collaborative manner.
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*Signed by: Aloisio Arbegaus, Commercial Director at Teclógica
