With the help of information systems, industrial maintenance is already efficient in many companies. However, the results of the production and equipment criticality analysis (according to the criticality class standard PSK 6800) are often stored in companies in individual Excel files. It would not be worthwhile, writes business manager Jukka Manninen on our blog.
In many industrial production facilities, I have wondered why the results of equipment criticality analysis are often stored in Excel format on an individual’s own computer or, at best, on a company’s shared network drive. It is not easy to find a single Excel file in either place. If a key person is ill, on holiday or transferred to a new company, the document may no longer be available for use at all.
Fortunately, there is a solution: according to the PSK 6800 standard, criticality analysis can be integrated into a company's maintenance system. At the same time, the reliability-centred maintenance method RCM (Reliability Centred Maintenance) can be introduced. It improves production safety, productivity, and availability, as well as cost savings. Hardware-related reporting is also facilitated when all critical information can be found in one up-to-date system. In addition, nature is grateful when unnecessary maintenance is no longer done, and the installer does not have to travel unnecessarily across Finland.
RCM was developed as early as the 1960s, in particular, for aviation. At the time, the aircraft were always fully dismantled during maintenance. Thanks to the criticality classification, it was understood that not all parts were equally important for the operation and safety of the aircraft. Thanks to RCM, maintenance was able to focus especially on critical parts and their maintenance. Today, RCM is used in many different industries.
One morning, while I was walking my dog Milo in Pyynikinharju, Tampere, the idea of the combination of maintenance systems and criticality analysis crossed my mind. Why not integrate criticality analysis as a central part of an industrial maintenance system? In addition to all the equipment information relevant to production and operation, the same information system would also contain classifications in accordance with the standard for the criticality analysis of equipment (PSK 6800).
Increasing the information would give a better idea of which critical equipment should be kept under constant surveillance. On the one hand, the company would not spend too much time on the maintenance and upkeep of less critical equipment. On the other hand, the equipment would not be under-maintained or over-maintained. This would make the life cycle management of all equipment in the industry better and more efficient.
ALMA's maintenance system (Maint-ALMA) is currently the only information system that includes criticality analysis in accordance with the PSK 6800 standard. Simultaneously with the introduction of ALMA, standard information on the criticality of the device can be added to it for each device. Of course, RCM can also be implemented in all existing maintenance systems provided by ALMA and maintained by SaaS.
To learn more about industry maintenance systems, criticality analysis, and RCM, please contact the undersigned. We will work together to find out what your needs are and how we can meet them.