Buyers Guide 2021

16 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk Annual Buyers’ Guide 2021 Maintenance Matters Focus on: Remote Maintenance R eports into the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on the manufacturing sector make for sobering reading. Make UK’s October Manufacturing Monitor reveals that the share of firms who expect to be at 100% of their pre-COVID operating level by the end of this year currently stands at just over a quarter (25.6%), a slight decrease on the previous month. The challenges of this year have forced many companies to re-evaluate their operational procedures and seek any opportunities to optimise productivity and reduce costs as we head into 2021 with hope, if not certainty, that a corner will soon be turned. To those taking stock, I would strongly advise that they look closely at their condition based maintenance (CBM) programme and consider the many benefits it can bring, not least in the ability to remotely monitor and maintain operations at a time of crisis. Increase reliability, reduced downtime When it comes to CBM, digital technology will always outperform the traditional ‘pencil and clipboard’ approach. The combination of wireless technology and sensors, along with constantly evolving Cloud and Edge computing solutions, is making the industrial Internet of things (IIoT) a reality which should no longer be ignored. Importantly, this technology is becoming not only more readily available, but also more affordable. Data storage as a service has now become mainstream and in most cases is a more cost-effective, secure and reliable solution than a traditional onsite server model. A 21st century web-based CBM system allows data to be collected from assets, whether using a traditional wired collector, routine data collector or a wireless sensor, and stored safely, consistently and comprehensively in the cloud. Advanced web-hosted CBM systems are able to efficiently collate a wide range of information and measurements, such as vibration, thermal imaging, oil analysis, or simply pictures from Digital condition monitoring technology has enabled manufacturers to embed proactive condition based maintenance approaches into their operations, improving reliability, reducing downtime and delivering swift return on investment. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how cloud-based CM systems can bring additional benefits not previously considered, says Frédéric Thomas*. Digital condition monitoring: Making remote working workable