DIGITALISATION FEATURE THE PRACTICALITIES OF DIGITALISATION
If industry is to realise digitalisation’s promises, we need to find a different way of working, says Gavin Coull, service sales manager at SKF
T
he Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 are generating great
excitement with their technologies and concepts, but now it’s time to focus on the practicalities. How can they be used to deliver real customer value? To do that we have to transform business models and industrial partnerships, as well as digitalising machines and operations. Continuing developments in
connectivity, control and analytics hold much potential for improving economy, quality and productivity in industrial operations. To unlock it fully, and make digitalisation a genuine success, however, measurable customer value must always be the focus. Although it is tempting to move
straight to thinking about system solutions, it is vital to first be clear on the operation’s specific performance needs. What would ‘improved value’ look
applied to best effect. For one large Swedish pulp and paper
company, operational efficiency is the KPI which SKF is helping them to deliver. Condition monitoring, introduced as part of a predictive maintenance strategy, has reduced high unplanned stoppage levels. As well as saving hundreds of thousands of Euros, it is yielding valuable real-time data on temperature, vibration and noise which SKF is analysing to solve both future and present issues. While SKF’s attention is primarily on
rotating shafts and bearings, the emergence of 4G, 5G and real-time connectivity brings the possibility of seeing a bigger picture. Through connection of bearing-related data and readings of parameters from other components, it is now possible to look at machine-health as a whole, instead of compartmentalising the information.
Enlight ProCollect is a portable vibration monitoring solution, designed to help companies adopt smart condition-based maintenance approaches
company pays a monthly base fee plus a bonus payment, at longer intervals, subject to the provider meeting agreed KPIs. In a function-based payment model, an agreed regular fee is paid to the provider in return for delivering equipment functionality. Both parties benefit from these models, which show digitalisation’s scope for creating new ways of financing the optimisation of operational performance. The impact of applying digitalisation
‘Those willing to build long-term relationships, rethink their co-operation and share data and knowledge will have a major competitive advantage’
like and what could be used as a measure of it? Increased output is one obvious KPI (key performance indicator), as lost production through unplanned downtime is extremely costly to many businesses, so anything that reduces it adds considerable value. Gaining a deep understanding of the
machinery’s operating conditions is essential to enhancing each asset’s performance, optimising its availability and making a business more resilient in the long term. This leads to a far more analytical approach in which predictive maintenance and digitalisation can be
The same advances in real-time data
connectivity can also enable closer integration across supply chains. It won’t be long, for instance, before component manufacturers are monitoring and analysing customer machine data and optimally scheduling the manufacture of replacements for wearing parts. Condition monitoring and digitalisation
of industrial processes has led to a reassessment of traditional transactional models. SKF finds that models based on performance and function are becoming more attractive to many companies. In performance-based contracts, the
under such a model is highlighted by SKF’s results in a mining operation where it has a continuous service agreement in action. With 8,000 SKF sensors monitoring 2,400 critical assets, predictive maintenance is making an annual saving of almost €8million for the mine owners. Digitalisation benefits are now available to
The Enlight data capture and knowledge solution uses intelligent data analysis patterns to help engineers work with Big Data and deal quickly and decisively with critical alerts
minor as well as major assets, including individual items, thanks to the increasing cost-effectiveness and decreasing size of mobile computing devices. Take the SKF Multilog On-line System IMx. This early fault detection system can monitor 8 signals or sensors, in contrast to its predecessors’ 32. If the huge quantities of data gathered by
proliferation of such products are to be beneficial rather than problematic, users will need analytical support. SKF has answered this with systems such as its Enlight data capture and knowledge solution. They use intelligent data analysis patterns to help engineers work with Big Data and deal quickly and decisively with critical alerts. Today, digitalisation and connectivity are
spreading from individual companies to the whole supply chain. By working together in close partnerships, end users, OEMs and suppliers can enjoy lower costs, increased efficiencies and even more added value. The technology behind digitalisation will continue to advance, but supply chain partners must establish strong mutual trust if its full benefits are to be realised.
SKF (U.K.)
www.skf.co.uk
PROCESS & CONTROL | DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 37
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