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The ideas that surround industry are absolutely integral to the human race, and are an indicator of what we have achieved as a species. The days before industry were plagued by mass starvation and disease, even in the developed world, and the development of new technologies has been critically important in reducing this. Nowadays, humanity has a much broader spectrum of industry than it did in the earliest days of the industrial revolution. For example, there were many different types of raw materials being extracted which formed the basis of industry. These types of industrial processes are still taking place, albeit with different and more refined methods, but now there are completely new types of industry taking place alongside them. For example, in areas such as the car industry automation has become a very common aspect. The assembly line process is now commonly streamlined by utilising robotic equipment, which is capable of doing the job much faster. There are also many different refinements in machinery and equipment. Whilst in the earliest days of industry most ways of doing things were dependent on men with tools, there is now a dependence on complex machinery that is capable of a dramatic level of output compared to man alone. For all of this refinement, there has been a concerted effort of to make industrial processes as efficient as possible. Technological advancements in terms of machinery are a very important aspect of this. By designing better, faster and more advanced machinery things like assembly lines or even raw material extraction can be done in a more efficient way. There is also a huge amount of efficiency gained from predictive maintenance. In a factory setting, any downtime is a waste as it results in a reduction in efficiency. If a machine in a factory breaks, then the output suffers – which is a very detrimental occurrence, particularly if a replacement is needed or the breakage happens to a machine that is integral to the rest of the factory’s output. Predictive maintenance is a field that has sprung up from this. This process works by analysing various aspects of the equipment and machinery in a factory and determines where and when they will fail. By monitoring the conditions of a machine it is possible to get an accurate view of how well it is operating and also when it will fail. Machines with moving parts may have vibration monitoring equipment attached to them, which monitors for changes that indicate the wear of the machine – which then indicates where and when the machine will fail. In addition, acoustic emission equipment may be placed on machinery to measure the sound waves that will indicate the stress levels of the materials and determine where it is weak or needs replacing. It’s all a part of the greater effort to make industrial processes and efficient and streamlined process, one that helps engineer greater efficiency in industry.
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industry, emissions monitoring, predictive maintenance, efficiency,
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