Prevention is better than cure for optimising your systems’ performance

Manufacturers today are under a lot of pressure.

Any suboptimal system performance – combined with rising energy costs and unplanned downtime – could be the difference between success or failure for their operations.

Instead, manufacturers want three crucial things:

1. optimised production performance…

2. …with increased efficiency…

3. at low costs.

So, how can manufacturers get what they want from their solutions?

The answer is simple: preventative maintenance.

There’s an old adage: “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” And the same applies to manufacturing systems.

Preventative maintenance measures play a vital role in spotting potential problems and helping manufacturers optimise their systems. But what factors do manufacturers need to consider when establishing a preventative maintenance programme?

In this article, we’ll look at the four key factors you need to consider to optimise your systems’ performance, unlock long-term operational efficiency, and save on costs.

1) Component monitoring

In production lines today, engineers increasingly use industrial digital technologies in their processes.

Using smart, connected products and devices on the production lines, manufacturers gain direct access to essential real-time data about a component’s operational condition and performance. This helps operators and managers to make key decisions about the plant at any given time.

Component monitoring means manufacturers can analyse the performance of important components in varying environments, their reactions to temperature changes or altered workload requirements, and the time taken to see the impact of wear and tear. This helps inform and guide plant operations to boost efficiency.

Monitoring components carefully also allows manufacturers to identify the most energy-consuming components and swap them for more energy-efficient solutions. This not only saves energy during production processes – it also delivers tangible cost savings to their bottom line.

Compressed air, used during manufacturing processes, is one of the most expensive forms of energy you can buy – for example, a standard 500 litre/second unit consumes roughly £40,000 of electricity every year. Having any unidentified leaks within any components in the system would compromise its performance, make production less efficient, and increase costs.

All of which could be avoided with careful component monitoring.

2) Real-time data for intelligence-based decision-making

Real-time data isn’t all about the “here and now” – it’s also about planning for the future.

Data collected from components on the production line helps manufacturers compare current performance against their critical KPIs. It also allows them to determine what remedial steps they need to take with any faulty components, before any potential larger issues surface.

One UK Government report estimates that industrial digital technologies can help reduce machine downtime by approximately 20% to 30%, and cut plant maintenance costs down by 15% to 25%.

A chemical manufacturer in Europe reported that since introducing advanced analytics into its processes it had unearthed some previously unseen issues. After tackling these issues, the manufacturer was able to reduce its raw material waste by 20% and cut energy costs by roughly 15%, ultimately improving the company’s overall yield.

In another example, one major metal plant employed advanced analytics tools as part of its continuous improvement programme. The result? It increased production rates on one of its lines by 50%, with the company expecting to increase total production by 30% without significantly increasing its operational costs.

This proves the power of data in not only monitoring current processes in a production line, but also in giving manufacturers a chance to plan ahead for better operational outcomes.

3) A culture of continuous learning and improving

Preventative maintenance is not just a “one-and-done” task for manufacturers. Instead, it’s a foundation for an ongoing cycle of continuous improvement. Monitoring component performance is only a small part of the overall equation.

Instead, plant managers and engineers need to work together collaboratively, partnering with an expert product supplier – who helps investigate component performance data, not just collect it – to find solutions that add extra value to their production line.

This helps organisations:

• Gain a competitive edge

• Increase productivity levels

• Optimise performance

• Lower long-term costs

4) A reliable supply chain

As the saying goes, you’re only as strong as your weakest link.

That’s why it’s vital for manufacturers to have confidence that their supply chain can not only respond quickly to downtime issues, but also effectively solve the issues to avoid further production problems.

Having access to appropriate service kits is one thing. After all, they can dramatically extend component life as part of any maintenance programme.

But to minimise the operational and financial impact of shutdowns, manufacturers also need access to available spare parts, without delay.

To do this, engineers and plant managers should always check in with their supply chain to ensure that their suppliers can:

• Always offer sufficient stock levels

• Provide easy-to-access technical support

It’s also vital for any supplier to have field engineers as backup for manufacturers, who are able to provide maintenance and repairs as needed to get lines operational again. This will not only help reduce downtime, but also solve the issue at its source to keep the lines moving.

Get the most out of your systems’ performance

We’re committed to bolstering your manufacturing systems’ performance to keep you on track and on the cutting edge of digital technology.