The Future of Predictive Maintenance

There are still far too many plant managers who take a reactive approach to maintenance, but fortunately that trend seems to be on the downswing. With today’s access to information and technology, companies are realizing that it is more cost-effective to take a proactive approach to maintenance than it is to wait until something breaks.

Predictive maintenance is on the rise and should be embraced by anybody that operates a manufacturing facility. The benefits of such programs far outweigh the costs, especially when considering just how expensive it is to repair a machine after it has failed.

What is Predictive Maintenance?

Predictive Maintenance is the process of evaluating and inspecting equipment while it is still in service in order to predict when it will next need maintenance. It essentially takes preventative maintenance to another level, relying on the current condition of the equipment rather than just guessing when maintenance will be needed based on industry standards and statistics.

Predictive maintenance utilizes data collection, early fault detection, routine maintenance scheduling, and continuous or periodic monitoring of the machine. Generally, it is used in conjunction with preventative maintenance and gives the plant a better idea of when they should expect a part to fail or require a tune-up.

What’s in Store for the Future?

Predictive maintenance, in the grand scheme of things, is a relatively new trend in the world of manufacturing. This means that there are wide range of possibilities for the future and that we’ve only the beginnings of what this practice has to offer. Some of these changes have already begun to materialize while others are merely in the conceptual phase.

Prescriptive Maintenance

With predictive maintenance already in existence, there may be another step to take when it comes to increasing efficiencies. Prescriptive Maintenance is a concept in which machines and software not only predict when something might fail but also provide a variety of solutions before it even happens. This can be in the form of a physical repair or behavioral changes in the operation of the devices.

Predictive maintenance utilizes technology to give us an idea of what might go wrong and when it will go wrong, while prescriptive maintenance tells us how we can fix things before they break. It can provide analyses for multiple scenarios and give us information on which machines will need to be focused on first and who will need to be responsible.

Higher Manufacturing Output

As more manufacturers embrace predictive maintenance practices, they should become more productive overall. Because plant managers won’t have to worry about continual repairs, they will have more time to focus on production and development. This will allow them to focus on efficiency strategies and maximum output.

Machines will experience less downtime and will contribute to the production capabilities of any well-run plant. This is a major boon for manufacturing and should result in less waste and more product.

This increase in production and output will mean that manufacturers will become more valuable than they currently are. This will drive even more healthy competition and allow companies to focus on innovative and inventive strategies. With fewer overall workers spending time on routine maintenance, they will be able to shift their talents to research and development of new ideas.

Cost Savings

Plants are already seeing the benefit of predictive maintenance in their profitability, and as programs become more advanced, they will continue to save more money. Thanks to predictive maintenance, there will be less money spent on emergency repairs and replacements. Costs of preventative maintenance will even go down as predictive algorithms provide a more accurate picture of a machine’s capabilities and weaknesses.

Automated Maintenance and Repairs

Some machines in the future may even be able to predict their own potential failures and as such will automatically schedule maintenance. This decreases the need for a worker to continually test machines and analyze the data. While this is still a very young concept, we likely aren’t far from seeing this become the norm.

This again will lead to cost savings as the machines will do much of the work themselves and even provide the analysis needed to make the right decisions.

Fully Automated Factories

If the predictive maintenance trend continues to blossom, there is a very real possibility that we will see more and more fully automated factories that require little human interaction. Machines will never operate with a 100% success rate, but we are getting closer and closer to that goal as new technologies arise.

There are already thousands of tasks that are automated in any modern factory, and it’s no surprise that maintenance and repair could end up the same. The up-front costs of these technologies and programs may be unattractive at first, but when compared to the potential costs of emergency repairs and routine maintenance, they start to make more sense. Business has benefited from major advances in this field in recent years, and it seems that there is a lot more in store for the future.

‍