Automation of production and the role of maintenance

Production automation is the leitmotif of the last decades of industrial development. Activities in this area have also become a key element of the strategy of many companies belonging to this sector – thanks to them, it is possible to increase efficiency, production precision and market competitiveness. In the context of the growing use of advanced automation systems, robotics and information technologies, the role of maintenance is also growing – in order to ensure the continuity and efficiency of production, it is worth relying on modern solutions, such as CMMS systems .

Changes in the area of ​​maintenance in the context of industrial automation

There is no doubt that automation brings many benefits to industry – from improving the efficiency of operations, through increasing the repeatability and standard of product execution, to reducing operating costs. It is also worth emphasizing the transformation of the role of maintenance . Until relatively recently, a reactive approach dominated, based on solving failures after the fact – thanks to new technologies, however, it is possible to effectively manage the reliability of machines and control systems in a proactive manner. The need for such maintenance methods is also associated with the high use of automation in production lines, where robots, PLC controllers and intelligent systems manage almost every part of the process. For this reason, not only advanced maintenance strategies are needed , but also effective ways of planning activities . In this context, CMMS systems (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems) play a key role, which allow for effective management of technical data, planning service schedules and analyzing failures.

The importance of maintenance in modern industry

It is worth bearing in mind that in traditional industrial plants, maintenance focused mainly on service interventions and ad hoc failure removal . However, such an approach is not sufficient in modern, automated production systems. In such an environment, any machine stoppage can result in production downtime, and consequently – serious financial consequences. It is necessary to take into account the risk that a failure of one of the robots can cause a domino effect , stopping subsequent stages of production and leading to delays in deliveries. In such a situation, effective maintenance is no longer limited to reacting to failures – tasks such as strategic planning of inspections, analysis of data on the technical condition of machines and implementation of predictive maintenance methods play an important role .

Automation and maintenance – challenges

While implementing modern automation systems undoubtedly brings a number of benefits, it also means that maintenance teams must face some new challenges . One of them is the change in technician competencies – unlike traditional maintenance methods, which focused almost exclusively on mechanical components of machines, maintenance activities now also include diagnostics of electronic systems, software and advanced control systems .

In addition, there is the problem of integrating different technologies from different suppliers . It is rare for a plant to use solutions from only one manufacturer – production processes can be carried out using, for example, industrial robots from one brand and PLC controllers from another company. However, in such conditions, it is more difficult to develop a uniform maintenance management system, and its absence can lead to delays in service responses, incorrect diagnoses or inefficient use of resources. Another important challenge is the shortage of specialists – effective maintenance in the era of automation requires the employment of highly qualified technical staff who can not only diagnose mechanical faults, but also analyze data generated by IoT systems, interpret sensor alerts and implement maintenance management software.

The Role of CMMS Systems in Addressing the Challenges of Maintenance in an Automated Plant

The growing automation of the industry means both significant improvement in various aspects of the operation of manufacturing companies, as well as several new challenges along with the need to adapt the operation of other areas of the plant’s functioning. The recommended way to deal with these solutions is CMMS systems – with this type of software, you can count on full control over the technical infrastructure, which allows you to eliminate various potential problems related to maintaining traffic in an automated plant.

What features does CMMS offer? One of the most important is the centralization of information about the condition of machines, along with the collection of data from IoT sensors . Using them, the system allows for ongoing monitoring of technical parameters, which may include, for example, temperature, vibration or energy consumption – depending on the specifics of a given device. Based on this data, the software can then generate recommendations for maintenance activities, thereby eliminating the need for manual management of the condition of machines.

Another important feature is automatic maintenance scheduling . In an automated production environment, each machine should have a specific work cycle that should be considered when planning maintenance activities. CMMS can analyze the current load of machines along with their criticality to the production process to prepare fully optimized maintenance schedules . This allows maintenance to be carried out at the right times, e.g. when production lines are less busy.

CMMS in maintenance, i.e. minimizing downtime and optimizing costs

It is worth remembering that downtime in automated production generates huge costs. Even a single hour of downtime in the process can mean significant losses for the company – to minimize them, it is worth implementing a predictive maintenance strategy using a CMMS system . This is a significant change from the traditional maintenance model, in which machines are serviced according to a set schedule – regardless of their actual technical condition. CMMS, thanks to the use of data from IoT sensors, allows instead to determine the exact moment when a given machine requires inspection . This is the basis of predictive maintenance – in this way you can avoid both unnecessary service interventions and sudden failures that can cause downtime.

In addition, it should be emphasized that cost optimization is another area in which CMMS systems play an important role. Appropriate spare parts management together with the elimination of excessive costs related to unnecessary inspections are therefore a real chance to reduce maintenance expenses. In addition, there is also better organization of the work of technical teams , which, thanks to CMMS, gain insight into both the current condition of machines and planned maintenance or service activities.

CMMS integration with other systems – full operational control in an automated industrial environment

In order to fully utilize the potential of CMMS systems in automated production, more and more plants are also deciding to integrate this type of software with other management systems. Depending on the needs of a given company, these can be solutions such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), MES (Manufacturing Execution System) or SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) . Each of these systems focuses on different areas related to production, which also poses different integration challenges. In each case, however, the combination of these technologies allows for the creation of a comprehensive, efficient environment for managing production operations, in which reliable data from various areas is available in real time.

Integrating CMMS with ERP can help you achieve greater efficiency in managing your company’s resources , including purchasing spare parts and analyzing maintenance costs. Connecting to MES systems enables dynamic adjustment of maintenance schedules based on the actual load of machines and the characteristics of production cycles. SCADA, in turn, provides ongoing, centralized monitoring of equipment operating parameters – any deviations from the norm can then automatically generate orders in the CMMS system.

The Future of Maintenance in Production Automation

The level of automation advancement is still growing – currently, the greatest development can be seen in the area of ​​AI, machine learning algorithms and intelligent sensors. As a result, the importance of CMMS systems in maintenance management is also growing. The future of such solutions will probably focus on full integration with ERP, MES or IoT platforms , enabling even more precise monitoring of machine operation and adjustment of maintenance schedules.

Modern automation and maintenance

Automation in manufacturing has long been changing the way industry operates, and it is also changing the role of maintenance. In modern industrial plants, effective maintenance management is no longer just a matter of reacting to failures – it is a complex, strategic process that is crucial to the continuity and efficiency of production . A solid CMMS system should be the foundation of this process – we invite you to contact QRmaint representatives to learn more.