Predictive maintenance
with PRTG
A single solution to monitor your IT/OT infrastructure & inform your predictive maintenance strategy
- Keep an eye on your IT, OT & IIoT infrastructure as a data base for predictive strategies
- Collect and analyze historical monitoring data for effective predictive maintenance
- Receive custom alerts before an issue becomes critical and be able to act proactively
PRTG predictive maintenance software
PRTG makes predictive maintenance easy
Custom alerts and data visualization make it easy to identify potential issues before they actually happen.
Why companies move from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance
In industrial IT and IIoT, the so-called maintenance maturity model provides guidelines for organizations to move from reactive maintenance strategies toward data-driven proactive maintenance strategies. The reason? Reactive strategies cost more. Each step up in the maintenance maturity model brings its own time and cost savings.
Reactive maintenance
Equipment is only repaired or serviced after a malfunction or issue.
Preventative maintenance
Services, repairs, and maintenance on equipment are scheduled in advance. This might prevent failures but can result in unnecessary costs and downtime if equipment does not need to be serviced.
Condition-based maintenance
The current state of equipment is monitored and compared to past trends and patterns. When the status is outside of the normal range, maintenance is scheduled.
Predictive maintenance
Production data is analyzed by means of AI or machine learning to predict when equipment needs servicing or maintenance.
Get comprehensive data for predictive maintenance strategies
Maintenance maturity – and in consequence, predictive maintenance – relies on solid data, and so the sooner you start collecting data about production processes, the better. With PRTG, you can collect and store historical trends data that can inform your predictive maintenance strategy and decisions. For example:
- Get data about your production processes directly from IIoT sensors by using webhooks, or by monitoring via the transmission protocols in use (such as MQTT, Modbus, or Redfish).
- Collect data from gateways, IPCs, PLCs, and other systems that run on OPC UA servers using the built-in OPC UA monitoring functionality in PRTG.
Keep an eye on the underlying IT/OT infrastructure
While most maintenance maturity models focus on the equipment and machines on the factory floor, the supporting IT/OT infrastructure must not be forgotten. These are the components that will collect data about the production process from the factory floor and transmit it to ERP systems or the cloud for analysis and processing. They form the basis of any OT maintenance strategy, and PRTG can help you monitor them.
IIoT sensors
IIoT sensors can make older machines “smart” (retrofitting), collect data from the production line, monitor the health and performance of machines, regulate environmental conditions in the factory, and much more. Monitor IIoT sensors to make sure they are functioning and transmitting data correctly.
Industrial enclosures
Enclosures house important devices and systems, such as industrial Ethernet devices, UPS systems, and more. Keep track of the state of the devices inside and of the enclosure itself using informative dashboards in PRTG.
Receive custom alerts before your OT devices go down
All proactive approaches to maintenance need a granular alerting system to ensure that the right teams are informed at the right time – not only when maintenance is due but also if there are unusual metrics that indicate a potential problem with a specific OT device or an entire production line. PRTG provides you with a highly customizable alerting system that you can tailor to your individual needs and requirements.
- Set custom warning thresholds for your PRTG sensors to identify emerging issues and resolve them before they become business critical.
- Define different notification triggers that include specific escalation levels for the responsible teams.
- Choose from various notification methods such as SMS, e-mail, push notification, and more to make sure that you are alerted even while on the go, for example while inspecting the factory floor.
Start predictive maintenance with the help of PRTG and see how it can make your OT infrastructure more reliable and your job easier.
What predictive maintenance with the help of PRTG looks like
Diagnose potential issues in your IT & OT infrastructure by continuously monitoring OT devices, production lines, and more. Show monitoring data from the factory floor in real time and visualize data in graphic maps & dashboards to identify upcoming problems more easily so that you can react before something happens.
The PRTG advantage: Preconfigured sensors for making predictive maintenance easier
PRTG offers a RESTful API as well as JSON, OPC UA, Modbus, and MQTT support to easily integrate OT components, IoT hardware sensors, and more into your monitoring setup to collect the data that you need for informed predictive maintenance decisions.
How PRTG defines sensors
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, e.g. the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, the free space of a disk drive. On average you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
MQTT Round Trip
The MQTT Round Trip sensor monitors the availability of an MQTT broker (server). The sensor connects to the broker as a publishing and subscribing client and sends the data packets using a predefined topic. It can show the following parameters:
- Publisher connection time
- Round trip time
- Round trip status
- Subscription connection time
MQTT Statistics
The MQTT Statistics sensor monitors an MQTT topic. The sensor can show the following parameters:
- Active topics
- Number of received messages
- Received payload
MQTT Subscribe Custom
The MQTT Subscribe Custom sensor monitors numeric values returned by an MQTT topic that the sensor subscribed to. The sensor can show, for example, environmental parameters like temperature, humidity, illuminance, or pressure.
Modbus RTU Custom
The Modbus RTU Custom sensor monitors custom numeric values returned by a Modbus Remote Terminal Unit (RTU). The sensor can show, for example: temperature and humidity.
Modbus TCP Custom
The Modbus TCP Custom sensor monitors custom numeric values returned by a Modbus Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) server. The sensor can show, for example, the available memory, voltage, and operating status.
OPC UA Certificate
The OPC UA Certificate sensor monitors the certificate of an OPC UA server. The sensor can show the following parameters:
- Days to expiration
- Public key length
- Self-signed certificate
OPC UA Custom
The OPC UA Custom sensor monitors custom numeric values returned by specific OPC UA node IDs. The sensor can show, for example:
- CPU usage
- Available physical memory
- Fan speed
- Number of server messages
OPC UA Server Status
The OPC UA Server Status sensor monitors the health status of an OPC UA server. The sensor can show the following parameters:
- Number of rejected requests and sessions
- Number of security-rejected requests and sessions
- Server status
- Number of sessions, session aborts, and session timeouts
- Number of subscriptions
- Uptime
SNMP Rittal CMC III Hardware Status
The SNMP Rittal CMC III Hardware Status sensor monitors the overall status of Rittal data center hardware, for example Rittal Computer Multi Control version 3 (CMC III) processing units, Rittal power distribution units (PDU), or Rittal IoT Interfaces and the hardware status of every attached external sensor.
Beckhoff IPC System Health
The Beckhoff IPC System Health sensor monitors the system health of Beckhoff industrial PCs. The sensor can show the following parameters:
- Available memory
- CPU load and temperature
- Mainboard temperature
- RAID controller status
Easily find the source of the problem with our PRTG predictive maintenance solution
Real-time alerts and custom notifications make it easy to identify & solve potential issues before they actually happen.
PRTG is compatible with all major vendors, products, and systems
Your alerts for predictive maintenance at a glance – even on the go
Set up PRTG in minutes and use it on almost any mobile device.
Discover our new product extension
Paessler PRTG OPC UA Server
Get an overview of OT network components in your supervisory and control systems
Do you want to have a full overview of your OT environment in your supervisory and control systems – including traditional IT network components like routers, switches, firewalls, and more?
PRTG OPC UA Server consolidates monitoring data from your OT network and the IIoT in your control system. View all your data in one place for centralized monitoring and alarms.
PRTG makes predictive maintenance easy
Custom alerts and data visualization make it easy to identify potential issues before they actually happen.
Create innovative solutions with Paessler’s partners
Partnering with innovative vendors, Paessler unleashes synergies to create
new and additional benefits for joined customers.
With condition monitoring and retrofitting, PRTG and Schildknecht DATAEAGLE make even older production plants competitive.
Schildknecht
With the combination of PRTG and Insys, the monitoring specialist Paessler and the industrial gateway manufacturer INSYS icom offer a practical possibility to merge IT and OT.
INSYS icom
Predictive maintenance: FAQ
1. What is predictive maintenance?
Predictive maintenance is a proactive maintenance strategy that uses data analysis and predictive modeling techniques to predict when equipment or machinery is likely to fail. By monitoring various parameters and indicators, such as temperature, vibration, pressure, or performance metrics, predictive maintenance aims to detect potential issues and address them before they cause a breakdown or failure.
If you want to get more deep-dive information on predictive maintenance, read our IT Explained article.
2. What are types of predictive maintenance techniques?
There are several types of predictive maintenance techniques that organizations can employ based on their specific needs and the nature of their equipment. Here are some common types of predictive maintenance:
- Vibration analysis: Vibration analysis involves monitoring the vibration patterns of equipment to identify potential issues. Changes in vibration levels, frequencies, or patterns can indicate faults such as misalignment, bearing wear, or imbalance.
- Thermography: Thermography, also known as infrared thermography, uses thermal imaging cameras to detect abnormal heat patterns in equipment. It helps identify overheating components, loose connections, or insulation problems, which can be early signs of failure.
- Oil analysis: By analyzing the properties and contaminants in lubricating oils, oil analysis can provide insights into the condition of components such as engines, gearboxes, or hydraulic systems. It helps detect wear, contamination, or degradation of oil, providing early indications of potential failures.
- Acoustic monitoring: Acoustic monitoring involves analyzing the sound or noise emitted by equipment. Unusual noises, such as excessive friction, grinding, or vibrations, can indicate mechanical issues or impending failures.
- Performance monitoring: Performance monitoring involves tracking and analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) of equipment, such as pressure, temperature, flow rate, or power consumption. Deviations from normal operating parameters can indicate impending failures or deteriorating performance.
- Condition monitoring: Condition monitoring involves continuously monitoring the health and performance of equipment through various sensors and measurements. It combines multiple techniques, such as vibration analysis, temperature monitoring, and oil analysis, to provide a holistic view of equipment condition.
3. What is predictive maintenance software?
Predictive maintenance software refers to computer-based applications or platforms that facilitate the implementation and management of predictive maintenance programs. These software solutions leverage data analysis, machine learning, and advanced algorithms to monitor equipment health, detect anomalies, and predict failures.
Predictive maintenance software can be tailored to specific industries, equipment types, or maintenance strategies. It enables organizations to implement and optimize their predictive maintenance strategies effectively, enhance equipment reliability, and reduce maintenance costs by moving from reactive to proactive maintenance practices.
4. What is the difference between predictive maintenance and monitoring tools?
Predictive maintenance and monitoring tools are related but distinct concepts in the realm of maintenance and asset management. While both involve the use of technology and data analysis, there are key differences between them.
Predictive maintenance is a comprehensive strategy that involves data analysis, modeling, and proactive maintenance planning based on predicted failures. Monitoring tools, on the other hand, focus on real-time or periodic data monitoring to provide visibility into equipment health and performance for immediate or near-term actions. While predictive maintenance can utilize monitoring tools as a component of its overall approach, monitoring tools themselves do not necessarily incorporate the predictive modeling and analysis aspects of predictive maintenance.
5. What is a sensor in PRTG?
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, for example the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space on a disk drive.
On average, you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
PRTG: The multi-tool for sysadmins
Adapt PRTG individually and dynamically to your needs and rely on a strong API:- HTTP API: Access monitoring data and manipulate monitoring objects via HTTP requests
- Custom sensors: Create your own PRTG sensors for customized monitoring
- Custom notifications: Create your own notifications and send action triggers to external systems
- REST Custom sensor: Monitor almost everything that provides data in XML or JSON format
Easily find the source of the problem with our PRTG predictive maintenance solution
Real-time alerts and custom notifications make it easy to identify & solve potential issues before they actually happen.
We asked: would you recommend PRTG?
Over 95% of our customers say yes!
Paessler conducted trials in over 600 IT departments worldwide to tune its network monitoring software closer to the needs of sysadmins.
The result of the survey: over 95% of the participants would recommend PRTG – or already have.
Paessler PRTG is used by companies of all sizes. Sysadmins love PRTG because it makes their job a whole lot easier. Bandwidth, servers, virtual environments, websites, VoIP services – PRTG keeps an eye on your entire network. Everyone has different monitoring needs. That’s why we let you try PRTG for free.Still not convinced?
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Start predictive maintenance with the help of PRTG and see how it can make your OT infrastructure more reliable and your job easier.
PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 24.3.98.1210 (July 31st, 2024) |
Hosting |
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available |
Languages |
English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese |
Pricing |
Up to 100 sensors for free (Price List) |
Unified Monitoring |
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more |
Supported Vendors & Applications |
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