Articles
Articles on maintenance, energy, and plant operations
Practical writing from the Machvory engineering team on maintenance management, asset reliability, energy, and plant digitalization. Every claim carries a reference you can check.
Energy
How to cut electricity use in a factory: from the bill to the machine
How to cut electricity use in a factory: read the bill (peak and off-peak kWh, kVArh), meter by machine, find the waste, and verify savings against a baseline.
· 19 min read
Asset reliability
Signs of a failing motor bearing and how to catch it before it seizes
Signs of a failing motor bearing in industrial motors, pumps, and fans, its causes under ISO 15243, and how to detect it with vibration, envelope, and BPFO.
· 18 min read
Asset reliability
Why an electric motor runs hot, and what to do about it
Why an electric motor runs hot in a plant: overload, voltage unbalance, bearings, and cooling. Learn normal temperature, how to measure it, and how to fix it.
· 18 min read
Asset reliability
Electric motor vibration standards: ISO 10816, ISO 20816, and how to read them
Electric motor vibration standards under ISO 10816 and ISO 20816: mm/s RMS units, zones A to D, machine groups, foundation types, and how to read a reading.
· 18 min read
Maintenance management
Maintenance KPIs: the indicators, the formulas, and how to use them
Maintenance KPIs measure how well maintenance meets its goals. The core KPIs and their formulas, examples by level, backlog in weeks, and dashboard design.
· 17 min read
Maintenance management
Maintenance work orders: what they are, what goes on the form, and the workflow
A maintenance work order is a written instruction for one maintenance job. Learn the types, what goes on the form, a worked example, and the status workflow.
· 17 min read
Asset reliability
What is condition monitoring? Definition, techniques, and how to start in a plant
Condition monitoring reads machine health from measured data. Learn the main techniques, the ISO 17359 flow, why baselines matter, and how to start small.
· 14 min read
Asset reliability
Root cause analysis (RCA) in maintenance: 5 Whys, fishbone, and how to run one
Root cause analysis in maintenance finds why failures keep coming back. Learn 5 Whys, the 6M fishbone, FTA, FMEA, a worked example, and the steps to run one.
· 17 min read
Maintenance management
How to calculate MTBF and MTTR, and how to read them correctly
How to calculate MTBF and MTTR, with formulas, a worked pump example, the link to availability, and the reading mistakes plants make most often.
· 14 min read
Maintenance management
What is preventive maintenance? Types, scheduling, and limits
Preventive maintenance is maintenance done before a failure occurs. Learn its types, how to build a PM schedule, PM compliance, and when PM actually adds risk.
· 16 min read
Energy
Factory electrical energy monitoring: what to measure and how to read it
Factory electrical energy monitoring: what to measure (kWh, kW, power factor, harmonics), sub-metering, SEC indicators, baselines, and how to verify savings.
· 18 min read
Asset reliability
Machine vibration analysis: basics, parameters, and how to read the results
Machine vibration analysis reads the condition of pumps, motors, and compressors from their vibration. Learn measurements, FFT spectrum, and ISO 20816 zones.
· 15 min read
Operations & visualization
What is a digital twin? Meaning, types, and how plants apply it
A digital twin is a digital copy of an asset kept in sync by data. See how a digital model, shadow, and twin differ, the data they need, and how to start.
· 14 min read
Productivity
Machine downtime: how to record it, analyze it, and reduce it
Machine downtime is time a machine stands still when it should be producing. Learn how to record it, use reason codes, Pareto analysis, 5 whys, and SMED.
· 16 min read
Operations & visualization
What is an andon system? Origins, how it works, and its digital form
An andon system is a signal for calling help when a problem occurs on a production line. Learn its Toyota origins, how it works, digital andon, and key metrics.
· 15 min read
Asset reliability
What is predictive maintenance? Definition, techniques, and how to implement it
Predictive maintenance uses machine condition data to decide when maintenance is needed. Learn the P-F curve, monitoring techniques, and how to implement it.
· 9 min read
Productivity
What is OEE? How to calculate it, read it, and improve it
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) measures how productive a machine is against its potential. Learn the formulas, a worked example, and the six big losses.
· 9 min read
Maintenance management
What is a CMMS? Definition, functions, and how to implement one in a plant
A CMMS is software for planning, recording, and measuring maintenance work. Learn its core functions, the MTBF and MTTR metrics, and how to implement one.
· 11 min read
Want to put this into practice in your plant?
Talk through your assets and how your team works with one of our engineers. We will help you find a realistic starting point.
- No obligation to buy
- A reply within business hours
- WhatsApp works too