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The software that warns you in advance when something is about to go wrong - Siemens has bought it
Siemens has acquired Senseye, a developer of preventive maintenance solutions. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but it is known that the acquisition will strengthen the German technology company's position in a dynamic and growing market.
Since its founding in 2014, UK-based Senseye has developed software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions that enable industry sector players to reduce unplanned machine downtime and increase asset life.
To understand the importance of preventive maintenance, it is worth clarifying the problem itself. We call a mechanic to repair a washing machine when it is already broken down - but this approach does not really fit into factory operations. Most places have a set maintenance schedule, i.e., machines are checked regularly from time to time. As engineers generally try to minimise unexpected downtime - which, by its unpredictable nature, takes a long time to fix and has significant cost implications due to lost production -, more maintenance is scheduled for each piece of equipment and machine rather than less or sufficient.
As a result, maintenance is often an "unnecessary precaution" and, according to a survey by technology market research firm ARC, around half of the money so spent is lost.
This "waste" and the loss of revenue arising from the shutdown following failure can be eliminated with IoT (Internet of Things) -based preventive maintenance. Senseye's solutions with artificial intelligence capabilities analyse data collected from machines and maintenance processes to predict asset condition trends and send out alert at points requiring intervention. This means that maintenance is only carried out on equipment in the factory when it is really needed – but then notification is sent immediately.
In its bulletin, Siemens reminds that proactive solutions which predict optimal maintenance times for industrial and other critical infrastructures are increasingly in demand, driven by accelerating digitisation and urbanisation, as well as the need to increase efficiency and sustainability. Their market, worth $4.02 billion worldwide in 2020, could reach $18.65 billion by 2027, according to Research and Markets. This holds the promise of an average annual growth rate of 26.5 percent over the study period.
Source: hvg.hu.