Quantum Machine Learning for Predictive Maintenance and Anomaly Detection in Smart Manufacturing and Industrial IoT Networks

The rapid digitalization of manufacturing systems has led to the widespread adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks, enabling real-time monitoring, data-driven optimization, and intelligent automation. A critical application within this paradigm is predictive maintenance, which aims to anticipate equipment failures before they occur, thereby reducing downtime, operational costs, and safety risks. However, traditional machine learning approaches for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection often struggle with high-dimensional sensor data, complex nonlinear relationships, and scalability constraints in large industrial environments. This paper explores the emerging role of Quantum Machine Learning (QML) as a novel computational framework for enhancing predictive maintenance and anomaly detection in smart manufacturing systems. By leveraging quantum principles such as superposition and quantum-enhanced feature spaces, QML algorithms offer new possibilities for processing complex industrial data more efficiently and accurately. The study examines hybrid quantum–classical models for fault prediction, early anomaly detection, and pattern recognition in IIoT networks, highlighting their potential advantages over classical methods. Challenges related to hardware limitations, data encoding, and industrial deployment are also discussed, providing a balanced perspective on the feasibility and future impact of quantum-enhanced intelligence in smart manufacturing.