Amsted Automotive has reduced manufacturing downtime to 1 percent at the majority of its 15 global facilities – including 12 U.S. locations – while raising work-order closure rates to 96 percent. These achievements provide greater reliability and operational efficiency, reducing costs and increasing productivity.
Amsted Automotive launched an initiative several years ago to analyze and improve operational efficiency in its manufacturing facilities. The focus was on minimizing downtime and reducing the total cost of asset ownership through improved predictive maintenance. Using real-time data analysis and AI, predictive maintenance in manufacturing proactively identifies potential equipment failures. This approach helps minimize downtime, reduce costs and prevent unexpected repairs, ensuring smoother operations and greater efficiency.
Jason Hahn, Amsted Global Reliability and Systems Manager, developed a strategy consisting of implementation, adoption, measurement, reporting, training and analyzing maintenance systems. To streamline the process and ensure consistency, Hahn utilized eMaint software from Fluke Reliability. This software is a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) which focuses on optimizing maintenance operations and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) that encompasses a broader scope, managing the entire asset lifecycle from acquisition to disposal.
In addition to the implementation of eMaint, adoption of the process was achieved with the development of eMaint dashboards that aligned all maintenance departments data needs to their daily accountability, shift change and monthly KPI meetings. Monthly score cards reported progress for each location with failure analysis, predictive yield and reduction in down time. In parallel, Hahn developed a centralized predictive route program that includes acoustic imaging for air leaks and bearings, thermal imaging for facility and asset electrical failures and vibration metering of asset bearings and gear boxes.
Through this strategy and use of automation tools for workflows that reduce maintenance technician keystrokes, auto populate fields and send email notifications on work order status, Hahn and his team were able to achieve speed, efficiency and a reduction in operational waste goals. Hahn provided details on how the company achieved these operational goals through predictive maintenance at the XCELERTE25 Conference in Austin, Texas, March 19, 2025.
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