Predictive maintenance in times of Industry 4.0

For Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the measure of all things. But what exactly is the Internet of Things? According to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), the Internet of Things is a broad term. It is mainly understood to mean the integration of persons, processes and (physical) objects in the virtual world. Internet-capable, “intelligent” machines can communicate with each other, automate processes, and also measure, collect and analyse data.

In this way, the Internet of Things supplies a lot of useful data that open up entirely new opportunities for companies in the field of maintenance: using the measured data, maintenance activities have become predictable since they are now based on an analysis of process and machine data. Processing of these data in real time enables prognoses to be made that form the basis for condition-based maintenance and consequently for reduced downtime.

Predictive maintenance can – if applied correctly and efficiently – provide numerous benefits – starting from enhanced economic efficiency (less downtime and lower costs for unscheduled outages), through optimum maintenance scheduling (better planning) to improved machine operation (longer service life and better performance through constant adjustment).

Above all, the cost savings achievable through the use of predictive maintenance are enormous: the consulting firm McKinsey estimates that companies can reduce their maintenance costs by up to 40 percent by using smart sensors and analytical techniques. 

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KSB can offer you a wide range of digital pump solutions and smart services for the digitalised acquisition and correlation of performance and condition parameters for your pumps and valves. Using KSB Guard, for example, a digital solution for cloud-based monitoring of pumps and other rotating machinery. KSB Guard carries out a trend analysis of the status data of your machines, thus detecting impending damage early on. In this way, KSB Guard brings transparency to your system and helps you exercise more care in the operation of your system and implement maintenance and repair measures in a more targeted and efficient manner, for example by dynamically prioritising maintenance tasks or optimising your spare parts strategy.