As AI technology continues to streamline industrial processes, one of the most exciting applications has been the role the technology plays in eliminating machinery downtime. Downtime can be for a scheduled procedure, or an unexpected stoppage caused by an equipment malfunction. Failed equipment in your workflow affects performance. Equipment and machinery failures can disrupt production, and the resulting downtime is costly. By leveraging REA JET’s solutions for industrial coding and marking, product traceability, and process analysis, your operation can minimize manufacturing downtime you may experience due to equipment failure.
Modern Manufacturing Machine Maintenance
An ineffective maintenance program causes machinery failures, but an effective maintenance program can identify some of the friction points in your production ahead of time. Most equipment maintenance can be classified into three main sub-types:
- Reactive maintenance
- Planned maintenance
- Proactive maintenance
Reactive maintenance occurs only when breakdowns happen. Planned maintenance happens according to a predetermined schedule, whether a given part is broken or not. Without planned maintenance, equipment failures are often a consequence. Data-driven, proactive maintenance replaces parts based on past performance and the anticipated future workload. Folding in the current AI technology with proactive maintenance can vastly increase your manufacturing output, and predictive capabilities are actionable.
Using AI Proactively
In a connected operation, sensors, switches, and other applications can analyze hundreds of thousands of data points and gain insights that would have previously gone unnoticed. Real-time data processing can detect when machine systems are stressed and anticipate friction points before they become equipment failures.
Proper predictive maintenance minimizes breakdowns and maximizes system efficiency. Using these methods optimizes the timing of the manufacturing assets by requesting maintenance only when it’s necessary for machine operations. These systems also allow managers the flexibility to better monitor operations, whether on-site or from remote locations. But cutting-edge industrial AI technology isn’t limited to predictive maintenance–other applications this solution provides that may reduce downtime include:
- Scalability of floor operations
- Efficiency of warehouse operations
- Consistency of production
- Actionable data and analytics
- Predictive order processing
Proactively deploying AI in your manufacturing operations to minimize machinery downtime reaps other rewards as well.
Reduced Operation Costs
Unplanned downtime is a significant risk to your industrial operations. A recent study determined that industrial manufacturers lose more than $50 billion annually from unplanned factory downtime. Utilizing data gathering systems from your production floor assets can help alleviate some of this risk, but the raw data needs to be categorized and arranged in a way that makes sense with your operations. But it is a task well undertaken; recent research indicates that advanced analytics reduce overall downtime by as much as 50% while improving equipment life expectancy by 40%. Making your manufacturing operations more efficient and predictable will help reduce some of your unexpected downtimes, and can result in increased production.
As an exercise, look at current downtime inefficiencies and see where improvements can be made. Is there a gap in your production line due to printing inefficiencies? Many times, two ineffective printing technologies can be replaced by a single coding and marking solution. Examples such as these can cut overall costs, boost operational efficiency, and increase reliability, through the proper deployment of these replacement technologies. See if you have any obvious examples in your production line.
Maintenance-Free Coding and Marking
If your operation uses paper, carton, and corrugated materials, REA JET solutions allow for accurate identification and gapless traceability through contact-free coding and marking. REA JET technology applies marking and codes to allow for product traceability in addition to process analysis. By leveraging this valuable data, efficiency can be improved, errors may be avoided, and output can be increased as you watch your costs go down. This is just one example of implementing the latest technology to eliminate costly machinery downtime.