Inaugural Plant Maintenance Convention 2025: Pioneering the Future of Plant Maintenance in Malaysia

Over 200 participants gathered at the Plant Maintenance Convention 2025

The heavy manufacturing sectors of Malaysia spanning Oil & Gas, Power Generation, and Chemicals face a silent but staggering threat: unplanned downtime that costs the industry an estimated RM 15-20 billion annually. Despite billions invested in assets, plants continue to suffer unpredictable shutdowns, severely impacting operational efficiency and profitability.

In response, Motion Technology Company, Schaeffler organized the inaugural Plant Maintenance Convention (PMC) 2025, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 24 November. Themed “Future-Proofing Operations for Maximum Reliability & ROI,” the convention drew over 200 industry professionals from Malaysia and neighbouring ASEAN countries.

Key highlights of PMC 2025 included:

• The launch of Schaeffler Malaysia Maintenance Training Centre (MY-MTC) and Specialist Monitoring & Reliability Taskforce (MY-SMART) service.

• Live demonstrations of Schaeffler’s Condition Monitoring Systems and Auto-Lubrication Solutions that help plants move from reactive to proactive maintenance.

• Informative presentation by Zubil Bahak, Machine Lubrication Engineer & Analyst, on how lubrication is the foundation of effective condition monitoring.

• Insightful sessions by Sakthivel Narayanasamy (Quantum Computing) and Rafran Yusof (Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence) on the critical role of Asset and Lifecycle Management, highlighting how PMC empowers actionable, data-driven decisions.

• A dynamic marketplace featuring Yik Bee, Intekma, and Haluan Cekap, bringing integrated solutions for the manufacturing ecosystem.

We sat down with Dr. Deny Sapian, Head of Bearings & Industrial Solutions at Schaeffler Malaysia and visionary behind PMC, to discuss why traditional maintenance models are failing, and how Schaeffler’s Closed-Loop Ecosystem promises to rewrite the rules of plant reliability.

Dr. Deny Sapian, Head of Bearings & Industrial Solutions, Schaeffler Malaysia, sharing his perspective during a panel discussion on Integrating MRO, CBM, and Control Systems for Plant Reliability

Your research points to an “industry ritual” failure costing Malaysian manufacturers RM 15-20 billion annually in downtime. What specific flaws in existing maintenance philosophies compelled you to launch PMC, and how does Schaeffler’s Closed-Loop Ecosystem address this? 

That figure—RM 15-20 billion annually—is the symptom of a profound systemic failure. The core flaw is our reliance on legacy practices and reactive philosophies. Plants are drowning in a 'data deluge' from manual CBM activities, yet they lack quantifiable measures of success. They fall prey to industry rituals of un-audited preventive maintenance, where they often fix machines that aren't broken, while still missing the early warning signs of genuine failure. The consequence is simple: data fragmentation and a massive execution gap.

"We initiated PMC as an immediate remedy because this crisis is urgent. PMC is the launchpad for our Closed-Loop Ecosystem, which surgically targets this failure. The cornerstone is OPTIME Ecosystem. This is not just typical vibration analysis. It’s built on over 75 years of Schaeffler’s bearings design expertise, allowing our pre-detective analytics to accurately pinpoint true failure modes, not just 'possible failing conditions' like competitors. This unique capability transforms maintenance from guesswork into decisive decisions with actionable data, immediately overcoming data blindspots.

Schaeffler’s engineers showcasing the OPTIME Ecosystem

PMC attracted both the C-suite and frontline practitioners. How does PMC bridge this crucial gap? Specifically, how does Schaeffler’s Closed-Loop Ecosystem ensure ‘first-time-right’ decisions amid widespread ‘data overload’ concerns? 

You’ve hit on the most critical challenge: the execution gap. What use is perfect CBM data if the technician installs the replacement component incorrectly, thus introducing a new failure? The answer is our three-pillar strategy.

The C-suite needs assurance that their investment leads to reliability, safety, and monetizable results. They fear 'data overload' that leads to 'alarm fatigue,' which is why OPTIME’s intelligent filtering and API integration ensures only prioritized, contextualized alerts reach the CMMS.

For the practitioner, the Schaeffler Malaysia Maintenance Training Centre (MY-MTC) is the heart of the solution. This empowers customers’ internal workforce, directly countering the regional skills gap where only 30% of manufacturers are fully aware of Industry 4.0 concepts. We train them to execute precision maintenance—mounting, alignment, lubrication—using Smart Tools. This is crucial because our Specialist Monitoring & Reliability Taskforce (MY-SMART) Reliability-as-a-Service (RaaS) framework provides the advanced diagnostic expertise, but MY-MTC provides the skilled execution. This synergy guarantees the 'first-time-right' repair, eliminating the execution gap and ensuring that every intervention is effective. The inclusion of partners like SD Guthrie and Velesto Energy sharing their transformation proves this model works in the field.

Henry Cheng, Project Management Smart Maintenance Tools, Asia/Pacific, presenting on Schaeffler Lifetime Solutions

Can attendees expect to see tangible ROI such as the claimed 75% reduction in unplanned downtime? And how vital is PMC to Schaeffler’s business growth ambitions?

We don't deal in hyperbole; we deal in guaranteed outcomes. Yes, attendees should expect to achieve up to '75% reduction in unplanned downtime' and '30% reduction in maintenance costs', leading to assets that enjoy '20-40% longer equipment life'. Our Energy-Centered Maintenance (ECM) philosophy ensures an additional, quantifiable energy savings ROI by identifying and fixing mechanical inefficiencies. This isn’t a cost; it’s an investment with a rapid payback.

"For Schaeffler, PMC is our strategic cornerstone for ASEAN. By consolidating our ecosystem—MY-MTC, MY-SMART, and OPTIME—and launching it publicly with partners like Intekma with CBM expertise, and Haluan Cekap with MRO service specialisation, we are capturing the burgeoning market demand for integrated services. This direct, targeted engagement is the most efficient method to gain traction and is critical to achieving our aggressive BTI target of '25% year-on-year revenue growth' by 2030. The PMC success today is the quantum leap for Schaeffler’s dominance in the region tomorrow, building an ecosystem that fosters true operational autonomy for every customer.

Attendees at the Plant Maintenance Convention 2025

Pioneering the Future of Plant Maintenance in Malaysia 

PMC 2025 was truly an unmissable event for manufacturers seeking to cut losses and stay competitive. Featuring keynote addresses from industry leaders and experts like Prof. Madya Ir. Ts. Dr. Muhamad Azhan Anuar (UiTM) and Khalid Shaikh (General Manager, Atlas Copco), alongside technical showcases of Schaeffler’s cutting-edge predictive maintenance solutions, the event showcased a holistic path forward.

With enthusiastic participation from regional players including Singapore and Indonesia, PMC 2025 is poised to become the annual anchor for advancing plant reliability and Industry 4.0 digitalization across Southeast Asia.

If you missed PMC 2025, catch the highlights from the event in the video below: