Posted to News on 28th Sep 2016, 14:45
SKF cuts the cost of condition monitoring
SKF is extending its Remote Monitoring Service for the manufacturing, process and industrial sectors. The service has been developed to help companies cut the cost of condition monitoring, especially in critical applications, by providing a dedicated off-site team of specialists capable of providing round-the-clock monitoring.
To date, the SKF Remote Monitoring Service has been deployed extensively in the marine sector, where it is used to optimise the performance of a wide range of assets, from main propulsion, stabilisers and power generators, to deck equipment. Data is either gathered by crew members or automatically captured and then transmitted to SKF's global data centres, where it is analysed by the company's engineering and maintenance experts, who then provide equipment condition reports and recommendations for remedial action.
Now, this model is being offered to companies throughout the manufacturing and process sectors. Phillip Spry, Team Manager Service Delivery Reliability Services, explains that: "Our Remote Monitoring Service allows any company with Internet access to implement a world-class predictive maintenance programme simply and cost effectively. By outsourcing the process, customers can move the cost of condition monitoring from the CAPEX to the OPEX budget; perhaps more importantly, they are then able to make significant improvements to the quality and reliability of monitoring and diagnostics without the need to invest in on-site teams, giving them far greater operational flexibility."
Typically, the SKF Remote Monitoring Service begins with an on-site visit by SKF's experts to determine the criticality of assets, agree the frequency of data capture and map data collection routes. Data can be gathered by onsite employees, an SKF technician or automatically using SKF Microlog analysers, before being securely transferred using SKF Machine Analyst or RemoteRoute software to the remote monitoring centre. Data is reviewed by highly experienced condition monitoring analysts, who provide detailed asset condition reports via a secure Internet connection. Urgent issues are relayed directly to onsite engineers or plant managers.
Phillip Spry adds: "A key advantage of our Remote Monitoring Service is that it allows customers to delegate the responsibility for an extremely specialised but nonetheless vital service to our team of experts. This frees up in-house staff and resources and enables customers to concentrate on their core business."
Follow the link to find out more about SKF's Remote Monitoring Service.
