Besides smart manufacturing, smart service is also a focus of Industry 4.0. Leveraging the industrial internet of things (IIoT), big data analysis, and expert systems, machinery makers can decrease routine and breakdown maintenance while increasing equipment availability, performance, and quality. The key lies in predictive maintenance (PM).
PM uses real-time vibration analysis and quality analysis to monitor asset status and signs of falling productivity. With IoT gateways transferring vibration data to the cloud, PM engineers can remotely monitor machinery condition and identify machinery components with the potential defects. Once detecting abnormal vibration, PM engineers can notify customers to adjust production to prevent the production of defective goods. Meanwhile, PM engineers can pinpoint and repair worn parts, bringing machines back on line soon and increasing equipment availability.
Product quality analysis is another way to enhance equipment performance and yield rate. For CNC and SMT equipment that are challenging for vibration sensor deployment, the shop flow control system could be used with defect analysis and traceability systems so that component issues can be traced and fixed.
Cloud platforms and big data analysis help establish expert systems that use systematic ways to reason, store, and manage the expertise of human experts and perform analysis with this knowledge base. These data can be translated into machine utilization patterns to improve machine efficiency and best suitable successors prior to asset retirement. In case of malfunction, error message can be collected and used for design refinement.
NEXCOM's comprehensive PM solutions cover hardware/software integrations and vibration analysis, which are introduced to semiconductor manufacturing and soon to be extended to petrochemical and electronics for smart services.
For more information about NEXCOM, please visit http://www.nexcom.com/
Predictive maintenance can decrease routine and breakdown maintenance while increasing equipment availability, performance, and quality.
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