Today's plant automation systems provide transparent monitoring of system status, plus tools such as condition monitoring or predictive maintenance – all help to reduce unscheduled downtime. However, what about brownfield installations with legacy equipment? Hartmut Pütz* and Thomas Lantermann** report.
Spidex Software has announced that IMI Truflo Marine has selected Mainsaver CMMS to support improved maintenance management processes at its factory in Birmingham, UK. PWE reports.
Clare Darlison, director of Idhammar Systems explains why manufacturers must take digital maturity seriously and how they can work towards achieving it.
When a damaged steam turbine rotor needed to be repaired, a power generation plant in Indonesia turned to Sulzer. Rather than wait for at least a year for a new rotor from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the plant opted for a repair that took only sixteen weeks. This quick and effective repair also managed to achieve an 8% improvement in efficiency.
Richard Chamberlain of Bosch Rexroth discusses, taking a proactive approach to maintenance is key to maximising uptime – something that can be supported by digital solutions in today’s Industry 4.0 landscape.
Mitsubishi Electric has introduced a new app for iOS tablets and smartphones that provides convenient commissioning, maintenance, troubleshooting, parameterisation and monitoring support for the company’s FR-F800E and FR-A800E inverters. Available from the Apple App Store, the Inverter StartApp addresses modern requirements to glean more information from manufacturing processes, with easier accessibility, and to be able to act on that information in a timely and convenient manner.
Thomas Boswell, ERIKS’ reliability engineering manager, examines how digital industrialisation is transforming MRO and underpinning proactive asset management strategies.
Bonded shrink fit assemblies not only enhance the service life of an assembly but pave the way for new design concepts and cost savings. Higher load transmission can be obtained from existing designs and geometries and there’s the potential for equal performance with relaxed tolerances and the reduction in size and weight of the assembly. Bob Orme, senior technology specialist, reports.
A family owned precision engineering company in Coventry has achieved a 10% increase in its forward order book and has made double-digit productivity gains with the help of experts from the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
Threaded assemblies are the most important detachable parts used in machinery construction, installation and repair. Relaxation of tension and self-loosening is common for any machine but when it is operating in harsh environments, the need to minimise this deterioration with effective thread locking is even more important. Various methods are available but what are their respective strengths and failings?
Standard components specialist norelem has launched a new range of oil level gauges that can help engineers and manufacturers steer clear of dangerous situations involving oil.
Gernut van Laak, group automation solutions leader of ABB's Food and Beverage Programme, explains how plant managers can budget for maintenance and ensure optimum efficiency for all processes.
Ensuring rubber compounder mills capable of operating with bulk weighing up to three tons could stop within 1/6th of a revolution and reverse to meet European EN safety standards was going to be a challenge for materials specialist Clwyd Compounders.
PWE provides some insight into how preventative and actual maintenance is done with smart VSDs.
At Swedish pulp mill Södra Cell Värö, condition monitoring has long been a well-integrated and successful part of preventive maintenance. The mill is now making further investments in condition monitoring and has chosen the high-performance and highly flexible online system Intellinova Parallel EN to maximize the availability of the pulp drying machine.
It's a simple fact that data makes the modern economy turn. Being the first business to act on insights gained from pivotal pieces of information gives businesses a distinct competitive advantage. However, it's also quickly becoming a fact that the same data is being targeted by skilled cybercriminals intent on causing damage to infrastructure. Robin Whitehead (pictured), managing director of systems integrator Boulting Technology, explains how this is impacting the role of the chief information security officer (CISO) and resulting in the need for end-to-end digitalisation.
Companies have become increasingly reliant on the security and continuity of their power supply. Simone Bruckner, managing director of power resistor and load bank manufacturer Cressall Resistors, explains why regular load bank testing should be a crucial part of any company’s standby strategy.
Muntons Malt, one of the UK’s largest producers of malted barley has chosen the Smart Condition Monitoring (SCM) system from Mitsubishi Electric to protect fans and motors vital to its large-scale and sensitive production process. PWE reports.
Zip World turned to Turck Banner for its system requirements. The company’s range of products, designed to last in harsh environments, matched its client’s needs where safety is paramount.
Industrial plant operators are increasingly supporting better decision-making by using the digitalisation capabilities available through instrumentation and plant management systems. Saverio Barbero Lodigiani and David Lincoln for ABB Measurement and Analytics in the UK, explain how these capabilities can help to boost plant and process performance by providing the data needed for smarter operation and maintenance.
Nick Boughton, digital lead at leading systems integrator Boulting Technology, examines how AR can be used across the manufacturing industry.
A steel producer has installed a condition monitoring solution from Schaeffler to help prevent unscheduled stoppages to its critical furnace deflection rolls. PWE reports.
Nick Boughton (pictured), digital lead at Boulting Technology, explains how AR and VR are re-defining plant maintenance.
Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director at EU Automation, explains the technology that manufacturers can use to improve MRO in their facilities.
The answer to this month’s trouble shooter is provided by MISTRAS Group Ltd.
Rockwell Automation has updated its HMI software to equip industrial workers with better information to run and maintain their systems. New features in the FactoryTalk View software version 10.0 include greater access to information, new mobile device support and better cross-software integration to improve productivity.`
Dave Dyer, technical sales engineer at Global Heat Transfer, explains how a detailed understanding of a heat transfer system can help manufacturers maintain efficiency and prevent costly downtime.
Sean Robinson, service leader at industrial analytics platform supplier Novotek UK & Ireland, explains how plant managers can make proactive maintenance even more effective with machine learning.
A host of senior engineering professionals will be taking part in the Insights keynote theatre at this year’s Maintec Exhibition in November to discuss and debate the latest challenges influencing maintenance engineering. PWE reports.
It’s widely understood that improving the efficiency of equipment and processes will make a business more competitive and reduce operational costs. However, this is easier said than done, as identifying the areas that need improving can be challenging — especially in sugar plants, where many managers have grown accustomed to high energy usage and carbon emission levels. PWE reports.
Nick Boughton, sales manager at leading systems integrator Boulting Technology, explains how AR and VR are re-defining plant maintenance.
Muntons Malt, one of the UK’s largest producers of malted barley has chosen the Smart Condition Monitoring (SCM) system from Mitsubishi Electric to protect fans and motors vital to its large-scale and sensitive production process. PWE reports.
The answer to this month’s trouble shooter is supplied by FLIR Systems.
Nick Boughton, digital lead at systems integrator Boulting Technology explains how plants with legacy equipment can retrospectively upgrade their facility to a smart factory.
Stefan Reuther, chief sales officer at COPA-DATA, explains how to leverage predictive analytics to reduce factory downtime and increase business competitiveness.
Over the past five years, the industrial sector has begun to see the value in digitalisation and has invested more in adopting it. With this has come a cultural shift from reactive equipment maintenance to proactive maintenance that pre-empts problems. Sean Robinson, service leader at industrial analytics platform supplier Novotek UK & Ireland reports.
Developments in smart instrumentation and asset management systems are offering a raft of new opportunities for industrial process operators. Providing real-time access to an expanded array of information, these developments can help to dramatically improve process performance. PWE looks at the key developments that have taken place and the benefits they can bring in a process environment.
Phil Taylor Associate Consultant, MCP Consulting Group, looks at maintenance software strategies.
Europe's biggest conference on maintenance & asset management returns to Antwerp, Belgium between September 24-27. PWE reports.
Flowmeter technology has made some significant steps in the past few years. While the traditional mechanical systems have remained relatively unchanged, the development of ultrasonic, sonar and magnetic systems has progressed significantly.
As more companies move to a predictive model of equipment maintenance, they are looking for ways to use connected devices to improve field service. George Walker, managing director of field service management software provider Novotek UK and Ireland, explains how the Internet of Things (IoT) is changing field service.
Marc Heggemann, head of group commercial digital solutions at Sulzer, says that the future lies in gaining insight from the available data, and ensuring we have the right information at the right place at the right time. PWE takes a look at the company’s BLUE BOX advanced remote analytics platform.
Q: Several heat treatment processes are available for gears, what’s the difference between them? The answer to this month’s trouble shooter question is provided by Dennis Lawson, gear expert with R. A. Rodriguez.
A manufacturer of sheet metal assemblies recently sought a solution to short lifespan issues with the drive and guide elements on its automated welding systems. In fact, the linear guides for a robotic welding gun on one particular production line had to be replaced every two or three months. Due to the cost of replacement parts and maintenance time, as well as equipment downtime, the company asked NSK to investigate and provide a proposal to address the problem.-Image1.jpeg - Linear guides in robotic welding systems are subject to harsh operating conditions
Highland Spring, supplier of natural source bottled spring water, has selected Spidex’s Mainsaver CMMS, to support best-practice maintenance at its plant in Blackford, Perthshire. PWE takes a closer look.
Behind the drawn factory doors of facilities across Europe and with the continuing march towards Industry 4.0, humans are working safely alongside a new kind of colleague; one that is stronger, faster and more efficient than ever before: collaborative robots. PWE takes a look at how to choose the right bearing for this new automation application.
For manufacturers interested in harnessing Industry 4.0, condition monitoring is often a quick win. It can reduce downtime, extend the lifetime of equipment, and improve Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Like Industry 4.0, however, it is also in danger of becoming yet another “buzzword” that is mentioned frequently, but not understood. David Manning-Ohren, condition monitoring manager at ERIKS UK, sheds some light on how to implement condition monitoring effectively, regardless of the business or the budget.
Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete industrial equipment supplier, EU Automation, shares his vision for a downtime free age.
David Hannaby, SICK’s UK product manager for Presence Detection takes a look at why sensors are the building blocks of Industry 4.0.
