Condition Monitoring is beneficial in so many ways, from reducing downtime, to predicting problems, to increasing productivity and efficiency. However, as amazing  as these automated programs are, you can’t just implement them and walk away. You still need to manage your condition monitoring systems, and to truly do that successfully, you need to follow these tips:

Do your planning and research first

As with any aspect of business, what’s not planned well is not implemented well, and a conditioning monitoring program is no exception. Before you dive in, make sure you have a detailed plan in place including what technology you need on what equipment, the funding involved, training required, timeframe needed and how you will implement a database and integrate programs and applications.

 

Match the right technology to the job

Not all condition monitoring programs are the same. Consider what capabilities you need the technology to have, what types of equipment you want monitored, and what kind of data you want identified. Choose a condition monitoring program that’s best suited to meet your needs. The good ones typically use a combination of technologies to detect, diagnose, confirm and report issues with equipment.

Implement training programs

Because condition monitoring simplifies processes, many make the mistake of not allocating adequate time for training. However, proper training will increase the skills and knowledge of employees to ensure technology is used correctly, thus providing the results you want. This includes both technical training regarding the hardware and software used, as well as analytical training so that employees fully understand data collected, the value of it, and how to interpret it. A set of standards should be in place so that everyone analyzes and reports in the same way.

Be diligent about data

Data integration allows information to be channeled to the specific people who need it – for instance, operations and maintenance can be automatically notified of equipment issues and advised of possible solutions.

Determining an appropriate data collection schedule is important as well. The best way to do this is by determining the failure rate of equipment and assigning an interval of data collection that will best report problems before they occur.  

 

It’s tempting to incorporate condition monitoring into your processes then wash your hands of it, but as with any equipment and software, you need to keep an eye on how things are going, and be ready to adjust, analyze, and troubleshoot as needed. Yes, condition monitoring is beneficial in a number of ways, but only if it’s managed successfully will you get the most out of your investment.

For more information on condition monitoring and the products Kundinger provides from such industry experts as Advantech, B & R, and Parker, call 800-242-4811 today. We are dedicated to helping you succeed.