Data is the cornerstone of successful manufacturing, offering opportunities for significant improvements and profitability. With digital technologies enabling real-time machine monitoring, you can gain unprecedented visibility into your operations. This guide will offer comprehensive insights into machine monitoring, its implementation, and how it can deliver value to your industrial assets. 

Continue reading to unlock the potential of your machine data and transform your manufacturing processes.

What is Machine Monitoring?

Machine monitoring in manufacturing involves the use of sensors to gather data from essential equipment in your process, particularly the constraints. This method offers real-time visibility into your operations, paving the way for improvements across all levels. Coupling data collection with machine monitoring software transforms real-time data into historical analytics, providing a wealth of actionable insights about your manufacturing processes.

This includes comprehensive OEE and TEEP loss metrics and identifies areas for impactful enhancements. With recent advancements in technology, sensors have become more affordable, edge devices more adaptable, and connectivity stronger, enabling more parameters to be tracked and more value to be created than ever before.

What Exactly is a Machine Monitoring System?

Machine monitoring systems essentially translate machine data into understandable information through software solutions. These solutions can range from cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), or even systems housed within your organization’s own IT infrastructure. 

For manufacturers whose machines operate on standard network-based protocols like OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture), initiating this process is as simple as having an ethernet connection. With plug-and-play machine monitoring software, you have all the tools at your disposal to track, store, and analyze your machine data seamlessly.

Sensors, Edge Devices, and Gateways in Manufacturing

In manufacturing, especially with analog machines, brownfield transformations, or substantial projects, the need for basic hardware components is common. These elements, such as sensors and devices, are key to creating and turning machine performance into data. Many manufacturers still use durable analog machines from before the digital age. These machines, while reliable, don’t have built-in internet connectivity.

They might even communicate using proprietary, outdated, or non-standard protocols. Addressing these issues may involve installing cost-effective industrial sensors and edge devices for data transmission, storage, and analysis. Gateways might also be used for gathering data from several machines, connecting with IoT devices, or setting up parameters and programs to filter out relevant signals from noise.

Real-time Insights and Predictive Analytics

Machine data’s value is tied to its accessibility for analysis, hence monitoring systems often include databases, no-code tables, and dashboards. These systems’ standout feature is the production dashboard, offering a real-time snapshot of each machine’s status and metrics.

Many managers and engineers want immediate insights into their operations, such as active programs, parts produced, progress of runs, and uptime/downtime metrics.

Others desire detailed time-series data to support their business intelligence and data science teams, enabling the use of machine learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and predictive analytics.

With machine monitoring, one can manage the entire factory from a single screen, while also having the option to dig deeper into specific machine data.

Configurable Manufacturing Applications

Machine data is undeniably vital, but it should serve as a foundation rather than the ultimate goal.

This is where the role of applications becomes significant. Manufacturing applications installed directly on machines, such as digital work instructions for changeovers, SMED, and human-centric process visibility, take your machine monitoring to the next level. These tools don’t just monitor the machine; they provide control over the surrounding processes, fostering a human-centric approach to machine-based operations.

How Does Machine Monitoring Work?

Machine monitoring in manufacturing involves employing sensors to gather data from key equipment throughout the production process. This systematic recording of condition data aims to evaluate the performance and efficiency of each machine, often through the installation of internet-enabled sensors. The captured data undergoes transformation and contextualization at the edge, providing a secure, scalable technique for converting raw data into actionable insights.

Strategic Decision-Making in Manufacturing: The Role of the Plant Manager

Not only does the plant manager ensure that all data-driven tech is running smoothly, but they also delve into system metrics to make strategic decisions that boost productivity and cut downtime.

During planning, they need to review high-level business objectives to identify crucial manufacturing KPIs. They might ask: «Which KPI, if improved, would have the biggest business impact?»

They set rules for the machine monitoring system too, such as:

• Recording reasons for each downtime event
• Noting any downtime over 15 minutes
• Tracking changeover time from the last to the first good piece

Once live, their focus shifts to top-tier KPIs like OEE and TEEP. But it’s not just about values – trends in these KPIs are key to gauge improvement pace and adjust strategies if needed.

The Importance of Line Supervisors

Line Supervisors are crucial in implementing and maintaining the machine monitoring process. They ensure that the data collected from each machine aligns with the operational expectations and standards. Supervisors also play an essential role in identifying and rectifying any discrepancies or issues that might arise, thus ensuring the smooth operation of the production line.

The Role of Plant Floor Operators

Plant Floor Operators are at the frontline of machine monitoring. They work directly with the machines and their associated monitoring applications. Operators are responsible for observing and reporting any anomalies or faults in the machine’s performance. They also provide human-centric insights, which, when combined with machine data, can lead to a comprehensive understanding of overall operational efficiency.

Advantages and Benefits of Machine Monitoring

Machine monitoring offers a lot of benefits that enhance productivity, reduce errors, and improve efficiency. Here are some key advantages:

• Objective Measurements: Manual measurements can be prone to error and subjectivity. Machine monitoring provides an objective gauge of machine performance.
• Instant Notifications: Machine monitoring systems don’t just passively gather data. They can be set up to alert managers or technicians when a certain threshold is crossed, preventing unnecessary machine damage and reducing unplanned downtime.
• Refined Maintenance Schedules: The data gathered can help fine-tune maintenance schedules. By tracking part and machine lifecycle, repairs can be scheduled based on actual wear-and-tear, eliminating guesswork.
• Greater Efficiency: Machine monitoring provides the necessary information to balance production lines and time production runs. This can help eliminate bottlenecks and optimize production schedules.
• Accurate Inventory and Resource Tracking: By measuring input, output, and energy consumption, you can refine your Just-in-Time manufacturing schedules and minimize waste.
• No Manual Data Entry: Manual data entry is both time-consuming and error-prone. Machine monitoring automates data collection, providing a reliable source of truth for operations.
• Simplified Performance Reporting: Machine monitoring consolidates data in an easily accessible location, simplifying the analysis process by eliminating the need to pull, compile, and clean data from multiple sources.
• Data-Driven Shop Floor Culture: A data-driven culture is a crucial factor behind successful projects. Machine monitoring encourages everyone on the shop floor to consult data at every stage of the manufacturing process.

Why is Machine Monitoring Important?

Machine monitoring is a crucial aspect of modern manufacturing processes. It’s not just about keeping an eye on your machines – it’s about leveraging data to drive productivity, efficiency, and innovation. Here’s why it matters:

• Building a Data-Driven Foundation: Machine monitoring creates a rich foundation of data, continuously collecting information for pattern recognition, potential issue identification, and informed decision making.
• Real-Time Accuracy and Objectivity: A significant benefit of machine monitoring is its real-time, accurate data generation. This ensures an up-to-date view of machine performance, free from human bias or error.
• Empowering Decisions with Confidence: Machine monitoring equips your team with reliable, objective data, enabling confident decision-making. Whether it’s preemptive problem-solving or identifying efficiency opportunities, machine monitoring empowers your team.
• Enhancing Value through Integration: Machine monitoring isn’t standalone in its value – it enhances other systems and processes too. For instance, integrating it with your ERP system can provide a comprehensive view of operations, aiding optimization across areas like scheduling and inventory management.
• Getting Started with Machine Monitoring: Starting with machine monitoring involves identifying needs and goals, choosing a system that aligns with these, and then implementing it. The ideal system integrates seamlessly into your operations, provides the necessary data, and is user-friendly. Implementation, team training, and leveraging data for continuous improvement are the next steps.

What You Should Do Next

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