Under the coordination of Marvin Vargas, Max Calderón, who has led the maintenance workshop for nearly two decades and manages a team of 19 technicians, Plásticos Modernos already had a preventive and predictive maintenance program.
However, this process relied mainly on manual inspections. Technicians performed vibration measurements periodically, leaving room for mechanical deviations that could go unnoticed between measurements. In some cases — especially for confined or hard-to-reach motors — it was not even possible to measure certain parameters, increasing the risk of unexpected failures and operational uncertainty.
With the rapid evolution of sensor technology and AI-based solutions, the maintenance team sought a smarter and real-time tool that would allow them to anticipate failures and improve machine reliability. It was then that the company decided to consult with our experts to identify the best strategy.
Plásticos Modernos partnered with Sensorfact to implement a continuous vibration monitoring system on its most critical assets.
Even before the official project kickoff meeting, during the initial consultation phase, our team had already detected abnormal behavior in a pump used in an extruder machine. In early August, RMS velocity measurements showed an upward trend. The initial analysis indicated that the root cause was mechanical looseness. The customer intervened accordingly, but after restarting the machine, vibrations quickly increased.
A deeper investigation revealed that the looseness had accelerated bearing wear, causing damage. Following our recommendations, the maintenance team carried out the following corrective actions:
The impact was significant:
Thanks to early detection, the total failure of the pump was avoided, the estimated downtime was reduced from 120 hours to just 8, and associated costs dropped from $10,800 to $720.
Most notably, all of this took place before the official project kickoff meeting. Even during the preliminary consultation phase, and despite the customer being located in Costa Rica, measurable results were already achieved.
Since implementing Sensorfact’s monitoring system, Plásticos Modernos has been able to detect and correct three critical incidents before they escalated into major failures.
In one of the most recent cases, the system detected an anomaly in a key mill linked to one of the main production lines. Initially, the team suspected issues with raw materials, but real-time vibration data quickly revealed a mechanical origin, allowing for a precise and timely intervention. Today, predictive maintenance is an integral part of daily operations. Every morning, the maintenance team reviews the dashboard to check alerts and prioritize interventions. Of the 15 sensors currently installed, five have already detected irregular behaviors requiring attention.
Max Calderón is also training new team members to interpret vibration data, adjust alarm parameters, and respond proactively — ensuring that predictive maintenance becomes a long-term, scalable practice within the organization.
The success of the project has encouraged Plásticos Modernos to expand its monitoring strategy beyond mechanical maintenance. Insights gained through vibration analysis have demonstrated how real-time data can drive decision-making, improve efficiency, and reduce operational uncertainty.
By integrating predictive maintenance into its industrial digitalization plan, Plásticos Modernos strengthens its position as one of the pioneering companies in the sector in Costa Rica — combining reliability, technological innovation, and sustainable growth.
Whether you want to save on energy or avoid maintenance, we can show you how our smart monitoring solution will benefit your plant. Don’t wait any longer and start saving on time and costs right away.
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