How can you get the most out of the sensor data on your industrial equipment?
Central elements of Industry 4.0 and emblems of the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) connected sensors are at the heart of a revolution that has only just begun. By enabling maintenance technicians to obtain invaluable information on the operation of their equipment, connected sensors have become the spearhead of an industry whose needs for availability and safety are higher than ever.
To make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity, find out how you can make the most of your sensor data on your industrial equipment.
Connected sensors, beacons in the night for an aging industrial park
The tangible signs of a new industrial revolution driven by technological progress and the advent of the IoT contrast bitterly with a largely aging industrial base, made up of machines which, although operational, cannot support the data transmission functionalities required to meet today’s industry challenges.
The major players in the tech sector saw an opportunity in this problem: to develop a new generation of intelligent sensors, capable of grafting themselves onto almost any machine in any environment, and extracting operating data from it.
Capable of measuring the operating and failure signals emitted by equipment, these connected sensors enable plants to check the status of their machines in real time, and thus detect any anomalies that could jeopardize production.
These devices thus enable all industrial sites, even those that may not have recently renewed their arsenal, to take their place in Industry 4.0.
Connected sensors and predictive maintenance: emblems of Industry 4.0
This method of using connected sensors to anticipate equipment failure has a name, now inseparable from the notion of Industry 4.0: it’s predictive maintenance.
This new form of maintenance has become a necessity in a context where more and more production sites are operating on a just-in-time basis, and where the need for parts availability to ensure the operational continuity of the production chain is more important than ever.
By enabling maintenance departments to plan their interventions at the right time, and avoiding untimely machine stoppages, predictive maintenance solutions are an undeniable asset for manufacturers.
Examples of anomalies that can be detected by sensors and then interpreted by CMMS (computer-aided maintenance management) software include an electrical overload, a change in vibration, a change in temperature, an abnormal pressure level, misalignment, etc.
Using connected sensors: what are the benefits for industry?
If detected in time, these weak signals enable business experts to intervene even before a breakdown occurs. The key to this major breakthrough is budgetary savings, productivity gains and improved safety.
In fact, using intelligent sensors to predict breakdowns has the following advantages :
- Anable maintenance teams to obtain the necessary spare parts, and have them available when they are needed, without overloading stocks
- Avoid machine downtime, which can have disastrous financial repercussions for the company
- Protect against possible manufacturing defects caused by a device malfunction
- Guarantee worker safety by avoiding accidents linked to equipment defects
save human and material costs linked to an emergency - Maintenance operation continually improve manufacturing processes to extend the life of equipment, or even change suppliers for certain parts identified as more prone to malfunctions.
In short, connected sensors have opened up a whole new world of possibilities in the industrial sector, making it possible to analyze all types of equipment, even those without native data transmission capabilities. Now, manufacturers have the technology they need to ensure continuity of operation.
DiagFit and sensors
DiagFit, Admiral Technologies’ predictive maintenance solution, is entirely software-based, which means that DiagFit does not supply sensors. Business experts who use DiagFit use their own sensors already installed on their equipment and machines.
In cases where the customer has no sensors, Admiral Technologies has set up partnerships to offer a solution combining partner sensors and DiagFit, a powerful machine learning-based blind fault prediction software
