Ballbar data will quantify faults in the machine center such as servo mismatch, stick-slip error, straightness of the axes, lateral play, backlash, reversal spikes, circularity error, scale, and machine geometry. Each of these conditions can be trended over time.
Equipment Criticality for Predictive Maintenance
The first step in establishing a predictive maintenance (PdM) program is determining which assets will be monitored. In an ideal world, every piece of equipment on the floor would be covered, but most of the time, that simply isn’t feasible or realistic. Condition...
Predictive Maintenance: What Makes a Program Successful?
How do you build a successful predictive maintenance (PdM) program at your facility? How do you know when you’ve achieved it? Let’s take a look at a few things to consider when starting a program and some ways to measure its successes or failures. Every program will...
Benefits of Predictive Maintenance Training
It’s been well established at this point that training is essential for employees in practically every role in our organizations. But how does predictive maintenance (PdM) training affect your staff? Is it worth the investment, even if they might not be a part of...
Should you customize your Predictive Maintenance program?
On the surface this is obviously not a very good question. If you’re going to invest the time and money in establishing or developing a predictive maintenance (PdM) program, of course you should customize it. Besides blind luck, there is no other way to have a...
Benefits of a Predictive Maintenance Program
For this blog post, I’m going to take a few steps back. Instead of focusing on a specific technology, trend, or approach to predictive maintenance (PdM), I’m going to cover some of the very basic benefits that can be realized with a successful PdM program. For those...
The Importance of Communication and Documentation in Predictive Maintenance
There are a couple subtle aspects of successful predictive maintenance (PdM) programs that the industry doesn't often acknowledge: communication and documentation. Most people will agree that both these concepts are elementary but must also be emphasized for almost...