For a long time, the industry focused purely on the manufacture and sale of products and systems, while the aftersales market tended to be neglected. The possibilities for networking machines and collecting real-time data have multiplied greatly, which is why it is now possible for companies to view data in a new context. Predictive maintenance plays an important role here.
Data is now useful for more than just transporting information to keep systems and machines running. Data is a precious commodity that can make the difference between long-term success and failure. In particular, the optimization of production quality, the sustainable operation of machines and the implementation of predictive maintenance are becoming increasingly important in the industry – the corresponding data is the fuel that keeps the entire production and optimization engine running and provides plant operators with real-time information and statistics second by second that they would otherwise not have.
What is predictive maintenance and why is it so important?
The concept behind it is already in the name. The motto is: prevent rather than react. Predictive maintenance therefore defines predictive maintenance. Thanks to measurement and production data from machines and systems, precise maintenance information can be derived. The more precisely the data is recorded and the faster the data is used or analyzed within a digital ecosystem, the easier it is to make further decisions regarding maintenance processes.
Used correctly, a predictive maintenance solution reduces time-consuming and costly damage investigations, maintenance processes or entire machine and system downtimes. Failures can therefore be dealt with proactively. Optimization potential can also be identified much more easily. Predictive maintenance extends the service life of machines and ultimately increases customer service.
Where does predictive maintenance stand in the order of maintenance strategies?
There are currently four well-known maintenance strategies:
Reactive Maintenance
Maintenance is only carried out in the event of a failure, so the reaction to an emergency is rather passive – an undesirable approach, as it risks long downtimes and thus a production deficit. The consequential damage is enormous.
Preventive maintenance
With this strategy, maintenance intervals are defined in advance, either monthly or annually. Although this strategy ensures that the machines are checked and maintained on an ongoing basis, the potential can still not be fully exploited.
Predictive maintenance
The strategy mentioned at the beginning is reflected here. Machines and systems are maintained according to their condition. However, the basis for this is high-quality data and a system that processes and prepares this data.
Prescriptive maintenance
This goes one step further. Not only is maintenance initiated on the basis of statuses, but automated processes are created that independently carry out spare parts orders, for example.
Does predictive maintenance have a future?
Automated maintenance processes are becoming increasingly important in industry. As production has to meet increasingly complex requirements and every second of downtime due to malfunctions and breakdowns literally costs money, it is essential to optimize maintenance strategies in the right places.
Predictive maintenance requires a certain amount of data storage and maintenance. A central system that can interpret and process the data must also be in place. Companies now have a responsibility to give serious thought to their digitalization strategy, as ultimately all production-oriented optimizations are heavily dependent on digitalization. No company that wants to survive on the market in the long term can afford to take a passive approach. On the other hand, advanced strategies such as prescriptive maintenance are the ideal case, but are not yet feasible for many companies. Predictive maintenance, however, is much “easier” to implement, making it an ideal way to upgrade your own production facility.
About KENEXOS®
With Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH (KBS for short), Kreutzpointner is setting a significant milestone in the technical development of the entire group of companies. Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH focuses on the special requirements and digital needs of industrial customers with an independent business model. The operational launch took place in October 2020.
With KENEXOS®, KBS offers corporate customers an individually expandable application platform with its own software products and focuses on the implementation of industrial applications. KENEXOS® offers modern web technology for access via a wide range of end devices and enables integration with existing systems via an API interface. The standard modules include, for example, construction site documentation, task and ticket recording, plant management and maintenance and many more. The application platform is available for in-house installation (on-premise) or as a cloud solution (SaaS).
The ideas and the technical basis for Kreutzpointner Business Software GmbH have been successfully developed in recent years as part of the company-wide “Research & Development” process. In addition to the IT systems division, the new digital unit ideally rounds off Kreutzpointner’s large portfolio.
