Machinery is the foundation of the manufacturing industry which employs over 15.5 million people in the United States alone. It’s one of the most significant sectors in countries around the world, and consistently ranks in the top 10 US industries with the largest GDP contribution.
Monitoring the equipment to ensure everything is operating optimally is vital to economic success and stability as well as a key safety measure. Find out more about the use of sensors in monitoring machinery and how they help to safeguard the manufacturing industry.
Machine monitoring systems
All major manufacturing equipment should be fitted with machine monitoring systems. These are sensor-led, tracking fluctuating factors like temperature to assess the health of the equipment.
Examples include vibration sensors which help to identify issues at an early stage to prevent mechanical faults and humidity and pressure detectors which warn of an overloaded system.
These sensors can be connected wirelessly to computers, tablets and smartphones and a cloud-based storage system for advanced data management for anyone, anytime, anywhere.
Benefits of machine monitoring
There are many benefits of machine monitoring to the manufacturing industry. Most importantly, it helps to ensure a safe working environment with minimal risks and uninterrupted functionality.
Safety
Firstly, small changes and variations in machine performance are often invisible to the naked eye. This means that it’s all too easy for problems to go unnoticed, especially in busy and loud factory environments. Site managers and workers can rely on sensors to ensure equipment is working correctly at all times.
Secondly, sensors allow for 24/7 monitoring of machinery with real-time alerts and the option of alarms. This means that problems can be identified and solved quickly, even when the factory is unoccupied. In this way, sensor-led systems help prevent serious malfunctions which could result in unplanned downtime, possible injury and damage to the factory and other equipment.
Optimisation
In addition to safety aspects, machine monitoring systems also make it easier for companies to optimise their operations. In an industry where time is money, this is essential to success.
The data gathered from the sensors in these systems reveals any inconsistencies with equipment performance from lags and leaks to software glitches. Analysing this data enables businesses to identify opportunities for improvement to streamline performance and increase productivity and profits.
This data will also indicate when machinery has experienced too much wear and tear to work properly and is ready to be replaced.
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