Predictive Forklift Maintenance: What Does the Data Say?
Predictive forklift maintenance is very different than preventative maintenance. That’s because one is being proactive based on data, and the other is based on scheduled timing usually recommended by the manufacturer. That can be helpful, but not guaranteed to avoid issues, accidents or downtime. When a facility has numerous forklifts or a fleet of lift trucks, it can be difficult to manage which forklift trucks need attention in order to avoid downtime. Now add on additional facilities, and the number of forklifts can get overwhelming very quickly. How can predictive forklift maintenance keep most to all of the lift trucks in operation and maximize the lift of the forklift? Let’s find out.
What is Predictive Forklift Maintenance?
Predictive forklift maintenance is a proactive approach to optimizing the forklift’s usability. Using data that it collected from the AI based, machine learning forklift safety system, predictive forklift maintenance works to determine when is the best time to schedule forklift maintenance. This is to ensure uptime of the lift truck and reduce any potential issues causing the lift truck and the operator to be away from the operation.
Preventative vs Predictive Maintenance
We are all use to preventative forklift maintenance. Thes are actions that we perform to keep the forklift working if it needs it or not. It’s ensuring that some sort of action is taken to stay ahead of an issue before it evolves into one. However, when predictive forklift maintenance is utilized with a forklift safety system, you will know what needs to be done at minimum to keep the forklift in operation. The predictive forklift maintenance is a better measure of taking action when needed saving on unnecessary replacement parts while extending the lift of the forklift.
Data, Data, Data
On a forklift safety system, data is constantly collected with the digital forklift inspection checklist, impact detection, near misses, and object and pedestrian detection. How can the data collected to used for predictive forklift maintenance?
Forklift Failed Inspections
There are two ways to look at this. The first is if any part of the forklift inspection fails. If/when it does, then digital notifications are sent. The notifications can be sent to a single individual or to multiple, that’s up to you. Once you receive the notification, then you will automatically know what to do to ensure maximum uptime. Now what about a continuous ‘pass’ on the forklift checklist. Do you continue to ignore the forklift just because of the pass? Probably not. You can use the manufacturer’s recommendation and check the lift truck at that time, or you can be more predictive by the hour meter reading that is imputed at the start of each shift.
Impacts and Detections
Impacts and detections tell more than just ‘here’s an impact, or ‘here’s a person / object’. The importance of both are the ability to know the geolocation of the impacts and detections. If you find clusters of impacts or detections in a particular place, then you know that the area is maturing and an impact or accident is imminent. This type of prediction will reduce the number of impacts or a possible accident ensuring the forklift or facility doesn’t get damaged and people won’t get hurt.
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