Predictive maintenance is a term that’s been thrown about a lot, but now it’s finally being taken seriously as manufacturers learn the value of proactive analysis in predicting machinery failures. Condition Monitoring Specialist, James Scott, looks at how predictive maintenance works in practice, the benefits of installing it, and the real-life successes of putting it in place.

• There are five basic stages of predictive maintenance – moving from the initial gathering of machine data, through to making repairs before breakdowns occur
• Benefits of installing predictive maintenance software include transparency across the production line, and minimised downtime through its proactive data gathering
• In the real world, our team here at SEW-EURODRIVE has introduced predictive maintenance software at firms across the manufacturing sector, seeing results in helping prevent mechanical failure

How does predictive maintenance work?

Predictive maintenance analyses equipment data in real-time in order to predict potential issues before they lead to a failure within machinery equipment. It uses sensors to monitor ongoing performance to assess when parts of the production line, such as gears and motors, may need repairs, taking things like vibration data and oil levels into account.

The five basic stages of predictive maintenance are:

• 1. Gathering of machine data through physical sensors, attached to machinery equipment like gearboxes
• 2. Transmission of the captured data from the sensors to a central system which can be accessed by engineers and operators
• 3. Analysis of data gathered, to predict potential upcoming failures or issues
• 4. Planning and scheduling of required maintenance to minimise downtime
• 5. Undertaking of action to repair equipment before a full breakdown occurs.

Although relatively rare, unexpected breakdowns could lead to huge repair costs and lengthy periods of downtime. Manufacturers that invest in predictive maintenance now are setting themselves up for future success, staying competitive through greater reliability and resilience.

What are the benefits of implementing predictive maintenance?

Introducing predictive maintenance to your production line has many benefits:

• Increased transparency: Data received from the gear units is continually recorded for you to view whenever you want to.
• Minimised downtime: You’ll receive early warnings of critical system conditions or abnormal equipment performance, so you can act on potential issues fast.
• Increased productivity: A reduction in downtime means you can allocate resources better and minimise time spent waiting around.
• Reduced costs: You’ll maximise the service life of components and systems through earlier maintenance, minimising the budget spent on new parts, equipment, and maintenance call-outs.
• Improved planning: You can schedule maintenance and service work when it’s convenient for you, like within natural gaps in your production cycle.
• Better safety: Your operators can identify hazards much earlier, and reduce the risk of accidents on the factory floor, keeping your team safe.

How predictive maintenance can work in the real world

At SEW-EURODRIVE, we’re working with many companies to implement cost-effective predictive maintenance applications, focusing on our two offerings, DriveRadar® and APPredict®.

The most comprehensive of the two, DriveRadar®, continuously records operational and status data from various devices like frequency inverters and controllers.

One great example of its integration is at major luxury car manufacturer's paint shop, where it was implemented on their production line and helping to spot patterns in the data coming from six key drives and three spray booth conveyors.

The findings showed that one conveyor consistently required more current to run, which suggested paint build-up on the chain. It was a simple issue, but left unchecked, could increase energy use and lead to mechanical failure. The insight provided by DriveRadar® meant the team working at that car manufacturer could fix the small problem before it spiralled into a big one.

We’re also running another trial for DriveRadar® with a major high street retail distribution group. In one warehouse, we compared a failing conveyor’s energy use before and after replacing it and using a single MOVITRAC Advancedmodule with the DriveRadar® demo PC. The improvement was clear: lower current draw, more stable and reduced torque and power, higher efficiency, and far less vibration. With all data captured in one place, DriveRadar® made the benefits immediately visible.

APPredict®, meanwhile, is our cloud-based application, used to monitor the status of gear units at a glance. We implemented the software at one of Europe’s largest flour millers, Whitworth Bros, allowing the firm’s engineers to efficiently schedule maintenance operations and reduce downtime across its machinery.

Following a successful trial in just one mill, we’re now working with Whitworth Bros to implement APPredict® across the rest of its site, raising the bar for its engineering standards and helping keep operations ticking around the clock.

Overall, proactive data capture is allowing our customers to ensure production lines can stay up and running with minimal downtime.

Ready to switch from reactivity to proactivity? It's time for you to talk to our team.