The ongoing convergence of IT (Information Technology) with OT (Operational Technology) is completely changing industrial processes. Beyond these transitions, it is gradually transforming industrial organizations to digital enterprises.
Technologies such as cloud computing, BigData and the (Industrial) Internet-of-Things (IoT) are being deployed to enhance the scalability, quality, effectiveness and cost-efficiency of processes in large industries like oil and gas, energy, manufacturing and aerospace.
These industries are also the source of entirely new technological capabilities and business models. This is evident in the scope of equipment maintenance processes, which are being increasingly supported by IT technologies.
There are five significant emerging trends in industrial maintenance, which will lead to new maintenance paradigms and associated business models.
1. Additive Manufacturing in Maintenance
In recent years, there has been an increased focus on 3D printers to produce parts for different applications. Additive manufacturing is synonymous with 3D printing, which is gradually becoming mainstream in both industrial and consumer settings.
2. Internet of Things, Wireless Sensor Networks and Automated Data Collection
Reliably collecting assets and equipment data is a prerequisite to deriving maintenance insights and knowledge. In most cases, maintenance data is collected from multiple sources, including different types of sensors (e.g., vibration, acoustic sensors and thermal imaging). This data can be later analyzed by expert systems and sophisticated algorithms.
Only a few years ago, data collection was a manual task, which required trained personnel to physically access the equipment. This process is radically changing with the advent of wireless sensor networks and IoT.