CENTER HARBOR, NH — Smartware Group, producer of the modern Bigfoot CMMS solution for maintenance teams worldwide, announced 5ME as its preferred asset monitoring partner to deliver enhanced asset visibility and automation across the manufacturing enterprise for predictive maintenance (PdM) leveraging the industrial internet of things (IIoT).
5ME’s Freedom eLOG, a cloud asset monitoring system, works in conjunction with cloud-based Bigfoot CMMS to deliver asset condition monitoring and maintenance activity automation. By deploying Freedom eLOG along with the Bigfoot Integration Suite, Bigfoot users can capture real-time asset data and value-added analytics, from individual machine performance to total production activity, using any web browser.
Specific asset events can be configured to auto-generate PdM actions in Bigfoot, such as corrective and preventive maintenance (PM) work orders and email notifications, based on operating time, temperature fluctuations or other variables. For example, maintenance and reliability teams can now program a machine that runs over a certain quantity of hours to trigger a PM and automatically notify the appropriate personnel via email and on their CMMS dashboard.
“Data is a powerful tool in reducing downtime, minimizing unplanned maintenance and preventing backlogs,” said Paul Lachance, president and co-founder of Smartware Group. “The real-time data gleaned from Freedom eLOG combined with Bigfoot’s advanced workflows and configuration truly equip maintenance teams to transform their ‘fail and fix’ maintenance practices into ‘predict and prevent.’”
Proper PdM can stretch the longevity of assets while reducing the burden on limited labor and time resources. According to a recent survey conducted by Smartware Group in conjunction with Plant Services, only 10 percent of manufacturers perform an ideal percentage of condition-based maintenance, an important stepping stone toward achieving PdM.
“At 5ME, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and facilitating lean manufacturing is our priority,” said Jeff Price, executive vice president at 5ME. “The integration between Bigfoot and Freedom eLOG improves equipment productivity and reduces downtime — empowering manufacturers to predict asset failure and prevent against it through automation. Too much of current machine maintenance is reactive, halting productivity and digging into profitability. Smartware Group’s Bigfoot CMMS solution complements Freedom eLOG in helping maintenance, production and reliability teams to increase manufacturing efficiency.”
