Macrete carry out regular maintenance on their machines to ensure key assets are operational, efficient and safe, thus preventing unexpected downtime. However, when assessing the condition of their manufacturing systems, Macrete's maintenance staff found that a piece of rotating equipment might appear serviceable externally but could have hidden internal failure issues.

Macrete owner and Director, Richard Hogg met with the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub team to explore how condition monitoring could create actionable insights and support their manufacturing processes. Richard attended an event hosted by SMDH that introduced Industry 4.0 technologies and met with Darkscope, a local IoT solutions provider, who explained how companies can use data to become more resilient, profitable, and cutting-edge in their respective industries. 

Following a site visit, Macrete decided to undertake a project with the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub that would allow them to monitor assets in real time, using intelligent, wireless, IoT sensors to target machine downtime and energy usage. They partnered with commercial provider Darkscope, who deployed 30 IoT sensors on Macrete’s critical vibrating and rotating machinery assets, connecting their concrete manufacturing machinery to the internet to allowing for pro-active monitoring.

Data generated from the sensors was analysed to accurately predict imbalances, misalignments, bearing failures, lubrication failures, pump cavitations, looseness, gear faults, structural issues, and electrical spikes. The outputs are presented on an easy-to-use dashboard accessible in real-time from any location, with alerts set up to allow the team to identify patterns and establish best practices.

Darkscope carried out staff training on how to use the system and set up bespoke reporting for different departments within the company. Through the user-friendly platform, Macrete gained seamless access to their machine data, enabling insights into equipment behaviour to facilitate informed, intelligent maintenance decisions.

Working with the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub provided Macrete with the opportunity to explore and embed new industry 4.0 technologies with access to data collection hardware, a cloud-based data visualisation platform and independent advice from industry experts. As a result, Macrete improved their data analytics capabilities, allowing for more accurate predictive maintenance schedules and reducing unexpected failures.

By setting up alerts, the team were able to detect when abnormal vibrational activity occurred, allowing Macrete to conduct timely maintenance, mitigating the risk of equipment failure and unplanned downtime. This shift from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies resulted in a 10-15% increase in overall productivity and substantial energy savings across assets.

The collaboration allowed Macrete to significantly enhance operational efficiency, optimise asset utilisation, and improve energy efficiency, achieving digitalisation of maintenance monitoring and supporting their sustainability goals.

The project illustrates how vibration sensors coupled with real-time monitoring, can reduce machine downtime by up to 99%, revolutionising Macrete’s approach to asset maintenance, spare parts management, and overall operational efficiency. Working with the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub allowed Macrete to transition to a data-driven approach and will bolster Macrete’s future initiatives in product development, enhancing delivery excellence, and reinforcing their commitment to a net-zero strategy.