PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE Smarter sensors, smarter controllers provide real-time visibility, prevent costly downtime—and worse


TIRED OF THE AUTOPSIES?


Karen Haywood Queen Contributing Editor


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Here’s how to get ahead of failures


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mprovements in sensors, servo technology and programmable controllers enable manufacturers and industry to monitor processes to prevent expensive failures, quickly react to problems that do occur, and


customize production. “Within GE, as we put sensors on ma- chines and products, we’re able to pre- dict, adapt and react more quickly. For example, we can see premature vibrations, signals that we’re losing a pump or losing a motor. That helps us manage unplanned downtime,” Bart Weihl, executive, global operations, advanced manufacturing initia- tives group at General Electric, said. “More people today are moving in that direction. I think companies are still in the process of understanding the full benefi ts of what a connected machine will get you.” Connected machines provide real-time


visibility for industrial applications, including energy production and manufacturing, said Matt Newton, director of technical market- ing for Opto 22. “Enabling sensor data to be processed and monitored in real time through IP connectivity built into devices like programmable automation controllers (PACs) allows enterprises to obtain real- time situational awareness of almost all as- pects of their production and maintenance.” Analyzing the now-available data fa-


cilitates analytics, diagnostics, high-speed control and automatic confi guration over


March 2017


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