Assessing the predictive maintenance readiness of enterprises in West Bohemian region

Abstract

The approach to machinery maintenance has changed during the four industrial revolutions; from reactive control towards fault prediction. The aim of this article is to monitor the preparedness for predictive maintenance implementation into companies with upcoming 4th Industrial Revolution in several (manufacturing and non-manufacturing enterprise) companies cooperating with University of West Bohemia in the region.Based on our previously published metamodels of machinery maintenance we can say that there is a growing trend between the development of maintenance and technologies used. The more sophisticated machinery maintenance, the more sophisticated technologies and skilled personnel is needed for its operation. The most evolved type of Machinery Maintenance is called Predictive maintenance or Maintenance using elements of Industry 4.0.This article deals with pilot study of predictive maintenance implementation in west-bohemian region. During April 2019, a questionnaire about the utilization rate of Industry 4.0 elements was sent to representatives of companies in region of West Bohemia, Czech Republic. Responses were received from thirteen companies, mostly from technical, division and executive directors. For the purposes of this questionnaire, only the answers of medium and larger enterprises with 140 or more employees engaged in production or research were interpreted.The final part deals with interpretation of results and their consequences for the future.