IoTFlows Blog
Know what every machine is doing and what to do about it.
Guides to OEE, downtime, maintenance and machine data, with formulas, worked examples and decision guidance you can use on your own floor.
Latest
Machines and connectivity
Production line monitoring without PLCs
Yes. A laser counter at every step, read against Step 1, gives you line yield, the units lost at each step and the step that stopped first, with no PLC access.
Mahmoud Parto ·
Downtime and utilization
How to run a weekly downtime review that fixes causes
Put five blocks on one page, take the top reason down to a cause someone can change, and check each fix against a target set in advance. Worked example inside.
Ulises Carrasco ·
Maintenance and reliability
What is a CMMS, and why start it from the machine?
A CMMS tracks work orders, PM schedules, assets and spare parts. See what it does for a plant, why hand-entered history misleads, and how to judge floor fit.
Reliability Engineering Team ·
Operations and lean
Add a shift, buy a machine or recover lost hours?
Recover lost hours first, add a shift when you can staff it and buy a machine when you can’t. Each route priced per good part on one CNC lathe, by hand.
Ulises Carrasco ·
Maintenance and reliability
How to build a preventive maintenance schedule that holds
A PM schedule holds when every task has an owner, a time estimate and a booked stop. Build the task list, level the weekly hours and track PM compliance.
Reliability Engineering Team ·
OEE and metrics
Manufacturing KPIs with formulas and worked examples
21 production KPIs, each with one formula, one unit and a worked example from the same lathe shift, plus the denominator traps that make two reports disagree.
Data Analytics Team ·
Downtime and utilization
How to know mid-shift whether you will hit target
Compare the count with the goal to now, project the shift at its current pace, and use the stop budget to see whether a gap can still be recovered.
Ulises Carrasco ·
Downtime and utilization
How to reduce machine downtime, one cause at a time
Cut unplanned downtime in four steps: record every stop, rank reasons by hours, split each into how often and how long, then fix it. Worked CNC example inside.
Ulises Carrasco ·
Downtime and utilization
How to track machine downtime and its causes
Let a machine signal record every stop and ask operators only for the reason. A worked shift, rules that name routine stops, and a first-week checklist.
Applications Engineering Team ·
OEE and metrics
Calculate OEE, availability, performance and quality, and choose the shop-floor numbers worth tracking.
All OEE and metrics postsManufacturing KPIs with formulas and worked examples
21 production KPIs, each with one formula, one unit and a worked example from the same lathe shift, plus the denominator traps that make two reports disagree.
Manual vs automatic OEE tracking in the first week
Machine-reported stops move lost minutes from performance into availability. OEE itself moves only if part counts, ideal cycle times or planned time were off.
Which OEE factor is costing you the most time?
Compare availability, performance and quality in lost minutes, check the inputs behind each factor, then weigh each loss by its cost to see where to look first.
Downtime and utilization
Measure how often each machine runs, find where the stopped time goes, and cut the reasons that cost the most.
All Downtime and utilization postsHow to run a weekly downtime review that fixes causes
Put five blocks on one page, take the top reason down to a cause someone can change, and check each fix against a target set in advance. Worked example inside.
How to know mid-shift whether you will hit target
Compare the count with the goal to now, project the shift at its current pace, and use the stop budget to see whether a gap can still be recovered.
How to reduce machine downtime, one cause at a time
Cut unplanned downtime in four steps: record every stop, rank reasons by hours, split each into how often and how long, then fix it. Worked CNC example inside.
Maintenance and reliability
Plan preventive work, watch machine condition, and fix equipment before a failure stops the line.
All Maintenance and reliability postsWhat is a CMMS, and why start it from the machine?
A CMMS tracks work orders, PM schedules, assets and spare parts. See what it does for a plant, why hand-entered history misleads, and how to judge floor fit.
How to build a preventive maintenance schedule that holds
A PM schedule holds when every task has an owner, a time estimate and a booked stop. Build the task list, level the weekly hours and track PM compliance.
Usage-based maintenance from run hours and part counts
Usage-based maintenance makes PM due on run hours or parts made, not dates. Pick the unit, set the first interval, size the warning and keep dates where needed.
Machines and connectivity
Monitor CNC machines, molding machines, presses and packaging lines, and get their data off the floor with sensors, MTConnect, OPC UA and ERP integrations.
All Machines and connectivity postsProduction line monitoring without PLCs
Yes. A laser counter at every step, read against Step 1, gives you line yield, the units lost at each step and the step that stopped first, with no PLC access.
Counting parts and cycle times on CNC mills and lathes
Count CNC parts and time each cycle from outside the control: what one cycle is, one operation per job, parts per cycle, and a hand count that proves it.
Connecting machine data to your ERP
Get machine hours and part counts into Epicor, SAP or JobBOSS: what the ERP needs per job, how to match runs to jobs, and which integration path fits.
Operations and lean
Schedule production, plan capacity, find the bottleneck, and cut changeover time and scrap using real production data.
All Operations and lean postsAdd a shift, buy a machine or recover lost hours?
Recover lost hours first, add a shift when you can staff it and buy a machine when you can’t. Each route priced per good part on one CNC lathe, by hand.
When to replace a spreadsheet production schedule
An Excel schedule fails once one change has effects nobody sees. Learn the five signs, what each replacement checks, and how to move your open jobs across.
Production scheduling on real run rates
Schedule from the rate each machine really runs, not its ideal cycle time. Turn measured OEE factors into job durations, pick a rate and load machines safely.