Technology is playing an increasingly important role. Predictive monitoring is one of the innovations that has profoundly transformed the food industry.
This approach uses sensors, real-time data, and advanced analytics to predict equipment failures, optimize maintenance, and improve operational efficiency.
This article will explore how to apply predictive monitoring in food industries, discussing the benefits, challenges, and best practices for implementing this technology effectively.
Main challenges in industrial food plants
Maintenance in industrial food plants faces several crucial challenges to guarantee the continuity of operations and the quality of products. Some of the main ones include:
Risk Management
Risk management is a crucial obstacle in maintaining industrial facilities in the food sector. By their nature, operations involve inherent risks, making it essential to implement rigorous safety measures to safeguard equipment integrity and workers’ protection.
One strategy for tackling this issue is establishing a solid safety program, including a thorough risk assessment, identifying potential hazards, drawing up a standard operating procedure (SOP), and periodic staff training. In addition, predictive monitoring in the food industry is essential to mitigate the risk of failures and accidents.
Asset management
Asset management represents a substantial challenge in the maintenance of industrial facilities. Preserving the functional state of equipment and machinery is fundamental to ensuring their proper performance over time. However, asset management is a complex task that requires thorough planning and efficient execution.
One strategy to overcome this challenge involves adopting a data-driven approach, which entails collecting data related to equipment and machines to monitor their performance and identify potential problems at an early stage.
Availability of resources
The availability of resources is a third major challenge in the maintenance of industrial facilities. Maintenance requires a wide range of resources, including workforce, equipment, tools, and materials. However, ensuring these resources are readily available when needed can be challenging.
An effective strategy for tackling this challenge involves developing a detailed maintenance plan and efficiently allocating resources. Ensuring that the necessary resources are available before maintenance execution is essential
Online predictive monitoring is the key to increasing plant performance.
Predictive monitoring in the food industry is a maintenance technique that uses sensors and analysis to predict failures in industrial equipment before they occur. This helps to:
- Avoid unplanned downtime;
- Reduce damage to equipment;
- Optimize the useful life of machines;
- Reduce energy costs;
- Ensure the health and safety of employees;
- Minimize environmental impacts.
Based on the analysis, ultrasound, and thermography results, periodic monitoring aims to reduce problems and increase the useful life of equipment.
This approach allows for creating a targeted action plan to restore optimal equipment performance and increase your plant’s performance.
Why carry out online monitoring in the food industry?
By understanding maintenance models, it is possible to see the gains that can be made in the food industry through management based on planning, emphasizing predictive and preventive actions. These benefits include
- More excellent continuity on the production line: by adopting predictive monitoring in the food industry, the company can significantly reduce the number of unscheduled stoppages on its production line;
- Planned interventions: maintenance interventions are conducted in a planned manner without affecting ongoing production;
- Increased equipment useful life: predictive maintenance helps to extend the lifespan of equipment, reducing the need for frequent replacements and saving resources.
In addition to these benefits, it is important to highlight another significant advantage. When maintenance management is based on predictive actions, corrective procedures become more precise because they are carried out according to prior planning.
The maintenance team is adequately prepared with the appropriate use of tools and protective clothing. It can handle the critical elements of the equipment with care, avoiding any direct contact with production.
How online predictive monitoring is carried out in plants
Online predictive monitoring in industrial plants is an essential strategy for efficient equipment maintenance and ensuring continuity of operations. It is based on advanced techniques that make it possible to identify problems before they cause unplanned downtime.
Use of online sensors
One of the bases of online predictive monitoring is the sensors installed in the plant’s strategic equipment. These sensors are chosen in advance by the technical team and the maintenance manager, taking into account the critical points of each machine. The great advantage is that these sensors are wireless, which means they are installed on several machines without complex cabling.
These sensors collect a range of data, such as vibration, temperature, pressure, and oil consumption. This information is sent to a central database that gathers data on the monitored equipment’s performance.
Implementing platforms for data monitoring
With the data collected by the sensors, it is possible to create a monitoring platform that is accessed remotely. This platform can be viewed on various devices, such as computers, tablets, and smartphones, giving maintenance managers flexibility.
When any anomaly is detected, even the slightest vibration, the platform sends an alert to the maintenance manager. This allows the technical team to act proactively, planning corrective actions before a serious fault occurs.
How SEMEQ can help with predictive monitoring in the food industry
SEMEQ is a company specializing in advanced predictive monitoring solutions, with expertise in meeting the specific needs of the food industry. Our innovative approach and cutting-edge technologies are designed to optimize equipment maintenance and ensure maximum operational efficiency in food processing facilities.
SEMEQ sensors
Our state-of-the-art sensors are designed to meet the highest standards of quality and reliability. They are ideal for the food industry, where precision and early detection of anomalies are essential. Wireless sensors monitor real-time vibration, temperature, pressure, humidity, and other critical parameters.
My SEMEQ
The My SEMEQ platform answers the need for real-time data monitoring and management.
Maintenance managers in the food industry, with access to this platform, monitor the performance of their equipment remotely, receive instant alerts about any problems detected by the sensors, and access valuable information for informed decision-making.
If you are looking for reliable and customized predictive monitoring solutions for the food industry, SEMEQ is ready to help.
Contact us
Contact us today to discuss your specific needs and find out how our sensors and platform can improve the efficiency and reliability of your maintenance operations.
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