Importance of Automation Equipment Maintenance and Practice Guidelines

　　With the rapid development of Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing, automation equipment is more and more widely used in various production scenarios. Automation equipment helps enterprises improve production efficiency and reduce labor costs through accurate and efficient operation. However, to ensure that the equipment is operated efficiently for a long time, the maintenance work should not be ignored. In this paper, we will discuss how to effectively carry out the maintenance of automation equipment from the importance of automation equipment maintenance, common maintenance strategies and specific practical guidelines in three aspects.

　　First, the importance of automation equipment maintenance

　　1. Extend the service life of the equipment: automation equipment is usually complex structure, expensive, properly maintained can effectively extend its service life. Regular inspection and maintenance of equipment can find potential faults and hidden dangers, to prevent equipment in operation in the event of serious mechanical or electrical failure. Through maintenance, equipment parts can maintain good working condition, to avoid equipment failure caused by aging or wear and tear of parts.

　　2. Ensure the continuity and stability of production: once the automation equipment fails, it will directly affect the normal operation of the production line, and may even lead to production interruption, bringing serious economic losses to the enterprise. Through regular maintenance work, can be found in advance and solve the problem, reduce the risk of equipment downtime, so as to ensure the continuity and stability of production. This not only improves the utilization rate of equipment, but also reduces the time wasted due to breakdowns and downtime.

　　3. Improve production efficiency and product quality: well-maintained equipment can be more efficient to complete the production task, reducing errors in the production process and unnecessary downtime. At the same time, the accuracy of automation equipment has a direct impact on product quality. Well-maintained equipment can maintain its high-precision operation to ensure that the quality of the products produced is stable, reducing the generation of defective products. Regular maintenance can also optimize the performance of the equipment, so that it runs in the best state.

　　4. Reduce maintenance costs and safety risks: Compared with emergency repairs after sudden equipment failure, regular maintenance is a more cost-effective way of management. Through maintenance work, it can reduce the frequency of equipment overhaul, reduce the cost of emergency repair and parts replacement. At the same time, automation equipment often involves electrical, mechanical and other complex systems, if not regularly inspected and maintained, the existence of potential safety hazards in the equipment may lead to safety accidents. Regular maintenance not only helps to reduce the risk of equipment failure, but also ensures the safety of the working environment.

　　Second, the common maintenance strategy of automation equipment

　　1. Preventive maintenance: preventive maintenance is a maintenance strategy to prevent equipment failure through regular inspection and maintenance. This method is used to check each key component of the equipment, such as the electrical system, the mechanical transmission part, the hydraulic system, etc., on time by making a detailed maintenance plan. Through regular inspections, potential failure problems can be detected early, and the necessary measures can be taken to repair or replace them, so as to avoid sudden failures of the equipment in operation.

　　2. Predictive maintenance: Predictive maintenance is a strategy of maintenance based on the real-time status of the equipment. Through the installation of sensors and monitoring systems, real-time collection of equipment operating data, such as vibration, temperature, pressure, etc., to analyze the working status of the equipment, to determine whether there are potential problems with the equipment. Predictive maintenance can help companies accurately grasp the health of the equipment and take maintenance measures before the problem occurs, avoiding unnecessary downtime and maintenance.

　　3. Corrective maintenance: corrective maintenance refers to the repair work carried out after the equipment failure. This method was more common in the past, but due to its unpredictability, it often leads to long equipment downtime and production interruptions. Modern companies prefer to reduce the frequency of corrective maintenance through preventive and predictive maintenance. However, when equipment failure occurs, timely and effective corrective maintenance is still necessary to restore production.

　　Third, the specific practice of automated equipment maintenance guide

　　1. Develop a maintenance plan: first of all, the enterprise should be based on the type of equipment, operating conditions and production requirements, to develop a detailed maintenance plan. Maintenance plan should include the daily inspection of equipment, maintenance cycle, maintenance measures, as well as key components of the replacement schedule and so on. Define the responsible person for each maintenance work, and ensure that all maintenance operations are recorded, the formation of a systematic maintenance file.

　　2. Monitoring and data analysis of equipment operation: real-time monitoring is one of the core of modern automation equipment maintenance. Through the installation of sensors and data acquisition systems, the operational status of equipment, such as current, voltage, vibration, temperature and other key parameters are monitored. The analysis of data helps to predict possible equipment failures so that preventive measures can be taken. Enterprises should establish a sound equipment monitoring system and regularly analyze the data to ensure that the equipment operates in an optimal state.

　　3. Equipment cleaning and lubrication: The daily cleaning and lubrication of automation equipment is a basic part of maintenance. Equipment after a long period of operation, easy to accumulate dust, oil, etc., affecting the operating efficiency of the equipment. Cleaning work should include the external equipment, transmission components, electrical cabinets and other parts of the regular cleaning. At the same time, regularly add lubricants to the mechanical transmission parts of the equipment can effectively reduce friction and extend the service life of parts.

　　4. Parts inspection and replacement: in the maintenance process, focus on checking the key parts of the equipment, such as motors, sensors, bearings and so on. Equipment parts in long-term operation will occur in the wear and tear or aging, enterprises should be based on the use of equipment, timely replacement of damaged or about to fail parts. Especially for some high-precision equipment parts, such as filling machine nozzles, packaging machine sealing device, etc., should pay more attention to its regular inspection and maintenance.

　　5. Regular training and personnel management: the professional skills of equipment maintenance personnel directly affect the quality of maintenance work. Enterprises should be regularly trained maintenance personnel, so that they master the latest equipment maintenance technology and safety practices. At the same time, to ensure that the equipment operators also have the basic maintenance knowledge, to be able to find abnormal problems in the process of equipment operation in a timely manner.

　　The efficient operation of automation equipment can not be separated from the scientific and reasonable maintenance management. Through the implementation of preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance strategies, companies can effectively extend the service life of equipment, reduce maintenance costs and improve productivity. Careful execution of maintenance work and professional training of technicians are also key factors to ensure that the equipment operates in the best condition. Under the wave of smart manufacturing, the maintenance of automated equipment will also become more and more intelligent, helping companies to achieve the goal of efficient, safe and sustainable production.