Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering for Better Equipment

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I have spent a lot of my career around manufacturing equipment. I have worked in Lean, engineering, maintenance, process improvement, and reliability. Of course, we have to repair equipment, and we need good preventive maintenance. But I think there is another question we should be asking. How can I make this machine better?

For many years, most of my improvement work was focused on traditional Lean manufacturing. Around 2016, I became much more involved in maintenance and manufacturing engineering. I started experimenting with sensors, cameras, equipment data, monitoring systems, and other technologies. I began to see how much opportunity there was when I combined engineering with maintenance.


I remember working with heavy industrial equipment where we had machines taking some pretty significant impacts during production. The frustrating part was that maintenance didn't always know an impact had occurred. The machine might continue running and then fail hours or even days later. By then, we were trying to figure out what happened after the fact.

My team needed better visibility, so we started using sensors. We could detect an impact, measure how severe it was, and notify the maintenance team. Eventually, we connected the system to our maintenance process so that certain events could automatically create a work request. Now I had information that I could actually use to make a decision. Then I started using cameras.

I could see the sensor data, but I also wanted to know what actually happened. We placed cameras around specific areas so we could go back and review an event. The sensor told me something happened, and the camera helped me understand why it happened. 


As of recent, my team and I have been playing around with FEM or Finite Element Modeling.  Taking certain parts off the machine, creating a 3D model, and then importing that into a modeling software.  We can get and idea of how stress and impacts effect the life span of the part.  Then using that data for preventative replacements.

I also love what we can do today with 3D modeling and additive manufacturing. I have had teams use CAD and 3D printers to create prototypes, covers, fixtures, guides, replacement components, and equipment modifications. In some cases, we stopped buying certain replacement parts altogether. We could model them, print them, and have them available the same day.

Equipment can be improved by changing hardware. I have relocated components. Installed transparent panels so people could see inside equipment without opening it. I have worked on automated lubrication systems and modifications that made equipment easier and safer to maintain. Sometimes a simple idea can eliminate a problem that has been around for years.

5S and Kanban systems still bring immense value.  I want people working on equipment, not searching through cabinets and piles of stuff.  Kanban brings that same simplicity to parts and inventory. I don't need an overly complicated system if a simple visual signal can tell me when something needs to be reordered.



That is what modern maintenance engineering means to me. I want to use the tools available today, but I also want to keep things practical. Sensors, cameras, predictive modeling, CAD, 3D printing, 5S, Kanban, and equipment retrofits are all just tools. That is the mindset I have carried throughout my career. How can I make this machine better?

Get on the attendee list for the Modern Maintenance for Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering Live Webinar.  Nov 6th.  Cost is $89 a person.  Go to www.simploria.com 




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