Dodge^® Industrial, Inc
Achieving Maximum Operation Potential with Proactive Maintenance in a Digital Era

Dodge Industrial manufactures mechanical power transmission solutions for a wide range of industries. Empowered by knowledge and expertise gained over 145 years, the company has mastered the art of creating durable and reliable products, including mounted bearings, gear reducers, couplings, belted drives, and conveyor pulleys. These solutions enable customer’s facilities to operate at peak performance.

As an industry leader since 1878, the company continues to drive the industry forward with innovative digital solutions. Artur Rdzanek, former product manager of mounted tapered roller bearings, engaged in insightful conversations with customers to understand widespread challenges faced in manufacturing industries across the globe—primarily safety, productivity, and skilled labor shortages. Dodge Industrial responded by venturing into Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to combat end-user pain points and elevate the overall value of its solutions through condition monitoring.

This initiative led to the development of an entire portfolio of IIoT solutions, centralized on OPTIFY™, the easy-to-use, cloud-based condition monitoring platform that seamlessly combines Dodge IIoT products and robust data analytics with product expertise—reducing downtime, improving reliability, and enhancing on-site safety.

OPTIFY is more than a product; it's a strategic solution designed to address customer concerns and maximize productivity. The platform integrates seamlessly with OPTIFY sensors, that can be easily installed on all Dodge mechanical power transmission products. These sensors capture precise temperature and vibration data—allowing OPTIFY to warn users about decreasing asset health for timely maintenance intervention. The wireless sensors enhance safety by allowing remote condition monitoring, reducing unplanned downtime and unexpected expenses.

“Our goal is to ensure safe working conditions and enhance productivity with a labor-reduced workforce. Our cloud-based solution ensures a continuous flow of information between assets and the platform, allowing users to make critical operational decisions with their own data," says Rdzanek, General Product Manager of IIoT technologies at Dodge Industrial.

The platform offers a user-friendly interface and easy setup of alerts and alarms to monitor critical measurements, such as temperature, vibration, and lubrication levels of assets—from mounted bearings to gear reducers and motors. Users are promptly notified via email, push notifications, and color-coded dashboards when thresholds are exceeded, allowing users to take immediate action. This proactive monitoring approach results in predictive maintenance, enabling users to check the status of their operations without disrupting production, preventing potential breakdowns, and optimizing operational efficiency.

One customer success story in particular illustrates OPTIFY's impact on cost savings and efficiency. Previously, the plant’s maintenance team allotted almost one hour per shift for visual inspections to identify potential bearing failures.

With OPTIFY, they adopted a targeted 'rifle-shot' approach—efficiently recognizing specific bearings showing signs of potential failure and scheduling maintenance accordingly Predictive maintenance allowed the customer to save approximately $10,140 in production value per month, or over $121,000 annually.

The simplicity of sensor installation is a key advantage. Dodge products are pre-drilled and tapped to accept sensors for easy installation out of the box. Combined with a quick three-minute sensor commissioning process, remote monitoring of assets has never been easier.

OPTIFY monitors assets and simplifies spare part identification and procurement processes by storing complete equipment descriptions. In the event of a breakdown, users can quickly access part numbers to check availability and lead time through authorized distributors. This proactive approach saves significant costs and mitigates unplanned downtime.

Our goal is to ensure safe working conditions and enhance productivity with a reduced labor workforce

For example, before an asset fails and impairs productivity for an entire conveyor system, OPTIFY will notify users about the asset’s health with alerts and alarms, allowing them to identify, order replacement parts, and schedule maintenance ahead of time. This strategic planning eliminates panic mode, enabling professional equipment replacement on scheduled weekends and saving customers millions in production costs.

Dodge products have most recently been complemented by Intelli-Lube™—an intelligent, automatic single-point lubricator—directly addressing lubrication issues as the root cause of 80 percent of bearing failure. Intelli-Lube digitalizes the lubrication process, eliminating human error with accurate and timely lubrication intervals. Connected to OPTIFY via Bluetooth, users have access to detailed inventory management tools, ensuring users have the right lubricants and quantity on-hand, as well as the current status of lubricators, grease information, and part numbers for reordering and timely notifications to prevent unplanned downtime.

The post-installation support is robust, featuring nearly 100 field sales engineers providing prompt in-person assistance. Based in Simpsonville, South Carolina, the application engineering team comprises over 20 dedicated engineers addressing customer questions and providing solutions for mechanical power transmission inquiries. The IIoT technologies support team is available for installation challenges or additional guidance.

Customer feedback is crucial for continuous improvement, leading to the launch of the second generation of Dodge sensors, the OPTIFY Performance Sensor, which is the most advanced wireless sensor on the market with improved range, battery life, and innovative features. Rdzanek emphasizes that OPTIFY is not just a project but a continuous process to craft solutions, improve operations, and elevate industry standards.