IoT enabled technology is changing the way many industries approach interactivity with their assets. In the manufacturing industry specifically, most companies have made significant investments to move from preventative maintenance to a predictive maintenance model utilizing these powerful tools.
In the past decade, smartphones and tablets have become mainstream in business and our day-to-day lives, which means that the world we live in is inherently more connected. With developments in internet technology, businesses can make the most of state-of-the-art cloud applications. This explosion in device-to-device communication is fueling the growth of machine data storage.
What is an IoT enabled device?
An IoT enabled device is a machine that can be monitored and controlled through the internet. Thanks to advances in onboard sensor technology, software, and Wi-Fi connectivity, IoT enabled machines are smarter, easier to monitor, and control remotely than ever before.
This has huge benefits when it comes to managing repairs and maintenance. The data that is captured in real-time, when used with complementary technologies such as artificial intelligence, allows manufacturers to move from an outdated preventative maintenance program to a more agile predictive maintenance model. When connected to IoT enabled devices, your machine can send an alert if it senses that a tool is due for repair. This could be based on machine hours or it can be determined from data captured by individual component sensors when they detect something is wrong.
What is the difference between preventative maintenance and predictive maintenance?
Preventative maintenance seeks to decrease the likelihood of machine break down by implementing a rigid service schedule based on either machine hours or a pre-determined amount of time. Predictive maintenance, on the other hand, uses data captured in real-time by machine sensors, along with sophisticated software to proactively alert operators about potential issues well before a full machine break down occurs.
How does a predictive maintenance model increase productivity and save money?
By having access to predictive data, business owners are able to better plan and manage the utilization of their fleet of machines. By minimizing the risk of total break down, manufacturers can increase the overall use of their equipment, and prevent unnecessary repair costs. Similarly, when a manufacturer has access to predictive maintenance data, they are able to ensure that servicing occurs at exactly the right time and only on the parts of the machine that really require it, saving manufacturers thousands. The increase in machine utilization and the reduction of repair costs means that manufacturers have a lot to gain from investing in IoT enabled devices.
Contact the professionals at VibePro today to take the first steps to start your predictive maintenance program.
About VibePro
At VibePro, it is our mission to provide the best predictive tools on a single iPad platform with services to monitor nearly any asset. We strive to bring our customers the portability, connectivity, and affordability offered by the latest available technologies. Our product family combines wireless portable and online vibration data collection and analysis, balancing, shaft alignment, thermography, and ultrasound into an affordable and completely scalable solution on one simple to use platform. VibePro’s predictive technology apps feature many additions that have come directly from customers. Click here to learn more.
