Robotization of production as a challenge for maintenance departments

Robotization is increasingly transforming the face of modern industrial plants. Automated assembly lines, welding robots, and autonomous forklifts are becoming standard. Their presence forces a redefinition of roles and responsibilities in maintenance departments. This also places new demands on employee competencies. What does this look like? In addition to traditional mechanics and electromechanics, the role of programming, diagnostics, advanced control systems, and data analysis is growing. With this, the importance of support offered by IT tools, particularly CMMS systems , is growing .

New competencies in the era of robotization

Introducing robots into factories is an investment not only in equipment but also in human capital. Today, maintenance technicians must master robotic controller programming languages, understand the principles of robot kinematics, and more. This also includes the ability to read advanced electro-hydraulic and pneumatic diagrams. Previous work, such as lubricating gears or replacing bearings, is now supplemented by tasks such as operating HIM panels and network interfaces.

These challenges mean that maintenance teams require training in industrial robotics. That’s not all. Basic knowledge of automation and production IT systems is also essential. Collaboration between programmers and mechanics is becoming commonplace. Simultaneously, seamless communication between departments is becoming increasingly important – it’s key to quickly restoring production lines in the event of a breakdown.

Diagnostics and data analysis: The foundation of preventive maintenance

What characterizes modern robots? Their equipment is certainly worth considering. The design of such devices often incorporates numerous sensors. They can monitor parameters such as motor temperature, component load, or vibration of individual joints. What else? All of this data is collected in real time, allowing for very early detection of any deviations from the norm. This provides significant support for the maintenance team. Based on such solutions, preventive maintenance can be effectively implemented, which is based on predicting failures before they even occur. The result? Greater control over maintenance activities, fewer downtimes, and fewer production delays.

It’s also worth noting that industrial robots can be supported by various software. Examples include the implementation of SCADA systems or the integration of IIoT platforms with a CMMS system. What are the benefits? These include the ability to analyze component wear trends and automatically generate notifications about irregularities. This allows technicians to schedule service interventions at a convenient time, preventing sudden production line shutdowns.

Planning inspections in CMMS

How does CMMS connect with robotics? A CMMS system primarily plays a central role in coordinating maintenance activities on robots. What does this look like? A CMMS allows, for example, defining preventive maintenance schedules, assigning tasks to specific devices, and monitoring their completion. This is particularly important given the growing number of robots in production. The more robots there are, the more difficult it is to manually manage maintenance schedules. Therefore, digital support is essential – and CMMS provides this.

CMMS allows, among other things, precise time or hourly intervals for robot operation before the next maintenance. The system generates service tasks well in advance and notifies technicians. Furthermore, CMMS ensures that key components—e.g., gears, cables, housings, and covers—are inspected and replaced according to the established schedule.

Monitoring the technical condition of robots and reporting

How can you ensure effective maintenance in robotic production? This is an environment where the operator’s role is somewhat smaller than with a traditional approach. However, the crucial role of monitoring and reporting cannot be overlooked. Continuous monitoring of key robot operating parameters is essential. How does this work? CMMS software can collect data from diagnostic systems and sensors to trigger alerts when specified values are exceeded. This will provide invaluable support for both ongoing machine monitoring and potential repairs.

CMMS can also generate a variety of reports. These, in turn, allow for the analysis of metrics such as MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) and MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) for individual robots. These analyses provide the basis for optimizing maintenance strategies. They indicate which machines require more frequent attention and reveal areas for improvement. Importantly, potential improvements don’t have to involve the robots themselves—they could also involve, for example, staff training or a change in the supplier of consumables.

Robots in Production – Safety Challenges

Industrial robots – especially those collaborating with humans – bring additional health and safety requirements. Maintenance departments must therefore not only ensure the mechanical and electronic functionality of machines. They must also ensure that safety systems – light barriers, presence sensors, and pressure mats – are properly calibrated and tested. CMMS once again comes to the rescue in this area. The system allows for storing safety test procedures, recording the results of safety system inspections, and assigning responsibility to specific employees. This ensures efficient health and safety audits. Documentation remains up-to-date and accessible both on the workstation and in the mobile app.

Manufacturing of the Future: Training and Development of the UR Team

Robotization doesn’t mean there’s no need for technicians. Human operators are still needed, but their role is constantly evolving. Therefore, it’s crucial to prepare an appropriate training plan. Their curriculum should be designed with modern, robotic production in mind. It should cover topics such as robot programming, industrial network diagnostics, measurement signal analysis, and CMMS operation. What are the results? This will allow advanced technologies to truly deliver the expected benefits. A CMMS can also support this process by recording training history, tracking credentials, and reminding users to renew certificates.

There’s no doubt that the use of robots and cobots (collaborative robots) in industry will continue to grow over time. Predictive and proactive maintenance is also becoming increasingly important. Such a production environment clearly requires a proactive approach. Solutions like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms are here to help. AI/ML allows for the analysis of massive datasets generated by robots and the prediction of failures even further in advance.

This, in turn, poses further challenges for maintenance departments. These include the need to understand the principles of AI model operation and the ability to interpret prediction results. Integrating this information with a CMMS system is also crucial. The production facility of the future is an environment of tightly connected systems, where automatic generation of service orders is already standard. The technician’s role will evolve again – this time towards an analyst and coordinator of service activities.

Robotization in production – a challenge and an opportunity

Robotic production isn’t just a challenge. Above all, it’s a huge opportunity to improve the efficiency and flexibility of industrial processes. Maintenance departments with advanced skills—from robot programming to diagnostic data analysis—are becoming a key element of the plant. They can also utilize CMMS support to more effectively ensure the trouble-free operation of automated lines.

Proper CMMS training and support not only allows for the rapid resolution of faults but also for the anticipation of potential failures and the scheduling of maintenance at the optimal time. This, in turn, translates into minimized downtime, lower operating costs, and better utilization of human and material resources. As a result, companies gain a real competitive advantage, building their position on a solid foundation of reliability, safety, and continuous improvement of production processes.