Improving the performance of a conveyor belt through lean philosophy and Industry 4.0

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop and implement a new model to improve maintenance management and the production system through the concepts: maintenance, lean philosophy and Industry 4.0.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology employed in this study includes conducting a bibliographic survey of existing models exploring the joint application of the concepts under study, critically analyzing these models, developing a model proposal and subsequently analyzing the results obtained. The model is implemented on a belt conveyor of a feed mill to improve its performance.FindingsThe proposed model contributes to improve maintenance and production system management, proving to be a useful tool to improve real-time decision-making. After its application, it was possible to verify that it increased the performance of the conveyor belt, as well as improved the skills of the operators who operate on it.Research limitations/implicationsLimitation about the distance between the devices that make up the model. The implementation of autonomous maintenance can highlight some challenges within the company. The implementation was only in the belt conveyor, being useful to introduce this in the remaining areas of the factory.Originality/valueThe study presents an innovative, versatile, low-cost and easy-to-apply model to improve maintenance management by combining the three concepts. The model can be easily adapted to monitor condition parameters such as temperature, noise, among others, through the correct choice of devices and proper programming. This work also contributed to help in real-time decision-making for both the maintenance and production departments.