Predictive maintenance has less to do with clairvoyance and more to do with intelligently placed sensors that can work with smart algorithms to predict with ever increasing reliability when it’s time for maintenance or even replacement, and can even do so remotely. This capability doesn't just link predictive maintenance inextricably with developments such as Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data - it is even becoming increasingly important in those contexts in their own right. This is also reflected in the presentation by Aventics GmbH - based in Laatzen in Germany’s Lower Saxony region - which is focusing firmly on this area at HANNOVER MESSE 2017.

Aventics, one of the leading manufacturers of pneumatic components and systems, is using an illuminating example to show how predictive maintenance can be carried out on such equipment. In its demonstration, the company is using appropriate sensors and the new Smart Pneumatics Monitor to monitor shock absorbers and cylinders, based on an electropneumatic valve system. The sensor data collected is evaluated in real time using the AV/AES valve systems and the Smart Pneumatics Monitor, a module for AES. Continuous monitoring of loads makes it possible to determine the condition of the shock absorber and thus detect problematic wear in good time.