The number above comes from a report by Siemens. According to the same source, said downtime amounted to a staggering amount of $1.5 tn. The annual cost for Fortune Global 500 companies was $129 million per facility.
The study also mentions that an average large plant’s unplanned downtime was around 25 hours per month.
The Impact of Downtime in Manufacturing
The impact of downtime in Manufacturing can’t be overstated. Its effects are devastating to companies suffering from it. These can include:
- Huge financial losses (what we were discussing above), caused in large part by reduced productivity.
- Reputational damages – customers’ trust in the organization ended up suffering.
- Supply chain problems were caused throughout the whole supply chain of the company.
- Growing operational costs – these can involve paying more for faster shipping, to make up for missed delivery times.
What Is Predictive Maintenance?
The statistics above should show the importance of keeping equipment downtime to an absolute minimum. One of the best ways to do this is predictive maintenance. And RealVNC Connect remote access software plays an important role (just as much as it does in real-time monitoring), as you’ll see in a minute. But first, let’s look at what predictive maintenance is.
Predictive maintenance could be defined as the use of maintenance techniques that determine the current state the equipment you’re using is in. That way, you will always know in advance when maintenance tasks are needed. Doing so will help you avoid unplanned downtime as much as possible.
Predictive maintenance differs from the other types of maintenance in the sense that assets are maintained before they have the chance to fail. According to Deloitte, this way they also function, without being interrupted, for as long as possible.
This is in opposition to reactive maintenance (assets break down, then are repaired), preventive maintenance (maintenance at specific intervals), or condition-based Maintenance. In the latter, assets are maintained based on various rules.
In the modern manufacturing context, everything is connected. That means that one failing machine can stop the production process altogether. That’s why you can’t overstate the importance of predictive maintenance.
And what better way to access all the necessary data on your machines, at all times, and keep them running, than remote access software? Continuous access to your machines allows you to perform maintenance at times when the machine in question is not in use. This reduces or eliminates the need to halt production for that purpose.
How RealVNC Connect Facilitates Predictive Maintenance
Here are just some of the ways in which RealVNC Connect remote access software for manufacturing can help with your predictive maintenance needs:
- Remote Monitoring
- Data Collection
- Early Detection of Issues
- Planning Maintenance
- Data Security
- Seamless Current Systems Integration
Let’s take a quick look at these.
Remote Monitoring
This is the most obvious advantage that RealVNC Connect has when it comes to predictive maintenance in manufacturing. As you can always keep an eye on your machines through secure remote access, you’ll see when something is about to go wrong. That means you’ll be able to easily and quickly intervene.
Data Collection
With constant remote access to your machines, data collection from their sensors and access to reporting are made extremely simple.
Early Detection of Issues
If you have constant access to your production machines, you’ll almost always be able to foresee potential issues. That means you’ll be able to quickly intervene where needed, as well as schedule maintenance tasks.
Planning Maintenance
Having remote access to your machines means that your technicians will be able to access them at times when production is least affected. They can then perform maintenance tasks outside the busiest hours, with little to no impact on production.
Data Security
While that’s all very useful when it comes to productivity, you wouldn’t want your data to fall into the wrong hands. Luckily, RealVNC Connect is built with security at its heart. This means that the safety of your data is paramount.
Furthermore, if you have specific security or regulatory restrictions, you can even use it as an on-premise solution, as described in our blog. This means that your data will never leave your network.
Seamless Current Systems Integration
RealVNC Connect is a truly multiplatform remote access solution. This means that seamless integration with your current systems is a given. Whether you have Windows or Linux machines, Macs, or want your staff to access devices from iOS or Android tablets, RealVNC Connect has you covered.
But don’t take our word for it. See for yourself how RealVNC Connect can help with your predictive maintenance needs. Get a free trial now!
