Your production, live in view

Many machines and plants already record temperatures, fault messages and other data. Analysing data across systems helps you understand production patterns, put downtime into context and recognise gradual or sudden changes.

What live (real time) means

Define the response time

Real time means that a system processes data within the timing requirements of the relevant process. These requirements depend on the application. For plant monitoring, the allowable delays in data collection, transmission and analysis therefore need to be defined (Source: IEC Electropedia).

Recognise changes earlier

A fault can develop further between measurements. Continuous monitoring can make changes visible earlier when suitable signals are collected and analysed. The time available to respond depends on how the fault develops and the measurement method.

Making good use of existing data

An existing SCADA system displays process values, operating states and alarms. First, check which time series (historical records) and analyses it already provides. Additional monitoring can bring together data from several machines and make production patterns from different periods comparable. This can help you trace which events preceded a stoppage and the operating conditions in which they occurred.

View motor signals in context

Temperature and current draw can be viewed alongside the operating state. The schematic example shows startup, running and stopped phases on a shared time axis.

Compare process trends

Recorded values from different periods or comparable production phases can be compared. This helps you identify deviations and work with operators to check whether they fit the operating sequence in question.

Both examples require signals that are collected appropriately and clearly associated with the relevant equipment. The analysis provides indications that the responsible specialists assess in the context of the plant.

Getting started

Define the use case and available data

Start with a clearly defined use case, such as a recurring stoppage or an unusual process trend. Define the question the analysis should answer and who will use the results. Also record which improvement you want to evaluate later.

Next, check which signals are already available in controllers, machine interfaces or databases. Document their meaning, units and the machine they belong to. OPC UA, Modbus TCP and MQTT are possible ways to connect them. The choice depends on the existing interfaces, the network and the data required.

Coordinate data collection and operating procedures

Plan appropriate timestamps, the historical data you need and how to handle connection interruptions. Where data is processed depends on your infrastructure and operating requirements. Coordinate access and connectivity with those responsible for automation and IT.

Check the configured analysis against known operating sequences. Do the displayed states and times match the plant? Can production and maintenance teams relate the information to the equipment? Agree who will assess unusual changes and decide what action to take.

Our article on production monitoring alongside existing SCADA describes a suitable architecture for data connectivity, dashboards and reports.

When monitoring pays off

Weigh costs against benefits

Whether monitoring pays off depends on your downtime costs, the available data and the question you want to answer. Compare the costs of sensors, connectivity, software and operation with the benefits you can realistically achieve: less investigation time, shorter downtime or better targeted maintenance.

Verify improvements in operation

Use your downtime history as a starting point and record the effort spent investigating it so far. Start with the agreed use case and check which improvements actually appear after implementation. Also account for the ongoing effort required to analyse the data and carry out the resulting actions.

What PlantWatch and Sync Motion provide

Use machine data with PlantWatch

PlantWatch uses the machine data provided for production overviews, process trends, downtime analysis and reports. Which questions it can answer depends on the available signals and their quality. Sync Motion checks existing interfaces, sets up the agreed data connection and storage, and configures PlantWatch for the agreed use.

Plan additional analyses around the use case

Vibration analysis, acoustic monitoring and failure prediction require suitable measurements and analysis methods. Whether additional sensors or specialised systems are needed is assessed for the specific use case. Additional sensors, custom analyses and predictive models are agreed separately.