Automation is one way to spare limited maintenance resources. It can also make maintenance more effective (and usually does).
Consider a Preventive Maintenance Work Order that involves conducting vibration analysis on 25 motors throughout the plant. A tech assigned to that task might be able to knock it out in a single day, but you have a full day of tech time to that task. And if this PM has a quarterly frequency, it’s unlikely to catch an emerging problem. Install vibration monitors on all 25 motors, and you not only free up a tech for a whole day but you have real-time information on motor vibration status.
Combine temperature monitoring with vibration monitors, and your ability to prevent motor failure is almost absolute. Plus your techs can focus on other issues, for total downtime reduction.
Power monitoring is another area where automation not only saves time but jumps the effectiveness of maintenance to a whole new level. The more sophisticated and capable the power monitoring system is, the higher that jump is.
