With IoT sensors, machines can tell you how they are doing and contribute to reliable production. MaintMaster wants to make this technology available to more people and has developed an all-in-one solution for data-driven maintenance.
Manufacturing companies that increase the proportion of preventive maintenance and minimise immediate corrective interventions can reap several benefits, not least increased reliability and lower maintenance costs. Achieving this requires data collection.
This spring, MaintMaster launched internet of things (IoT) sensors connected to its market-leading maintenance system. The information collected by the sensors is sent directly to the maintenance software.
"IoT technology in maintenance is nothing new, but it has previously required complex integrations between the maintenance system and sensors from a third-party vendor. Now we are providing the entire market with a seamless all-in-one solution," says Henrik Hagdorn, Head of Sales at MaintMaster.
Plug-and-play sensors
The sensors can be advantageously installed in hard-to-reach or dangerous places in production, where it is difficult for people to do manual inspections. A ceiling fan system is one example.
Once in place, the sensors collect data that is sent home to the maintenance system. The system visualises this data and can also create work orders in case of deviations if so-called "triggers" are set. For example, a certain temperature may indicate that a shutdown is imminent.
Nowadays, we don't bother with a stick to check the oil in the car because the car itself tells us when it's time to top up. In the same way, the machines can be connected and tell us how they are doing," says Henrik Hagdorn.
Colleague Jon Lindholm, Chief Marketing Officer, adds: "Our plug-and-play sensors make it possible to upgrade even an old machine fleet. It's a simple step any company can take," he says.
