APRIL 2019 THE INTERVIEW
previously trapped process
data. In many machines and
processes the data which
would help you develop
more informed maintenance
strategies is held within the
PLC or controller. Releasing
this data and using it to create
dashboards or reports can
be an easy win as it provides
accurate insight on the
operational characteristics
such as number of operations,
or when errors occurred and
resets were required.
Is there an education
issue on the shopfloor?
Are maintenance staff
open to changing their
ways of working?
AB: There is certainly a
challenge here. As competitive
pressures demand using
every opportunity to reduce
downtime, technology can
play a massive part in more
preventative and predictive
strategies. This requires
maintenance teams to widen
their skill-sets to understand
“To embrace TPM, you
need to combine technology
with effective training”
Richard Jeffers, technical director, RS
the technology and manage the data, however
it also requires a clear understanding of the
philosophy of predictive maintenance to fully
grasp and implement successful measures.
In addition, it requires the support of wider
management to acknowledge the key role
maintenance has in the overall efficiency and
effectiveness of the business, and to support the
investment with training as well as equipment.
That said, there is also a need for manufacturers
of this equipment to make the installation and
commissioning of their devices as easy and
intuitive as possible. Open standards will play a
part here, however there is more to it than that.
The easier a solution is to roll-out, the more the
maintenance teams can focus on the many other
aspects of the role.
RJ: For sure. As touched on previously, the
concept of TPM is very powerful and empowers
the operator to perform simple on-going
maintenance or corrective actions. To embrace
TPM effectively, you need to combine additional
technology – such as sensors and local displays –
with effective training of your staff.
Connected technology also has the ability to
give the maintenance team a ‘heads up’ when
things have occurred so they can potentially take
action before serious downtime hits. An example
of this is the basic Andon light. These are found
on machine tools, packaging machines, and other
equipment across manufacturing indicating a
status change. By simply tapping into this local
status indication and leveraging a local network
such as Ethernet, the maintenance team can
gain an overview of what’s happening across the
production area.
What does the future have in store for
maintenance?
AB: An ongoing progression of focus from
reactive activities to one of preventative and
ideally predictive maintenance. A relentless
focus on achieving zero down-time to enable
maximum efficiency. The good news is the tools
are increasingly available to allow engineers to
have all the information they need to do the right
things, with business justification.
RJ: Prediction and prevention will be the
watchwords in the future, and IIoT or Industry
4.0 will accelerate this change. There also needs
to be a mind-set shift within the manufacturing
sector in terms of both investment in the
technology, and upskilling their work force to
ensure they can harness the benefits of these
connected, self-monitoring, self-analysing
production systems.
OEE, and are looking at
greater levels of investment in
connected products or IIoT,
which will only accelerate the
benefits these approaches take in
maximising uptime.
What are some ‘easy wins’
for manufacturers starting
out on their connected
maintenance journey?
AB: Devices that connect
together using existing
infrastructure, but do not
require integration into existing
systems. For example data
loggers that communicate over
WiFi, hand-held test equipment
that can send results to smart
devices or to the cloud for
interrogation. These do not
require existing machines or
their control systems to be
modified in terms of hardware
or software, which can be a
significant undertaking, and
can’t really be considered
without a relatively clear idea of
the benefits that can be realised.
RJ: In the automation space,
the easiest win is tapping into
Staff need to be
better trained
in the benefits
of connected
maintenance,
says Richard
Jeffers
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk 23
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