We’ve been discussing a great deal about how new technologies are poised to disrupt the manufacturing landscape. Yet while the newest innovations always seem new, shiny and set to bolster production, invariably they will break down and require repair. Rexroth’s indramat and indradrive motors can last for decades but eventually they too can require maintenance. Currently, the strategy for avoiding problems or at least staying aware of the status of your heavy industrial equipment requires collecting data – lots of it. Today most of that data is recorded by humans who roam the factory floor with a clipboard, but with the advent of new technology that may soon be a job of the past.
Data collection
Routine data collection is mind numbing; you can check for yourselves by looking at the logs or at the turnover in positions assigned to the task. It’s easy to often question the value of the data as most of it isn’t actionable – that is, most of the time the machine says its healthy. But you have to take the data to see incidents coming. Since unplanned maintenance activity can be costly, constant data collection is a necessary evil.
Fortunately, machines now talk to other machines.
The convergence of remote sensing and wireless technologies has produced robust and dependable wireless sensing solutions. Wireless sensing devices like accelerometers can be permanently mounted in strategic locations on machinery throughout the plant and consistently monitor performance. This automated data collection solves the pervasive compliance issue, reduces the burden on labor, and keeps personnel away from dangerous machines.
Put simply, data collected more consistently means more avoided failures, fewer unplanned shutdowns, less unplanned maintenance activity and a safer work environment. And that’s just the beginning; we’re really only beginning to see the impacts of capturing data automatically and using it analytically to manage large industrial enterprises.
Data analysis
Between data collection and data-based action, there’s data analysis. Feeding captured data into the cloud and relying on AI to identify actionable data is not an everyday reality, but it is surely on its way.
Rexroth continues to provide leadership for the factory of the future. When you need service or support for your Rexroth systems, call us first. We are Rexroth specialists, and we can get your systems back up and running fast.