Abstract : With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it has begun to be applied in various fields, among which Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Zigbee technologies play a crucial role. Enterprise equipment management and maintenance has always been a key focus for businesses. This paper proposes applying IoT technology to equipment management and maintenance, which can better enable comprehensive equipment management, improve enterprise productivity, and ultimately increase enterprise profits.
Keywords : Internet of Things, RFID, Zigbee, device management and maintenance
The Internet of Things Technology and Modern Business Equipment Management and Maintenance
introduction
Equipment is the guarantee of product quality and a vital tool for a company's survival and development. Production requires management in various aspects, and equipment maintenance is one of the fundamental aspects of on-site management. In this process, equipment maintenance plays a crucial role. Aging equipment, lack of timely repair and maintenance, and other problems can lead to low production efficiency, poor product quality, and low economic benefits. Therefore, effective equipment management and maintenance are of great practical significance for improving a company's equipment management, technical level, productivity, and enhancing its market competitiveness.
This article proposes applying Internet of Things (IoT) technology to enterprise equipment management and maintenance, and explores its significant advantages in equipment management and maintenance.
1. Internet of Things (IoT) technology
The "Internet of Things (IoT)" concept developed based on the "Internet concept." The IoT is generally defined as a network concept that connects any object to the Internet through information sensing devices such as RFID, infrared sensors, GPS, and laser scanners, according to agreed-upon protocols, to exchange information and communicate, thereby achieving intelligent identification, location, tracking, monitoring, and management. In general, the IoT can be summarized into three layers: the perception layer, the network layer, and the application layer. The perception layer comprehensively senses objects, i.e., it identifies them or collects data. The network layer is the reliable transmission layer, reliably transmitting information through various existing wired and wireless communication networks. The application layer is the intelligent processing layer, processing and displaying the collected data. The IoT definition diagram is shown below:
The Internet of Things (IoT) fully utilizes next-generation IT technologies across various industries. Specifically, it involves embedding and equipping sensors into various objects such as power grids, railways, bridges, tunnels, highways, buildings, and water supply systems. Then, it integrates the IoT with the existing internet to achieve the integration of human society and physical systems. The applications of the IoT can permeate all walks of life.
2. Internet of Things (IoT) related technologies
2.1 RFID Technology
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification technology. It utilizes radio frequency signals to achieve contactless information transmission through spatial coupling (alternating magnetic or electromagnetic fields), and uses the transmitted information to achieve identification. In terms of the basic principle of information transmission, RFID technology in the low-frequency band is based on a transformer coupling model (energy and signal transmission between the primary and secondary windings), while in the high-frequency band it is based on a radar target detection spatial coupling model (the radar emits electromagnetic waves that, upon encountering the target, carry the target information back to the radar receiver).
An RFID system consists of three parts: electronic tags, antennas, and readers. Each tag has a globally unique identifier and can also store a small amount of electronic information. The antenna transmits radio frequency signals between the electronic tag and the reader. The reader is the device that reads or writes data to the electronic tag.
Compared to barcode technology, RFID technology has several advantages: 1) Contactless and highly automated. RFID identification requires no human intervention, making it convenient to use. 2) Durable and reliable, adaptable to various working environments. RFID tags can be used in harsh environments. 3) Fast identification speed, enabling high-speed and simultaneous identification of multiple tags, significantly accelerating workflows.
The advantages of RFID have led to its adoption by various departments and its application in logistics management and goods management.
2.2 Zigbee Technology
Communication between sensing and control devices does not require high bandwidth, but it does require low response time, very low power consumption, and wide device distribution. The Zigbee protocol provides an excellent solution for communication between sensing and control devices in wireless networks.
Zigbee is a short-range, simple, low-power, and low-data-rate wireless communication technology. Its transmission distance is approximately tens of meters, using the free 2.4GHz frequency band, with a transmission rate of 20-250KB/s. The network architecture features a Master/Slave configuration and supports bidirectional communication. In terms of standards and specifications, the IEEE 802.15.4 group and the Zigbee Alliance are the main organizations, each developing hardware and software standards respectively. The Zigbee Alliance supports three network architectures: star, tree, and mesh. Compared to other wireless network technologies, it is more suitable for building large-scale condition monitoring systems, and applying Zigbee technology to condition monitoring systems has a very promising future. A Zigbee module is shown in the figure below.
Figure 2 Zigbee module
3 Equipment Management and Maintenance System
Given the crucial role of equipment in enterprises, establishing an equipment management and maintenance system is imperative. The goal of this system is to create a platform for enterprise equipment management and maintenance information management, enabling the enterprise to achieve the following benefits during equipment maintenance management:
(1) Improve the overall utilization rate of equipment, tap the production potential of equipment, and increase its effective production time;
(2) Avoid frequent maintenance of the system to prevent waste caused by excessive maintenance of equipment, extend the service life of equipment, and reduce maintenance costs;
(3) Reduce downtime and decrease material consumption during normal operation;
(4) Improve the work efficiency of management and maintenance personnel and make full and effective use of enterprise resources;
(5) Effectively collect various maintenance data to lay the foundation for preventive maintenance.
The main function of the equipment management and maintenance system is to comprehensively manage all the equipment of an enterprise and to integrate equipment information with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
3.1 Equipment Management
3.1.1 Overview of Equipment Management
Enterprise equipment management mainly includes: equipment budget management, fixed asset management, spare parts management, and work order management. Equipment management achieves economic management of the entire lifecycle of equipment, from procurement and asset transfer to disposal. Budget management primarily manages the budget for equipment procurement and maintenance; fixed asset management involves the reasonable recording of the enterprise's equipment assets; spare parts management mainly handles the procurement and storage of equipment spare parts; and work order management calculates the costs of spare parts, materials, and labor, monitors actual maintenance costs in real time, and breaks down costs down to individual equipment. This article focuses primarily on spare parts management based on Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
3.1.2 Implementation of Equipment Management
This paper proposes a spare parts management method based on IoT technology as follows: A shared spare parts warehouse is used throughout the plant or workshop. Newly purchased spare parts are added to the warehouse with RFID tags, recording basic information such as spare part name, ERP number, specifications, price, quantity, storage location, purchase location, purchase time, purpose, and maintenance records. When a component on the equipment malfunctions and requires repair, the spare parts inventory information can be queried through the data server. When a spare part is used to replace a malfunctioning component, an RFID reader/writer records the spare part's online/offline status on the RFID tag. Repaired components are placed in the spare parts warehouse, and their maintenance information is recorded on the tag or in the database. RFID tags are only removed when a spare part is beyond repair and needs to be scrapped. The removed RFID tags can be affixed to new equipment for continued use, and the original information on the tag is cleared. Each change to the information in the RFID tag requires a synchronized update of the information in the data server. The spare parts management process is shown in the figure.
The diagram above shows the spare parts management framework. The work platform uses multiple readers to register and manage the online and offline status of spare parts, storing the information in a database server. On the web server, a web program is written to read the database in real time. As long as you have access on a PC with internet access, you can query and manage all the information of the spare parts in real time and make reasonable scheduling and use.
This method of spare parts management eliminates the need for manual barcode scanning, saving labor costs and enabling real-time location, tracking, and monitoring of spare parts. Therefore, the application of RFID technology will benefit enterprises in achieving real-time, transparent, and visible supply chain management.
3.2 Equipment Maintenance
3.2.1 Stages of Equipment Maintenance Development
Since its inception, equipment maintenance has gone through several different stages: (1) Post-failure maintenance stage, characterized by maintenance only after a failure has occurred. Its advantage is that it makes full use of system components. Even now, this maintenance method is still used in situations where equipment failure will not cause significant losses. (2) Preventive maintenance stage, characterized by eliminating failures in their infancy through various preventive measures. Its purpose is to prevent equipment from suddenly failing and stopping, and to replace some components or units within an economical time interval. Preventive maintenance includes three aspects: daily maintenance of equipment such as cleaning, lubrication and upkeep; periodic inspection of equipment to promptly grasp the deterioration status of equipment; and restoration activities for deteriorated equipment. Preventive maintenance should be carried out with caution to prevent over-maintenance and uneconomical maintenance and accidents caused by inadequate maintenance. (3) Production maintenance stage, which is a maintenance model with the highest production efficiency and optimal economy. Preventive maintenance is adopted for key and critical equipment, while post-failure maintenance is adopted for general equipment. It is the sum of all costs of maintaining normal equipment operation and all losses caused by equipment degradation. (4) Company-wide, company-wide production maintenance phase: This is a production maintenance model that involves all company personnel, including production managers, maintenance personnel, and production operators, covering the entire equipment lifecycle. (5) Predictive maintenance phase: This phase focuses on condition monitoring and diagnosis, and maintenance is only performed when it is proven necessary. Predictive maintenance determines and conducts maintenance activities based on the diagnosis of equipment degradation and performance. Therefore, it requires the ability to accurately detect and understand the equipment degradation state, and only performs maintenance when it is truly necessary. It is a product of the development of equipment diagnostic technology that quantitatively understands equipment status.
This entire development process reflects the optimization of maintenance management in the mechanical fault diagnosis and management system, that is, minimizing accidents to the greatest extent possible, or in other words, pursuing "zero accidents".
3.2.2 General methods for equipment maintenance
Currently, equipment maintenance is mainly carried out in the following ways: (1) Daily inspection: Before each shift, the equipment is inspected according to the inspection standards by listening, looking, touching and other methods. The purpose of daily inspection is to ensure that the equipment operates normally and does not malfunction. The inspection contents include: abnormal noise, oil leakage, vibration, temperature, lubrication and adjustment, etc. (2) Periodic inspection: The maintenance workers conduct regular inspections of key equipment according to the plan. The purpose of periodic inspection is to ensure that the equipment meets the specified performance. The inspection work includes: measuring the degree of equipment deterioration, determining the equipment performance, adjusting the equipment, etc. (3) Planned repair: The plan is prepared based on the equipment repair entrustment letter, maintenance report, machine tool performance inspection record and other materials based on the results of daily inspection and periodic inspection, and the repair is carried out regularly. This type of repair is a restorative repair. (4) Improvement repair: The repair is to improve certain structures of the equipment. This type of repair is mainly used for equipment that frequently malfunctions. (5) Fault repair: When the equipment suddenly malfunctions or scrap is caused by the equipment, emergency repair must be organized immediately. Fault repair is an important part of equipment maintenance work. It directly affects the downtime and whether the production workshop can complete the production task on time.
3.2.3 Implementation of Equipment Maintenance
IoT-based equipment maintenance refers to obtaining status information of different parts of the system during operation, such as pressure, temperature, and vibration frequency, from sensors embedded inside the equipment or external monitoring devices. This status information is then evaluated in real-time or periodically to determine the equipment's maintenance needs. By establishing a basic framework for an IoT-based equipment condition-based maintenance safety management model, IoT and equipment monitoring technologies are used to collect equipment status data. A validated equipment maintenance management prediction and decision-making model is then used to achieve safe maintenance management of the equipment. The framework of an IoT-based equipment maintenance system is shown in the figure below.
Figure 5. Equipment maintenance system framework diagram
In the diagram above, each Zigbee node is installed on or corresponds to a device. Multiple sensors for temperature, pressure, vibration, etc., are installed at different locations on this device to collect various status information from different parts. After processing all the information, it is wirelessly transmitted to the Zigbee summary node. The total number of nodes is determined by the number of devices in each workshop. After receiving the information, the summary node transmits it to the work platform, i.e., the equipment management and maintenance system, via a network repeater. The system analyzes and processes the information transmitted from each device, issues alarms for abnormal signals, and adds the data to the database in real time. Clients, after gaining access via the internet, can view the device status information through a web application and take different actions depending on the situation.
Summarize
This article provides a brief overview of equipment management and maintenance, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) technology, and proposes a concept for equipment management and maintenance based on IoT technology. This method can achieve good results in equipment management and maintenance. With the continuous development of industry, IoT technology will also penetrate into different industries, leveraging its significant advantages to achieve rapid information sharing in modern times.
