Maintenance Matters Focus on: Smart Maintenance 12 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk June/July 2025 Can maglev reduce manufacturing downtime? What really grinds manufacturers’ gears? Costly downtime and worn-out machinery. Maglev technology takes friction out of the equation, reducing the need for both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance activity. PWE looks at the long- and short-term benefits of maglev technology for maintenance engineering. Traditional manufacturing systems rely on mechanical bearings and rollers, which suffer from friction-induced damage over time. This ongoing degradation leads to breakdowns, frequent maintenance and costly replacements. Magnetic levitation (maglev) technology addresses these issues by using electromagnetic fields to suspend and transport objects without physical contact. By eliminating friction, maglev significantly reduces wear and tear on machinery. This results in longer lasting equipment operating with greater precision, while reducing maintenance requirements. In industries like steel production and aerospace manufacturing, where moving heavy components can compound this problem, this technology has proven to be a very valuable tool. Maglev in smart factories The rise of Industry 4.0 has led to the widespread adoption of IoT, AI and automation in smart factories. Maglev technology is becoming an integral part of this transition, offering seamless integration with softwaredriven manufacturing processes. One very important aspect of smart factories is an uninterrupted uptime. By minimising maintenance and cleaning needs, maglev systems ensure production runs smoothly. It also complements PC-based control solutions and IoT-based monitoring systems well, where predictive analytics can help prevent hardware failures before they occur.
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