December 9, 2015 at 10:54Repair in real time: how the Internet of things is changing the rules of the game for manufacturers
It is important to know who to call when equipment breaks down. But it is better that this person was ready for repair in advance. The traditional approach is no longer so effective: we can know that oil needs to be changed every five thousand kilometers, but in reality this indicator cannot be completely different. And that is changing thanks to the combination of big data and the Internet of things. Manufacturers armed with sensors and software to look inside the devices and predict what is going on with them. They can diagnose the problem remotely and provide the best customer service.
General Electric invests in smart systems for its industrial customers - electricity suppliers, train and airplane manufacturers. Specialists create virtual equipment models, such as an airplane engine or gas turbine, using Digital Twin technology . This tool helps engineers assess current working conditions and think out a maintenance schedule, think out possible options for improving equipment efficiency based on the data received.
The same system allows using integrated sensors on the wind farm to create maintenance schedules for each wind turbine individually. This approach extends the life cycle of the device.
The latest versions of Internet of Things software are powerful enough to analyze the flow of events and anticipate problems before they happen. This applies to both the array of equipment - for example, several wind turbines - and each of the devices individually.
Catching trends, the equipment manufacturer must answer them - and the software also helps. A broken part can be easily repaired, but the company needs to get accurate repair information, find out what happened to the old part if it was replaced, and - most importantly - understand why the breakdown happened.
From a financial point of view, an IoT-based custom service can increase revenue, as confirmed by the PWC IoT report. The Internet of things allows you to earn customer loyalty because the equipment manufacturer makes the right predictions for maintenance and repairs the equipment before it stops working as a result of a breakdown.
This technology has been introduced as a service for car owners. The OnStar system in the USA for drivers is a button for calling for help, but when it is pressed, all information from sensors installed in the car is transmitted to the services - at least the speed.
Sensors collect a huge amount of information, but most of it is not used. At an oil rig with thirty thousand sensors, according to a McKinsey Global Institute reportonly 1% of all data is used for process optimization and forecasting. The remaining sensors are mainly used to track anomalies that have already occurred. This opens up opportunities for companies that can use as much data as possible for accurate analysis: “If you can tell the customer how you save his money, he will be interested,” says Colin Parris, vice president of GE Software Research.
Equipment manufacturers can use the data collected to improve future products or their various versions. Various versions of modifications can be used to build the engine of the aircraft, designed for flying over short distances, or for a locomotive that has to pull a huge load.
“This is a vicious circle,” adds the vice president of GE Software Research, “the more data we get from customers, the more value we can offer them.”
General Electric invests in smart systems for its industrial customers - electricity suppliers, train and airplane manufacturers. Specialists create virtual equipment models, such as an airplane engine or gas turbine, using Digital Twin technology . This tool helps engineers assess current working conditions and think out a maintenance schedule, think out possible options for improving equipment efficiency based on the data received.
The same system allows using integrated sensors on the wind farm to create maintenance schedules for each wind turbine individually. This approach extends the life cycle of the device.
The latest versions of Internet of Things software are powerful enough to analyze the flow of events and anticipate problems before they happen. This applies to both the array of equipment - for example, several wind turbines - and each of the devices individually.
Catching trends, the equipment manufacturer must answer them - and the software also helps. A broken part can be easily repaired, but the company needs to get accurate repair information, find out what happened to the old part if it was replaced, and - most importantly - understand why the breakdown happened.
From a financial point of view, an IoT-based custom service can increase revenue, as confirmed by the PWC IoT report. The Internet of things allows you to earn customer loyalty because the equipment manufacturer makes the right predictions for maintenance and repairs the equipment before it stops working as a result of a breakdown.
This technology has been introduced as a service for car owners. The OnStar system in the USA for drivers is a button for calling for help, but when it is pressed, all information from sensors installed in the car is transmitted to the services - at least the speed.
Sensors collect a huge amount of information, but most of it is not used. At an oil rig with thirty thousand sensors, according to a McKinsey Global Institute reportonly 1% of all data is used for process optimization and forecasting. The remaining sensors are mainly used to track anomalies that have already occurred. This opens up opportunities for companies that can use as much data as possible for accurate analysis: “If you can tell the customer how you save his money, he will be interested,” says Colin Parris, vice president of GE Software Research.
Equipment manufacturers can use the data collected to improve future products or their various versions. Various versions of modifications can be used to build the engine of the aircraft, designed for flying over short distances, or for a locomotive that has to pull a huge load.
“This is a vicious circle,” adds the vice president of GE Software Research, “the more data we get from customers, the more value we can offer them.”