Background:

This QLD beverage can facility produces nearly 3,500 cans per minute from raw aluminium. This high-speed process demands precision, as any disruption quickly leads to costly scrap. Historically, the plant operated five days a week, with maintenance handled through periodic vibration surveys. However, when COVID-19 increased demand, they ramped up to 24/7 production, reducing maintenance opportunities and revealing the limitations of periodic monitoring.

Challenge:

Operating continuously placed unprecedented stress on the plant’s assets, with unplanned downtime rising sharply. The high costs of downtime and limited maintenance time required a robust monitoring solution.

Solution:

GVS installed the Waites wireless vibration and temperature monitoring system to target the most critical and high-risk assets. The system initially focused on essential bottleneck points, including pin-oven exhaust fans, presses, and washer fans—components crucial to maintaining production flow. With these assets operating around the clock, monitoring for early defect indicators was essential to prevent breakdowns that could disrupt the entire line.

Waites sensors provided near-continuous diagnostic data, matching the precision of handheld surveys but with real-time, 24/7 visibility across the facility. The system’s extensive range allowed it to monitor the entire production facility with just one gateway, and the Full-Service support enabled the engineers to respond promptly to alerts and optimize maintenance scheduling.

Some of the assets fitted with Waites wireless sensors: