{"id":5938,"date":"2022-02-09T18:03:39","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T18:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vikinganalytics.se\/?p=5938"},"modified":"2023-03-28T09:27:44","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T09:27:44","slug":"creating-an-asset-monitoring-center-for-small-and-medium-manufacturing-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vikinganalytics.se\/creating-an-asset-monitoring-center-for-small-and-medium-manufacturing-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating an asset monitoring center for small and medium manufacturing companies"},"content":{"rendered":"

The term manufacturing company normally brings to mind images of large industrial plants with thousands of workers. However, small family-owned businesses make up the largest proportion of the sector.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to\u00a0<\/span>AMT \u2013 The Association for Manufacturing Technology<\/span><\/a>, 97% of the manufacturing firms in the United States have less than 500 employees, and 73% have less than 20 employees. Similar numbers are also seen in Canada, where\u00a0<\/span>Plant Magazine<\/span><\/a>\u00a0reports that 60% of all small and medium manufacturing companies (SMMs), including industrial service providers (i.e., OEMs and maintenance companies) are also family-owned. In fact, SMMs play an important role in economies all over the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the reasons for their success rely directly on the dynamics of being small and family-owned, the same is true for the challenges they face. Michael P. Collins, a manufacturing consultant,\u00a0<\/span>explains<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that one of the main hurdles for SMMs is resource limitation, using the acronym FACTS to summarize it:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cF \u2013 Fear of making a wrong decision<\/span><\/i>
\nA \u2013 Limited access to capital<\/span><\/i>
\nC \u2013 Cash flow problems<\/span><\/i>
\nT \u2013 Time constraints<\/span><\/i>
\nS \u2013 Small or no staff\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Collins also says that small manufacturers are just not smaller versions of large manufacturers, therefore, solutions devised and successfully applied to giant manufacturers cannot simply be offered in a smaller size. In India, a\u00a0<\/span>survey<\/span><\/a>\u00a0showed that family businesses were more reluctant in adopting new manufacturing technologies, citing \u201cnon-availability of trained personnel, incompatibility with the companies\u2019 existing set-up, and limitations of the existing technology\u201d as reasons for it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, in the context of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, how can these small companies also get the benefits of increased operational equipment efficiency (OEE), as improved uptime and productivity, without losing sight of their particularities?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Easy access to quality hardware<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the FACTS chart in hand, we already know that buying new machinery to become Industry 4.0 compatible is out of the question, either because of limited access to capital or sensibility to wrong decisions. Fortunately, gone are the times when quality hardware was expensive. As technology becomes widespread and vibration sensors reach a lower price point, almost everyone will have access to decent-quality hardware. The other elements of online condition monitoring ecosystem, like data storage and transmission, are also becoming more accessible.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Open ecosystems for flexibility<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the benefits of good hardware to SMMs can be lost if they necessarily come attached to data storage and analytics plans that are either too expensive or oversized to their needs. Software that requires data scientists, or experts in signal processing, or\u00a0that has excess false alarms is simply not going to be used.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is now apparent that the preferred solutions are those that enable their vibration specialist (either in-house or a trusted supplier) to answer simple questions: \u201cwhich machines need to be prioritized?\u201d and \u201cwhat should be done with them?\u201d. They also have to be compatible with different models of sensors. We have made a commitment to open ecosystems in Industrial IoT,\u00a0<\/span>click here to read more about it<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Workflow that doesn\u2019t eliminate industrial specialists<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reliability or maintenance or condition monitoring specialists are an asset for any industrial service company, but SMMs are even more reliant on them. They create long and close relationships with their professionals, in which deep knowledge of the machines and processes are developed. An AI or analytics solution can\u2019t simply propose replacing these specialists. It should instead enable them to optimize their work routine while keeping the diagnostics and the recommendations in their hands.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Workflow
Workflow for asset monitoring center for small and medium manufacturing companies, from data collection to maintenance decisions.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keep it simple<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SMMs\u2019 resources and personnel are mostly dedicated to their core business, and everything else must aim at taking burdens off their backs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n