INDUSTRY 4.0 / SMART FACTORIES
THE BENEFITS OF PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE IN SMART FACTORIES Many manufacturers still practice reactive or periodic maintenance. One research group conducted a study involving 15 interviews with industry professionals. All of the respondents said time-based maintenance is their facility’s primary approach, with some reporting they still ‘maintain’ assets with the infamous run-to-failure strategy. Although better options exist, these methods
remain standard because they are associated with scheduling simplicity and lower upfront from transitioning because they are primed for a predictive approach. Predictive maintenance extends beyond planned or preventive strategies, utilising condition continuously. By identifying indicators of wear before they develop into mechanical faults, technicians prevent minor issues from escalating. They can minimise unplanned downtime, avoiding costly repairs and extending their equipment’s lifespan.
In addition to avoiding over- or undermaintenance, this approach optimises maintenance scheduling and resource allocation. Workers don’t have to worry about critical equipment failures, so they can condense their spare part inventory. If they need a replacement component, they have time for on-demand ordering.
KEY STEPS FOR ADOPTING PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE IN SMART FACTORIES Decision-makers should follow these implementation tips to seamlessly transition from their current approach to an effective predictive maintenance strategy.
1. Evaluate the existing program’s effectiveness. Leaders should evaluate direct costs, scheduling availability, repair frequency, critical equipment failure rates and annual downtime. By gaining comprehensive visibility, they can identify potential areas of opportunity.
2. Define goals based on areas of improvement Identifying areas of improvement reveals impact. Say someone notices their production line is down 18 per cent of the year due almost exclusively to the same machine breaking. Their goal could be to halve downtime by focusing on technology in this area. Clear goals can yield the highest return on investment.
3. Inventory and categorise all IT and OT assets Investing in predictive maintenance is relatively affordable. However, whether due to budget, technical or labor constraints, manufacturers may be unable to afford facility-wide implementation. Inventorying and categorising IT and OT systems can help them prioritise assets based on criticality and failure frequency.
4. Select data collection and analysis technology Technologies enabling predictive maintenance intelligence and advanced analytics. Sensor type is a crucial consideration, as these tools can track a wide range of parameters. Professionals must also decide between on-
HOW TO IMPLEMENT PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
IN SMART FACTORIES By Zachary Amos, Freelance Writer covering manufacturing, robotics and industrial cybersecurity. He’s also the Features Editor at ReHack Magazine, and his insights have been published on VentureBeat, Electronic Specifier, and the International Society of Automation.
Predictive maintenance decreases downtime and repair costs by addressing issues early. However, successful implementation requires a strategic approach that combines technology, security and people. Both leaders and factory floor workers must be aligned to ensure a seamless transition.
premise and cloud-based analytics platforms. These decisions can impact program reliability. AI is optional, but automation can streamline decision-making. However, effectiveness varies depending on algorithm type and training data. There are also storage space and operational costs to consider, neural networks are more resource-intensive than decision trees.
5. Ensure the data infrastructure is interoperable An interoperable data infrastructure is crucial for ensuring data is transmitted reliably. Connections between legacy and modern systems are prone to settings should take special care to mitigate any issues during setup.
PRIORITISING CYBERSECURITY FROM DAY ONE Those running smart factories are beginning to recognise the importance of cybersecurity,
16 OCTOBER 2025 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
especially as predictive maintenance necessitates the need for IT/OT convergence. The direct connection between sensors and actuators could be a gateway for hacking, which is particularly problematic since unusual machine behavior could result in equipment damage or loss of life. In a smart factory, heavy machinery and
robots are connected to a central network for communication and analytics. A lone hacker could vantage point. They could force the manipulators to swing out wildly or run a mobile picking robot into a worker. Data manipulation is another potential concern. If a cybercriminal were to compromise a machine and its sensors, they could force it to overheat to the point of irreparable damage, even though readings remain within normal boundaries. This scenario isn’t hypothetical, more hackers
are targeting the manufacturing industry. It experienced 26 per cent of all cyberattacks in
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