An integrated approach to autonomous maintenance management

This paper describes work undertaken to support an integrated approach to the autonomous maintenance management of machine tools and flexible manufacturing systems. The work described was initiated as part of a collaborative research project, funded under the European Community Eureka Maine project initiative as EU744: Integrated Condition and Machining Process Monitoring System for Flexible Manufacturing Systems and for Stand‐alone CNC Machine Tools. The paper considers the steps needed to develop and implement truly autonomous machine tool maintenance management systems, and outlines the benefits which can be obtained from such approaches. The systems described have been deployed within collaborating industrial partners, each of whom is an existing user of advanced manufacturing technology. Their impact on these manufacturing systems is considered, with reference to the improvements in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). The paper cites the improvements made in relation to specific flexible manufactu...