Top 5 Plant Engineering articles July 11-17: Improving machine maintenance, why factories still have maintenance departments, Microsoft, GE ready to collaborate with IIoT, more

Articles about improving machine maintenance, why factories still have maintenance departments, Microsoft, GE ready to collaborate with IIoT, bridging the oil and gas skills gap, and what's involved in an energy audit were Plant Engineering's five most clicked articles from last week, July 11-17. Were you out? You can catch up here.

By Erin Dunne July 18, 2016

Plant Engineering top 5 most read articles from July 11-17, covered improving machine maintenance, why factories still have maintenance departments, Microsoft, GE ready to collaborate with IIoT, bridging the oil and gas skills gap, and what’s involved in an energy audit. Link to each article below. 

1. Five ways to improve machine maintenance with remote monitoring 

Learn how mechanical and electrical contractors are turning to technologies such as mobile and the Internet of Things (IoT) to automate machine maintenance and provide care throughout the lifecycle of the equipment.

2. Why do factories still have ‘maintenance’ departments? 

The term "maintenance" implies maintaining things the way they’ve been, sometimes for decades. In today’s competetitive marketplace, to only maintain inevitably leads to the company’s demise. So why have a department dedicated to maintaining those machines and processes? 

3. Microsoft, GE ready to collaborate on IIoT

Two of the biggest names in business—and two of the companies most interested in growing their profile in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)—will collaborate on an industrial cloud platform. 

4. Bridging the oil and gas ‘Skills Gap’

The commitment to ongoing professional development keeps employees engaged and passionate about their work, which pays dividends to the company’s profitability. 

5. What’s involved in an energy audit? 

There are many considerations for saving both money and energy at a facility. To ensure that you are moving in the right direction, however, it may be necessary to have an energy audit conducted. 

This list was developed using CFE Media’s web analytics for stories viewed on www.plantengineering.com, July 11-17, for articles published within the last two months. 

Erin Dunne, production coordinator, CFE Media, edunne@cfemedia.com.