Cut Downtime with Digital Signage Solutions for Proactive Machine Maintenance

Digital signage is one of the most essential communication tools in the manufacturing sector, where the combined need for efficiency, productivity and safety are paramount.

The Role of Digital Signage in Manufacturing

Bottom line: digital signage enhances operations and drives results. By providing real-time information, streamlining communication, and improving overall visibility, digital signage empowers manufacturers to optimize processes, reduce downtime, and improve product quality.

From production line monitoring to employee training, digital signage plays a vital role in transforming manufacturing facilities into efficient and competitive operations.

Poppulo (formerly Four Winds Interactive) has been a market leader in digital signage for many years and we work with the best manufacturers in the world, so if you’d like to know more about what our digital signage solutions can for your manufacturing facility, check it out here.

Benefits of Digital Signage in Proactive Maintenance

Let’s face it, sometimes being reactive has its benefits, but in the world of manufacturing being proactive wins every time. Proactive measures prevent problems before they happen, while reactive measures address them after the fact, often leading to more significant costs and disruptions. Being proactive you get ahead of potential problems; being reactive you’re too late and pay the price.

The emergence of digital signage as an essential communication tool on the factory floor has become a game-changer for proactive machine maintenance and is being deployed by the most progressive manufacturers.

Take just one example: downtime due to machine failures. It can have a devastating impact on overall business operations, with unplanned outages leading to lost production, missed deadlines, and increased costs.

According to global research by the Swiss-Swedish multinational ABB, over two-thirds of industrial businesses experience unplanned outages at least once a month, costing the typical business close to $125,000 per hour.

“Despite this, 21 percent of businesses surveyed still rely on run-to-fail maintenance,” the report stated. The survey, conducted in July 2023, gathered responses from 3,215 plant maintenance decision-makers globally across the energy generation, plastics and rubber, oil and gas, wind, chemicals, rail, utilities, marine, food and beverage, water and wastewater, and metals sectors.

Reducing the Costs of Downtime with Proactive Maintenance

The ultimate goal of proactive maintenance is to reduce downtime and optimize productivity. Every minute a machine is offline can mean a loss in productivity and revenue. By using digital signage to monitor machine health, display alerts, and keep teams informed, the risk of unexpected breakdowns is significantly reduced.

Proactive maintenance, supported by digital signage, ensures that repairs and part replacements are made before things go south. This approach not only minimizes the time equipment spends offline but also extends the lifespan of machinery. Over time, these benefits add up to substantial cost savings.

Examples of how Digital Signage Enhances Communication to Cut Downtime

Real-Time Alerts: Having digital screens around your factory floor that can flash alerts the moment a machine shows signs of trouble goes a long way to preventing downtime. Instead of waiting for a breakdown, maintenance teams can jump into action right away.

Maintenance Schedules: Digital signage can display up-to-date maintenance schedules for all machines. Workers can easily see when the next service is due and prepare accordingly. This proactive approach ensures that machines get the attention they need before they start causing problems.

Training and Instructions: Sometimes, a quick fix is all that’s needed to prevent a major issue. Digital signage can show step-by-step instructions or training videos for common maintenance tasks. This empowers workers to handle minor issues on the spot, reducing the need for specialist intervention and keeping machines running longer.

Performance Metrics: Displaying key performance indicators (KPIs) on digital screens helps everyone stay informed about how well machines are performing. If a machine’s efficiency starts to dip, it can be addressed before it leads to a full-blown breakdown. This keeps productivity high and downtime low.

Inventory Management: Digital signage can also be used to keep track of spare parts inventory. Knowing exactly what’s in stock and where it is can speed up repairs. No more hunting for that elusive part while the machine sits idle.

Digital Signage for Machine Monitoring and Maintenance Alerts

By integrating digital signage with your existing machine monitoring systems, you can create a powerful tool for proactive maintenance. Visualize real-time data, such as temperature, vibration, and pressure, on large displays throughout your facility.

This enables your maintenance team to quickly identify potential issues and take corrective action before they lead to breakdowns. Additionally, digital signage can display alerts and notifications, ensuring that relevant personnel are informed of critical events.

By leveraging the capabilities of digital signage, you can enhance your machine monitoring efforts and further reduce downtime.

Overall, digital signage in manufacturing serves as a highly efficient communication method.

Any updates, changes in procedures, or important announcements can be broadcast instantly, keeping everyone in the loop and ensuring that maintenance teams are always on the same page.

Incorporating digital signage into your proactive machine maintenance systems will result in greater efficiency and improved productivity and safety–and ultimately a better, more profitable business.

If you would like to find out more about how we can do for you what our digital signage does for many of the world’s most successful manufacturers, contact us here.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What is digital signage, and how can it help with machine maintenance?

Digital signage refers to the use of electronic displays, like LCD or LED screens, to show information, alerts, or instructions. Because machine maintenance helps prevent costly breakdowns, digital signage can play a big role in keeping everything running smoothly.

It provides real-time updates on machine status, displays maintenance schedules, and shows safety protocols right on the shop floor. Additionally, it allows for quick access to troubleshooting guides and part information, making the maintenance process more efficient.

How does digital signage reduce downtime in machine maintenance?

Digital signage systems can display real-time data on machine performance, allowing maintenance teams to identify potential issues before they lead to breakdowns.

By displaying machine data, digital signage can help managers of maintenance needs, allowing preventive maintenance tasks to be scheduled at optimal times, minimizing disruptions to production. It can also be used to display clear and concise information to maintenance teams, reducing misunderstandings and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

Not all breakdowns can be prevented, of course, even with proactive machine maintenance, but when problems do arise, digital signage can be used to quickly communicate information to relevant personnel, speeding up the troubleshooting process and reducing downtime.

What types of data can be displayed on digital signage for maintenance?

Historical data: Trends and patterns in machine performance over time.

Maintenance schedules: Upcoming maintenance tasks and their due dates.

Equipment status: Real-time updates on the status of critical equipment, such as whether it's operational or in maintenance.

Alerts and notifications: Warnings of potential issues or equipment failures.

Visualizations: Graphs, charts, and other visual representations of data to make it easier to understand.

Instructions: Step-by-step instructions for maintenance procedures.

Safety information: Important safety guidelines and procedures.

Operator performance: Data on operator behavior and adherence to maintenance procedures.

Can digital signage be customized for specific industries?

Yes, digital signage is highly versatile and can be customized to meet the specific needs of different manufacturing industries:

• Automotive: Displaying real-time data on assembly line performance, quality control metrics, and inventory levels.
• Food and beverage: Monitoring temperature and humidity levels in production areas, tracking product expiration dates, and displaying safety information.
• Pharmaceutical: Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, tracking production batches, and displaying quality control data.
• Electronics: Monitoring equipment performance, tracking production yields, and displaying quality control data.
• Textiles: Tracking production quotas, monitoring machine performance, and displaying safety information.

Is digital signage difficult to integrate with existing predictive maintenance systems?

The benefits of integrating digital signage with existing predictive maintenance systems can be significant, as it can provide real-time visibility into machine health and maintenance status, allowing for more proactive and efficient maintenance practices.

However, it requires careful planning and implementation, and the level of difficulty depends on several factors, including:

The complexity of the existing system: More complex systems may require more extensive integration efforts.

Data compatibility: You’ve got to ensure that the data from the predictive maintenance system can be easily integrated with the digital signage system.

Technical expertise: You must have the necessary technical skills and resources to handle the integration process, particularly if your existing predictive maintenance systems are complex. If you don't have the necessary technical expertise in-house, consider hiring a consultant or integrator to assist with the integration process.

What are the long-term benefits of using digital signage for machine maintenance?

We’ve seen the many immediate and short-term benefits of digital signage in manufacturing, but what are the longer-term advantages and benefits?

In the long run, the benefits of using digital signage for machine maintenance can lead to a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable manufacturing operation, significantly enhancing both efficiency and productivity. Here are some of those benefits in greater detail:

• Improved Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): By reducing downtime and increasing machine reliability, digital signage can significantly improve OEE, leading to higher production efficiency and lower costs.
• Enhanced product quality: Proactive maintenance can help prevent equipment failures that can lead to defects in products, improving overall quality and customer satisfaction.
• Increased productivity: Reduced downtime and improved equipment reliability can lead to increased production output and higher productivity.
• Reduced maintenance costs: Proactive maintenance can help identify and address potential issues before they become major problems, reducing the need for costly emergency repairs.
• Improved safety: Digital signage can be used to display safety information and alerts, helping to prevent accidents and injuries.
• Better decision-making: By providing real-time data and insights, digital signage can help maintenance teams make more informed decisions about maintenance strategies and resource allocation.
• Increased sustainability: By reducing energy consumption and waste, proactive maintenance can contribute to a more sustainable manufacturing operation.