Industry · Manufacturing
LOTOTO in manufacturing
In a manufacturing plant, a new robot cell stands next to an older press and a compressor that is rarely switched off. Each machine has different isolation points and a different procedure. Maintenance is often a small team covering several halls. LOTOTO here does not fail during big shutdowns; it fails when, at a specific machine, nobody has precise information on what to isolate and where.
LOTOTO in manufacturing is the lockout, tagout and tryout procedure applied to maintenance of machine tools, presses, robots, conveyors and auxiliary equipment. With a mixed machine fleet, it relies on a dependable register of equipment and its energy sources.
At every machine it must be clear what to isolate and where.
What makes LOTOTO demanding in a manufacturing plant?
Short answerVariety. Machines from different makers and generations have different energy sources and isolation points, and a small maintenance team has to know them all.
A machine fleet grows over time. Alongside new, well-documented equipment there are older machines where the isolation procedure lives mainly in the heads of experienced technicians. When that person is absent, so is the information.
Add to that the mix of preventive and breakdown maintenance. Preventive work can be planned and prepared. A breakdown arrives during production, under time pressure, and often on a machine the technician has not touched in a long while.
Which machines and energies meet on a manufacturing floor?
Short answerCNC machines, presses, injection moulding machines, industrial robots, conveyors, compressors and auxiliary equipment. The most common energies are electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical and gravitational.
| Equipment / area | Examples of energy sources |
|---|---|
| CNC machine tools | electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical |
| Presses | electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, gravitational |
| Injection moulding machines | electrical, hydraulic, thermal |
| Industrial robots and robot cells | electrical, pneumatic, gravitational, mechanical |
| Conveyors and handling equipment | electrical, mechanical, gravitational |
| Compressors and compressed-air networks | electrical, pneumatic |
| Auxiliary equipment (extraction, cooling) | electrical, mechanical |
These are illustrative examples only. The actual energy sources and isolation points of each machine belong in your equipment register and your site’s approved procedures.
Gravitational energy in raised parts and pressure left in hydraulic or pneumatic circuits are typical examples of energy that does not disappear when the main isolator is switched off. That is why each energy type is confirmed separately in the digital record. More on energy isolation.
ReadEnergy isolationWhy does digital LOTOTO start with the equipment register?
Short answerBecause everything else refers back to it. If the register is incomplete or wrong, even the best process will not show the right energies at the machine.
In the register, each item has the code your plant already uses, a description, assigned energy types, photos and notes. Where high-risk work applies, for example work at height, the register can carry the corresponding flag.
During implementation we go through the register with your maintenance team machine by machine. This step is often valuable in its own right: it reveals machines with incomplete documentation and isolation points only one person knows about. Lockout tracking then builds on the register, with each lockout linked to equipment, requester, performers and lock numbers.
How do you make sure the right machine is locked out?
Short answerWith a QR label on the machine. When creating a lockout, the technician scans it with a phone in the browser and the equipment is selected without retyping any code.
In a hall with dozens of similar machines, confusion is a real risk. QR labels can be printed in bulk from the register and fixed to the machines. When creating a lockout, the technician does not pick from a list but scans the code on the machine in front of them.
A QR code simplifies identification; it does not confirm that isolation has been carried out. What to consider when placing labels, and how a QR code can also open a work instruction, is covered under QR work instructions.
How do you handle preventive and breakdown maintenance in one process?
Short answerPlanned jobs are prepared in advance; breakdown jobs are created quickly from the QR code. Either way, the technician at the machine has the same information.
For preventive maintenance, a record can be prepared ahead of time and left in draft until approval. Machines that are taken out of service together, such as a press and its feeder, can be grouped and locked out at once. In a breakdown, the lockout is created right at the machine, with its energies already assigned from the register.
The biggest difference comes from having the procedure at the machine. We can digitalise your existing isolation and maintenance procedures into steps with photos of the specific isolation points and confirmations. A technician who has not seen the machine for months does not have to rely on memory.
Equipment with a QR code
The label identifies the equipment in the register.
Phone, no installation
Scan with the camera and open in the browser.
Interactive procedure
Instructions, photos and warnings in the right order.
Steps, checks, sign-offs
The worker confirms each step and checkpoint.
What can a digital LOTOTO process bring to a manufacturer?
No percentages, no estimates. Concrete changes in maintenance work:
How should a manufacturing plant get started?
Short answerWith one hall or area and the machines maintenance works on most often.
In manufacturing we build on our experience with LOTOTO processes and on an analysis of your site. We start with the equipment register for the selected area, set up roles and approvals and print the QR labels. Based on what the pilot shows, we then extend to further halls and procedures. The overall implementation approach is described on the solution page.
What does digital LOTOTO in manufacturing not replace?
Frequently asked questions
What if isolation points are not documented for some older machines?
That is common. During implementation we go through the register with your maintenance team and add the missing information. The isolation procedure itself is approved by your site.
Do workers need to install an app?
No. It is a web application that runs in the browser on PCs, tablets and phones. QR codes are scanned with the camera directly in the browser.
Can several machines be locked out at once?
Yes. Equipment that is locked out together can be grouped in advance and the lockout created for the whole group.
Next step
Let’s look at your machine fleet.
We will go through your equipment register, current isolation procedures and approval rules with you, then suggest where digitalisation makes the most sense.