Today, the Internet of Things (IoT) has disrupted every industry, but few of its applications have been as transformational as predictive maintenance for enterprises. Instead of being reactive when an on-site asset breaks down, organizations can use the power of connected devices and analytics-driven insights to predict—and subsequently avoid—such events in real time through enterprise industrial IoT platforms. But how can predictive maintenance benefit your business? Is it really such an important strategy? And how can enterprise IoT solutions enable the practice?
What is Predictive Maintenance? Why Does it Matter?
Predictive maintenance is a method of looking—proactively—for signs of breakdown in equipment and machinery so possible failure can be addressed before it happens. Instead of waiting for machines to break down and repairing them reactively (at significant cost and loss of operational availability), businesses can ensure that everything runs like clockwork behind the scenes by performing maintenance when it is most convenient for production and other operations using industrial IoT solutions.
Older routes, such as reactive maintenance (only fixing things when they break) and even preventive maintenance (systematically replacing parts according to a set time schedule) can be a drain on resources. In contrast, enterprise industrial IoT platforms provide real-time data and analytics and enable companies to streamline operations, often saving on maintenance.
How Industrial IoT Solutions Enable Predictive Maintenance
Data Collection: How IoT Devices Gather Essential Information
Predictive maintenance relies on data. Sensors in industrial IoT devices are responsible for gathering accurate information from equipment. They monitor vibration, heat, pressure, and other metrics related to the health of industrial devices. When your motor is beginning to experience slight vibrations or heat, an IoT device picks up this information and delivers it to you in real-time. The motor’s data is streamed and monitored for changes, so you always know what the condition of the equipment is.
Data Analysis & Predictive Algorithms: The Role of IoT Platforms
Data is taken to an industrial IoT platform and is run through an application that uses predictive algorithms to analyze the information. The platform is capable of handling tons of data and will look for patterns and anomalies to identify faults that could later cause breakdown. If the motor is beginning to have slight vibrations or the temperatures are above the normal reading, this is an indication that the motor will soon break down. Algorithms built into the platform will analyze the gathered information and predict future equipment breakdown.
Actionable Insights: Turning Data into Preventive Action
Data is useless if companies can’t do anything with it. This is where actionable insights step in. With Industrial IoT solutions, companies not only collect and analyze information but can also provide notifications to maintenance personnel.
If a system senses a machine might fail, it will send a notification to the company, meaning maintenance can plan and execute repairs before failure actually occurs. The company can then schedule maintenance on its terms before the machine collapses entirely, avoiding any unpredicted downtime, keeping workers safe, and reducing overall repair costs. You can find more information about industrial IoT platforms HERE.
The Benefits of Predictive Maintenance for Businesses
- Cost Savings: Less unplanned downtime equates to less money spent on emergency repairs and production stoppages. Companies can save on budget by proactively addressing problems.
- Longer Equipment Lifespan: By proactively maintaining machines when the time is right, predictive maintenance extends the life of expensive equipment, helping companies save money on replacement costs.
- Better Operations: Industrial IoT solutions help companies succeed by keeping operations up and running. This reduces downtime and ensures machinery is always running efficiently.
- Increased Safety: Properly maintained and monitored machinery greatly reduces the likelihood of a catastrophic failure or dangerous accident.
- Increased Performance: With enterprise industrial IoT platforms, companies can proactively control and optimize overall operating conditions, continuously tweak processes and become more efficient by using real-time data to understand their most effective protocols and systems.
Key Industrial IoT Applications in Predictive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance powered by industrial IoT systems has applications across multiple sectors:
- Manufacturing: IoT in action in manufacturing includes the use of sensors to monitor equipment on the production line to identify stretches and early warning signs before something fails, minimizing costs when operations are stopped to address issues.
- Energy: Power plants monitor turbines, compressors and other equipment to prevent something from unexpectedly failing, which could lead to a blackout and power outage.
- Logistics: Industrial IoT software has a prevention plan that tracks cars, trucks and other vehicles and heavy equipment in real time to ensure it is properly maintained and reducing time and costs associated with unplanned downtime.
- Application enablement platforms are the key to enabling these uses by ensuring that all devices on the network are operating as they should and deliver accurate information.
The Future of Industrial IoT and Predictive Maintenance
As the capabilities of generating more and more data increase, industrial IoT companies will invest heavily in utilizing it to improve predictive maintenance solutions. Employing AI technology to augment the predictive maintenance systems already in place will increase the precision and power of the process dramatically. The companies that take advantage of such industrial IoT solutions will have a leg up on the competition in a digitally—and globally—enmeshed society.
In today’s fast-paced industrial environment, predictive maintenance of advanced industrial IoT solutions is not a luxury—it is a necessity. The potential for long-term benefits—ranging from saved money to saved lives—make it imperative to use these solutions and ensure your business will be able to operate successfully for years to come.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
