Remote operations
Marc Prempain
15 April 2024
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Company operations thrive on stability and predictability. Recurrent machine downtime and unexpected asset failures contribute to prolonged productivity issues and increased operating costs. Businesses can use dedicated maintenance to escape a vicious cycle of constant machine breakdown and repairs. Adopting such an approach comes with self-evident benefits.
Though the initial costs may prove costly due to the efforts, training time, and tech investments that go into it, these systems will lead to improved productivity and long-term cost savings.
Read on to learn reasons why you should consider implementing proactive maintenance methods.
Contrary to popular belief, proactive maintenance isn’t a blanket term. Its different types include:
Predictive maintenance is a type of asset management practice that relies on sensors to capture data about the different equipment, e.g., vibration and temperature sensors in a business. The goal is to use this data to perform maintenance procedures on the machine before it fails, in order to reduce downtime and increase longevity. Predictive maintenance is a process that requires technology capable of triggering work orders if an appliance or machine needs an upgrade or inspection.
It involves monitoring the state of essential equipment to detect potential defects and track performance that may lead to a system crash.
Preventive maintenance works best for companies in sectors such as:
• Power and energy
• Food production
• Manufacturing
Managers can use this information to predict when a system downtime will occur.
It helps to create a biweekly or monthly maintenance schedule that complies with the equipment manufacturer’s recommendations. The schedule should touch on essential aspects such as annual inspection and equipment cleaning.
Ensure all the essential equipment gets checked frequently to guarantee the best operations. Examples of time-based maintenance activities include having the air conditioner serviced every other month during summer.
Prescriptive maintenance, or RxM, is a maintenance process where technology is used to gather and analyze data about the condition or needs of equipment in order to make customized recommendations that aim to decrease operational risks. Similarly to predictive maintenance, this data can be used to predict potential machine failures.
RxM relies on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced analytics to produce maintenance-related predictions. Prescriptive maintenance generates recommendations that can assist business owners in improving their system operations.
They can use these reports to follow up on past work orders or oversee the entire maintenance process.
Usage-based maintenance, or UBM, is a subset of predictive maintenance. UBM operations are triggered by a sort of meter that measures the actual usage of the asset. With this data on daily usage, maintenance teams can better predict when the machine will need to be scheduled for routine maintenance.
It’s highly recommended to track machine usage in a business that relies on certain equipment or machinery to run its daily operations. Tracking usage involves checking the production cycles, operating hours and keeping an eye on the equipment monitors.
Usage-based maintenance is best for machinery incapable of producing automated time tickets and notifications. Staying on top of proper care, e.g., making regular fleet oil changes, will ensure that the machine lasts many years.
Preventive maintenance refers to a form of recurring maintenance that businesses employ to prevent equipment failures that may result in prolonged downtime. Predictive maintenance or dedicated maintenance is a bit different but relies on a similar philosophy.
Its goal is to prevent machine or equipment failure instead of reacting to it. Benefits include:
• Reduced downtime: Businesses experience downtime when a crucial system or machine breaks down, causing all operations to grind to a halt.
• It helps the business improve its maintenance operations: Managers can use it to establish the root cause of these failures and implement the changes needed.
• Real-time monitoring: Real-time equipment monitoring helps prevent and minimize the occurrence of severe problems.
• It assists in reducing the repair costs: Unexpected repairs can cause a toll on business finances, more so when it has to repair expensive machines.
Proactive maintenance methods and solutions commonly follow a set schedule. On the other hand, Condition-based maintenance relies on sensor measurements, implying that it only occurs on a need-by-need basis.
The primary goal in condition-based maintenance (CBM) is to monitor and spot expected equipment malfunctions. It allows managers enough time to schedule maintenance operations long before a failure has occurred.
Its advantages include:
• Technicians perform CBM while the equipment is still operational, helping to reduce and eliminate disruptions.
• It minimizes the chances of collateral damage to existing business systems
• CBM assists in reducing the cost of equipment failure
• It reduces the requirement for emergency spare parts
• CBM helps to do away with unscheduled downtime related to catastrophic failure
Planned maintenance offers numerous benefits to a business. For example, it can get rid of repair issues and unexpected maintenance. If a machine breaks down today, the managers will scramble to fix it as they look for alternative options.
Scheduled maintenance is a crucial aspect of owning any machinery and plays a significant role in maintaining its value and ensuring it’s in good working order. Manufacturers are responsible for providing a breakdown of when scheduled maintenance should occur.
Businesses can also use scheduled maintenance as a diagnostic tool for their equipment. By having the machinery checked at designated intervals, the technicians will have an opportunity to confirm that they are running smoothly.
Routine maintenance refers to all maintenance activities that are conducted on an ongoing or planned basis. These tasks assist in identifying and preventing problems before they result in machine failure.
Standard routine maintenance tasks include service work and regular inspections. Business owners can choose to have this completed on a usage-based schedule or on a time-based schedule.
Examples of routine maintenance services include:
• General workplace maintenance tasks, e.g., washing windows, cleaning floors, landscaping, and replacing HVAC filters.
• Cleaning, lubricating, or adjusting machinery
• Replacing deteriorated parts
• Checking, testing, and maintaining equipment safety.
Some of the advantages of performing remote routine maintenance on company equipment include:
• It ensures that assets and equipment are in optimal working condition, leading to higher profitability, improved productivity, and fewer system failures.
• Routine maintenance helps eliminate the need for reactive maintenance
• It can assist in reducing downtime while helping to improve and lengthen the lifespan of crucial equipment.
Compared to other maintenance styles mentioned here, predetermined maintenance has to occur in line with the rules and suggestions given by the equipment manufacturer. The maintenance team needs to abide by the suggestions provided in the equipment manual.
Manufacturers provide these suggestions based on gathered data. Its advantages include:
• Improved compliance with OSHA and increased workplace safety
• Less equipment downtime
• Improved efficiency
• Fewer disruptions to critical operations
Visual support is an important part of the dedicated maintenance processes. Sometimes technicians encounter situations that are complexer than expected. They can use visual support solutions to contact remote experts. With a live video feed and collaborative tools, the expert can view the full extent of the situation that the technician is experiencing on-site, and then use the features to diagnose and guide the technician to resolve the problem.
Implementing visual support can provide several benefits, including:
• Improved employee morale and work safety
• Simplified training
• Reduced inventory
• Fewer defects and improved quality
• Fewer operation purchases and unplanned maintenance
The primary aim of proactive maintenance is to help business owners view equipment and machine failures as events they can anticipate. It enables them to eliminate issues before they arise. An excellent maintenance strategy can assist businesses in finding hidden inefficiencies.
Its goal is to identify the leading cause of machine failures and resolve them in advance.
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