TEST& MAINTENANCE THE JOURNEY TO DIGITALISATION
can help to spot problems such as bearing defects before they become serious. Condition monitoring can be taken to a more sophisticated level. The handheld devices can be replaced by a central system, for instance, which gathers data automatically through the use of wireless sensors. It can even be supplied as a ‘service’. SKF has begun to do this – by taking responsibility for a company’s machine efficiency and productivity, rather than simply providing replacement parts such as bearings.
In one example of this, SKF has helped US- based steelmaker Big River Steel to raise productivity at its new facility in Osceola, Arkansas.
Introducing digitalisation can be a daunting prospect, but doing it in a stepwise fashion helps simplify the process, says SKF...
D
igitalisation can be a scary word for manufacturing companies – especially when they need to
introduce it to their organisation for the first time.
The full spectrum of digitalisation encompasses a swathe of modern technologies, from sensor-enabled machines to remote diagnostics and much more. The idea of suddenly incorporating all these into a manufacturing operation is a daunting prospect.
However, these fears are largely misplaced. There is no need to digitise everything at the same time. It is best to start small and introduce digital technologies in stages. Any change within an organisation takes time to enact and the same is true of digitalisation. Different aspects can be introduced according to their relative need, in a stepwise fashion.
Practical and methodical The potential benefits of digitalisation are huge – from collecting and analysing large amounts of process data to optimising supply chains. This can help in multiple ways, such as improving traceability and improving production. Reaping these benefits means introducing concepts such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in a practical, methodical way. In IIoT, components such as sensors are connected to the internet, allowing them to be
46 MARCH 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL
interrogated or diagnosed remotely. However, it is important to understand that each company’s journey towards digitalisation will be different. At the same time, a digital approach that works in one part of a business cannot typically be replicated in its exact form elsewhere.
Toolbox approach
One way of looking at this is to see digital technologies as ‘tools’. A conventional toolbox contains everything needed to carry out various physical tasks. In the same way, a ‘digital toolbox’ is a set of products and services such as sensors, measurement equipment and reporting software. These can be individually selected in order to improve overall performance and efficiency. Predictive maintenance, automated machine learning and condition monitoring can all form part of a digital toolkit. Condition monitoring has become increasingly important in modern manufacturing. Here, assets are constantly monitored using sensors, which helps to keep constant watch on machine health. It can be an ideal place to begin a digitalisation journey, as it can be introduced in a relatively simple – and comparatively economical – way. For instance, the most critical machinery assets can be imbued with sensors – such as vibration sensors – which can be ‘interrogated’ using handheld devices. This data can be collected and analysed, and
Maximising machine uptime Maximum machinery uptime is key for the company if it is to meet production targets. A critical part of this is to prevent failure in rotating machinery – which could slow production and lead to costly replacements. Rather than simply supply products such as bearings and grease, SKF proposed a ‘pay-for-performance’ programme to maximise machine productivity. It offered a fixed-fee contract to monitor rotating equipment, analyse data, manage inventory and optimise production at the mill. The contract includes the cost of SKF bearings, seals and related components that are needed to maintain the contract. “SKF has in-house knowledge and was better positioned to manage some gear inventory levels in terms of replacement, wear and maintenance,” said David Stickler, CEO of Big River Steel.
Though most of the plant machinery is new – as the company only began in 2017 – SKF has helped set a ‘baseline’ for the equipment. This means that if it begins to drift in future, this will be picked up early. Dave Cutnaw, strategic operations manager at SKF, said: “This is the first contract of its type in US, and it’s truly focused on results. It’s not based on what’s happened in the past – but what could happen in the future.”
There are many digital technologies available to manufacturers, but the sheer range on offer can be confusing. However, they can be introduced in stepwise fashion – using the ‘toolbox’ approach. This is an effective approach, as it allows each technology to become ‘embedded’ before the next one is considered.
* A video showing how SKF has helped Big River Steel can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTfnvr -sUfg0-%20bearing%20assist%20app
SKF (U.K.)
www.skf.co.uk
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