// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM

Predictive Maintenance

A maintenance strategy that uses data analysis and sensors to predict when equipment might fail, allowing for proactive repairs before breakdowns occur. This minimizes downtime and extends asset life.

Predictive Maintenance — illustration from Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia

TECHNICAL DEFINITION

Predictive Maintenance (PdM) is a maintenance strategy leveraging IIoT sensor data, machine learning algorithms, and real-time analytics to forecast potential equipment failures, enabling proactive intervention and minimizing unplanned downtime in manufacturing.

BACKGROUND

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as 4IR, Industry 4.0 or the Intelligence Age, is a neologism describing rapid technological advancement in the 21st century. It follows the Third Industrial Revolution. The term was popularized in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum founder and former executive chairman, who asserts that these developments represent a significant shift in industrial capitalism.

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SYNONYMS & ALIASES

  • Condition-based maintenance
  • proactive maintenance
  • smart maintenance
  • prescriptive maintenance

USAGE NOTE

It reduces downtime and maintenance costs by scheduling repairs only when needed, based on actual equipment condition.

DEVELOPERS

Organizations developing technology related to Predictive Maintenance.

  • Siemens

    A global industrial manufacturing company that provides predictive maintenance solutions through its MindSphere cloud-based IoT platform, which analyzes operational data to predict machine failures and optimize maintenance schedules.

  • C3.ai

    An enterprise AI software company offering the C3 AI Reliability application, which uses machine learning to predict asset failure, identify root causes, and recommend corrective actions for industrial equipment.

  • Augury

    Specializes in 'Machine Health as a Service', using IoT sensors and AI-powered diagnostics to monitor equipment in real-time, detect malfunctions, and prescribe specific maintenance actions to prevent downtime.

  • GE Digital

    A subsidiary of General Electric focused on industrial software. Their Asset Performance Management (APM) software, built on the Predix platform, uses advanced analytics and digital twins for predictive and prescriptive maintenance.

  • Uptake

    Provides industrial intelligence software-as-a-service (SaaS) that uses AI and machine learning to analyze data from industrial assets, predicting failures and improving operational efficiency for manufacturing and other heavy industries.

  • Bosch

    A multinational engineering and technology company that develops connected industry (Industry 4.0) solutions, including predictive maintenance services that leverage AI and the Bosch IoT Suite to monitor machine health.

  • Rockwell Automation

    An industrial automation and information technology provider. They offer predictive maintenance capabilities through their FactoryTalk InnovationSuite and partnerships, leveraging data from PLCs and other control systems.

  • IBM

    Offers the IBM Maximo Application Suite, an integrated platform for intelligent asset management. It uses AI, IoT data, and analytics from IBM Watson to monitor asset health and enable predictive maintenance.

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