Jaime Campos

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN CONDITION MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE

Abstract The paper presents a review of literature on application of information and communication technologies, specifically, Web and Agent Technologies in condition monitoring and maintenance of mechanical and electrical systems. In manufacturing and process plants, rarity of experts does not allow condition monitoring to realise its full potential. This led to the application of artificial intelligence and distributed artificial intelligence to condition monitoring. More recently web technology and intelligent agents have emerged as better decision support tools. Reviewed papers show that these technologies have been used in manufacturing and other sectors for integration, remote monitoring and maintenance, diagnosis and prognosis purposes.

AN ONTOLOGY FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT

Abstract Abstract Ontology plays important role in knowledge sharing, reuse, and communication. Repository ontology is usually the first step in the development of an intelligent decision support system. This paper first briefly reviews the literature in the area and then presents the ontologies for condition monitoring and maintenance. A short description of the software application and user interface ontologies is presented. The focus of this work is the repository ontology for the stated purpose. It shows the data structure and information needed for the maintenance management of the industrial assets with its objects, attributes and relationships. The methodology that has been used consists of different steps of defining the scope of the ontology followed by the consideration of using existing ontologies. It is based on the ontology-driven Information System theories and developed by Unified Modelling Language tool.

Current and prospective information and communication technologies for the e-maintenance applications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to presents the current and prospective state of affairs when it comes to the information and communication technologies (ICTs) in condition monitoring (CM) and maintenance, especially for the e-maintenance approach. Design/methodology/approach – The author presents some of the standards for the domain of interest, such as the open system architecture condition-based maintenance. In addition, the e-maintenance approach is gone through as well as such ICTs as, for instance, the emergent web technologies, the service-oriented architecture (SOA), the web services and the Web 2.0 are analysed. Findings – The findings highlight the need for a clearer understanding of the characteristics of different ICTs, such as Web 2.0 technologies, Cloud computing, agent technologies, etc., to be able to use them in an optimal manner for various purposes in the e-maintenance applications. In addition, the standardisation of the emergent ICTs different aspects is shown to be an importan...

Industrial open source solutions for product life cycle management

Abstract The authors go through the open source for product life cycle management (PLM) and the efforts done from communities such as the open source initiative. The characteristics of the open source solutions are highlighted as well. Next, the authors go through the requirements for PLM. This is an area where more attention has been given as the manufacturers are competing with the quality and life cycle costs of their products. Especially, the need of companies to try to get a strong position in providing services for their products and thus to make themselves less vulnerable to changes in the market has led to high interest in product life cycle simulation. The potential of applying semantic data management to solve these problems discussed in the light of recent developments. In addition, a basic roadmap is presented as to how the above-described problems could be tackled with open software solutions.

The Use of Mobile Technologies and Their Economic Benefits in Maintenance

The use of mobile devices enables maintenance staff to gain access to information and services relevant to the task in hand in near real time and wherever some form of network access is provided. Essentially, mobile device users become mobile actors who dynamically interact with the physical environment, i.e. workplace, and supporting information systems, leading to faster response to events and an increased performance. This paper provides insight into the acceptance prospects and best practices of the mobile technologies in the area of maintenance. Furthermore, the potential financial impact is discussed as a key driver for the adoption of mobile technologies in the maintenance practice.

Managing the information systems in the industrial domain

Abstract The purpose of the paper is to understand the developments of the Information Systems (IS) and Information technology, i.e. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the area of Condition Monitoring and Maintenance, especially e-maintenance. Therefore, the paper goes through and categorises the literature findings with the support of two models, i.e. the three era and the IS capability models to analyse and understand the maturity of the ICTs in the domain. The result shows that many researchers are working with software applications that are in the data processing era, which is highly important for the technologies and then the management of IS era. Conversely, both in the Management Information Systems and the Strategic Thinking era fewer findings have been made so far. Further on, in the fourth era, named the Information System (IS) capability, the research findings are mostly at the rudimentary stage. The implementation of Web technologies, such as the Web 2.0, i.e. Social media technologies, can facilitate the learning aspects in the maintenance department as well as collaboration between employees, which are important aspects of the last era, i.e. in the IS capability era. The paper highlights interesting organisational as well as ICT aspects that should be considered when planning, developing and implementing the e-maintenance IS.

Remote maintenance support with the aid of cyber-physical systems and cloud technology

This article discusses how a business model based on traditional maintenance can evolve to generate servitization strategies, with the help of remote maintenance support. The application of cyber-physical systems and cloud technologies play a key role for such maintenance purposes. In fact, the utilization of large quantities of data collected on machines and their processing by means of advanced techniques such as machine learning enable novel techniques for condition-based maintenance. New sensor solutions that could be used in maintenance and interaction with cyber-physical systems are also presented. Here, data models are an important part of these techniques because of the huge amounts of data that are produced and should be processed. These data models have been used in a real case, supported by the Machinery Information Management Open System Alliance Open System Architecture for Condition-Based Maintenance standard architecture, for streamlining the modeling of collected data. In this context, an industrial use case is described, to enlighten the application of the presented concepts in a working pilot. Finally, current and future directions for application of cyber-physical systems and cloud technologies to maintenance are discussed.

Digitalisation of maintenance

The digitalisation of industry and the Industry 4.0 concept with its connected ICTs are important developments for the industry to acquire and implement to be able to keep ahead in competition. In connection to Industry 4.0, the predictive maintenance systems and approach are getting more popular in maintenance. This is because these systems enable a change in the maintenance mind-set where the break-fix mentality is substituted by a predictive maintenance system, such as Condition Based Maintenance (CBM), where the equipment is monitored with the support of ICTs to detect failures before they occur. The Industry 4.0 seems more attainable even for small and medium sized companies because of the drop in the prices of the components of these systems, both in the sensing elements and in the data processing part. The manufacturing methods used in the Integrated Circuit (IC) industry create the possibility to reduce significantly the price tag of sensors and processors. Therefore, the authors go through the CBM approach and technologies, such as Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) sensors as well as such emerging ICTs as the Cloud and Big data. These could offer a turning point in traditional maintenance by widening the amount of monitored assets, allowing multiple parameters to be measured and analysed and enabling wireless and immediate data access across the globe.

Business Performance Measurements in Asset Management with the Support of Big Data Technologies

Abstract The paper reviews the performance measurement in the domain of interest. Important data in asset management are further, discussed. The importance and the characteristics of today’s ICTs capabilities are also mentioned in the paper. The role of new concepts such as big data and data mining analytical technologies in managing the performance measurements in asset management are discussed in detail. The authors consequently suggest the use of the modified Balanced Scorecard methodology highlighting both quantitative and qualitative aspects, which is crucial for optimal use of the big data approach and technologies.

MOBILE INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

The objective of this paper is to provide a profound insight into important characteristics with regard to the integration of mobile technology into the area of industrial maintenance. The aspects highlighted in the paper uncover, for instance, acceptance models and best practices, as well as the financial impact of mobile technologies in the domain of interest. Moreover, the paper pinpoints some important characteristics that impede full integration of these technologies into this area. In addition, the economic benefits and the current situation with regard to mobile integration are highlighted. In addition, relevant literature and theories are analysed and discussed. Furthermore, the industrial integration of mobile technologies is outlined. The results indicate that there is a tendency to place an emphasis on the technical aspects of mobile devices rather than on understanding the organisational context, which affects the integration of mobile technologies into this domain. The work provides a thorough understanding of best practices and aspects to consider for the successful integration of mobile technologies in this area. This is because the use of mobile devices enables maintenance staff to gain access to information and services pertaining to the task in hand in real time, as long as some form of network access is provided. Users of these devices thus become mobile actors who dynamically interact with the physical environment in the workplace and support information systems, leading to a faster response to events and improved organizational performance.