Baking & Snack - September 2017 - 118

REMOTE MAINTENANCE

Cameras, along with VPN, Skype, FaceTime and other tools, allow technicians
to see what's wrong and remotely repair equipment.
Sosland Publishing Company

Mining data to maximize maintenance
Gathering data on a production line to see how the "engine
is running" has gotten easier and more affordable, according
to Rowdy Brixey, president, Brixey Engineering, Strategies &
Training.
"Today's sensors no longer require hardwired circuits, longcabling runs, conduits, or fighting the red tape associated with
getting IT on-board," he explained. "The modern sensor of today
is also 'smarter,' and some are even capable of multi-tasking.
Modern wireless sensors can measure vibration, acceleration,
temperature, load, voltage, resistance, pH, humidity, conductivity and the list goes on."
Likewise, the new lithium-ion battery life now makes sensors
more reliable than ever.
To measure vibration, attach pocket-size accelerometers on
a surface near the oven unloader bar main drive assembly to
count cycles and detect the level of movement. That vital data
could allow maintenance personnel to provide preventive maintenance.
"Think of this like you would a car," Mr. Brixey said. "Instead
of changing the oil every three months, you can now change the
oil based on the number of miles driven. Even better, you could
now 'predict' when to order the oil and filter so you no longer
need to keep these consumables in stock."
Mr. Brixey also recommended moving all potentially useful
data to the cloud. Data specialists can then use existing algorithms or develop new ones to identify specific conditions that
led to the major unplanned downtime event.
"The possibilities are endless for how this data could be
used," he said. "The key is to start collecting it; with today's technology, there is little excuse not to do this."

118 Baking & Snack September 2017 / www.bakingandsnack.com

communication still comes from an old-fashioned phone
call, especially if it's a mechanical issue the bakery cannot
resolve by itself. "Typically, most software-related issues
can be resolved remotely versus hardware malfunctions
that require on-site technicians," Mr. Maraj pointed out.
At Shaffer, a Bundy Baking Solution, the service department relies on mechanical technicians to fix about
75% of on-site customer-service issues, noted Lonnie
Caupp, Shaffer's field service manager. Programming
problems often require these mechanics to use a secure
connection to allow their electrical engineering teams to
see the process and detect problems via remote-viewing
software and then restore the system. "Having the ability to remotely view, diagnose and correct a process anywhere in the world eliminates travel expenses and saves
valuable time for our customers," Mr. Caupp said.
While emailing or Dropboxing video clips or pictures
of technical breakdowns helps, a direct connection diminishes downtime dramatically. "We had a client that
connected to us via FaceTime - showing us the issue
in real time - and we were able to solve his company's
issue in less than five minutes and completely free of
charge," said Eric Riggle, president, Rademaker USA.
These specific issues typically involve such small, isolated matters as a failing safety switch or a variable-frequency drive problem that mechanics failed to diagnose.
However, not all problems pose a quick fix. "As much as
technology and software automation have advanced various troubleshooting processes, the human element cannot be completely eliminated," Mr. Maraj explained.
Mr. Riggle suggested that's especially true when it
comes to more complex and challenging concerns.
"Usually product quality issues are not a result of one
thing but a variety of small issues or settings that add
up to one big problem," he said. "These are better solved
on-site where our technicians have the ability to make
an overall assessment of the issues."

Keeping in constant contact
Perpetual monitoring of equipment now provides early
warning signs - excess vibration or an electrical short -
that could avert a costly breakdown on a high-speed line.
"As we are seeing in the auto industry, many of the diagnostics being performed are run through computer software to identify malfunctions or predict when a car needs
service while notifying the driver," Mr. Maraj observed.
"Similar methods can be used on the production floor to
keep machinery running efficiently to reduce downtime."
In addition to preventing failures, regular data collection of key performance indicators (KPIs) enhances

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