FEATURE Automation Technologies
Saar Yoskovitz, CEO of Augury, believes machine-health technology can bolster manufacturing operations in a challenging climate
T
he risks facing manufacturing have never been greater. Covid, labour shortages, geopolitical unrests, industrial supply-chain
challenges, cyberattacks, Brexit and economic upheaval among many other problems have all interrupted operations and logistics in one way or another. Sadly, the signs are that these disturbances will become more frequent and more severe in the future. With the threat of external disruption so high, the last thing fi rms need is internal malfunctions causing plant breakdowns. Yet more than 150 years on from when machines fi rst transformed the industry, a single unlubricated bearing can still knock out an entire production line.
Building resilience Technology has taken us a long way since the fi rst industrial revolution. We’re now into the fourth, which is being powered by advances in technologies such as artifi cial intelligence (AI), automation and the Internet of Things (IoT). The fourth industrial revolution is
eff ectively connecting the digital and real worlds in industrial settings. This digitalisation is game-changing for manufacturers, since it underpins smarter, more streamlined and more cost-eff ective production, as well as drives more agile operations in today’s disruptive climate. Machine-health solutions, for example, minimise breakdowns and plant closures, by predicting equipment faults before they become critical.
Machine-health technology captures 24 April 2022 | Automation
Keeping the wheels turning in a disruptive world
vibration, temperature and magnetic data from rotating machinery via IoT connectivity. It combines this information with advanced AI diagnostics and input from human reliability experts, and it continually builds its knowledge about the equipment it is monitoring, so as to predict component faults and advise on how to fi x them.
As a result, machine health off ers greater visibility of manufacturing processes, effi ciency and capacity – strengthening the resilience of manufacturers’ operations and supply chains. That can save fi rms the signifi cant cost and reputational damage that come with production outages.
Extended reach Given the benefi ts on off er, it’s astonishing that only 9% of manufacturing fi rms are currently taking advantage of AI. Fortunately, this may be about to change. Until recently, machine-health solutions have often only been cost-eff ective for the most critical machinery; but, options have now been developed to cover supporting equipment within a manufacturing plan. Supporting equipment typically makes
up more than 60% of a fi rm’s rotating assets, and while its failure won’t generally cause catastrophic downtime, it will at times disrupt production. What’s more, supporting equipment eats up much of a fi rm’s maintenance and reliability resources.
Machine-health technology streamlines maintenance planning and lowers the risk of faults going unnoticed. It does this by guiding workers to equipment that needs
attention, and instructing them on what to fi x and how. This removes unnecessary maintenance tasks (particularly benefi cial if a fi rm is suff ering labour shortages). It also cuts costs and improves cashfl ow, by accurately forecasting the demand for spare parts, minimising the need for inventory. As such, machine health enables manufacturers to move from reactive to predictive maintenance, and optimises the cost of asset care – across almost all equipment, not just the most critical machines. That’s why it’s rapidly becoming the ‘killer app’ of the fourth industrial revolution.
Transforming the future Of course, Industry 4.0 technologies have much wider applications for manufacturers than machine health. They off er the scope to transform and futureproof the end-to-end manufacturing and distribution processes: from procurement, supply and stock management, through to assembly, transportation and logistics. As the economy emerges from the turbulence of the pandemic, manufacturers must capitalise on technologies like machine health. In today’s market, it’s the only way to build resilience, boost productivity, enable innovation and, ultimately, drive growth.
CONTACT:
Augury
www.augury.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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