Maintenance management is an essential part of any business operation. There are four main types of maintenance strategies, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. These include continuous maintenance until failure, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and reliability-focused maintenance. Continuous maintenance until failure is the simplest approach.
It involves running the equipment until it fails and then replacing it. This strategy is best used for assets that are difficult or impossible to maintain, cheap to carry in inventory, easy to replace, or not essential to operations. Preventive maintenance is a proactive approach that involves scheduling inspections and tasks to detect and correct small problems before they become big ones. This strategy is best used for assets that don't fit any of the other categories.
Predictive maintenance (PdM) uses data from the machine's sensors and intelligent technology to alert the maintenance team when equipment is at risk of failure. This strategy is best used for assets that generate constant updates on their activities and conditions. Finally, reliability-focused maintenance is a combination of preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. It involves following the manufacturer's recommendations for maintenance, including when to perform inspections and maintenance.
This strategy is best used for newer assets. Choosing the right maintenance strategy starts with understanding your options, advantages and disadvantages. Execution to failure usually gets a bad rap, but for a specific class of assets and equipment, it's the best option. Preventive maintenance helps you detect problems early by scheduling inspections and tasks. It also saves you money and frustration because you can plan everything in advance. Predictive maintenance takes preventive maintenance one step further by using sensors and special software to collect and analyze data from sensors installed directly on or near your assets.
The software looks for readings outside preset parameters and analyzes the data to predict future failures long before they begin to develop. In the end, there is no perfect strategy for all time. You must choose the combination that best suits your assets and adjust your approach as your assets age and your department collects data. Usage-based preventive maintenance is triggered by the actual use of an asset. This type of maintenance takes into account the average daily use or exposure to environmental conditions of an asset and uses it to forecast a deadline for a future inspection or maintenance task. For default maintenance, everything is basically the same as with preventive maintenance, except that you follow a schedule set by the manufacturer, not your department. State-based and predictive rely on sensors and special software to collect and analyze data from sensors installed directly on or near your assets. In the case of conditions, the software looks for readings outside preset parameters. The general tasks associated with this type of preventive maintenance include ensuring that the air conditioning system is in good working order, that all electrical systems are functioning and meet code standards, and that all necessary lighting is working properly. For an organization that comes from a pen-and-paper or Excel-based maintenance program, it must first rely on the processes and knowledge provided by preventive maintenance to create an effective predictive maintenance plan. Empower your IT and OT leaders with essential information on remote monitoring, asset health, and predictive maintenance to ensure your business never stops.Conclusion
Maintenance management strategies are essential for any business operation.
There are four main types of strategies: continuous maintenance until failure, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and reliability-focused maintenance. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the type of asset being maintained. Choosing the right strategy starts with understanding your options, advantages and disadvantages.Takeaways
- Continuous Maintenance Until Failure: Best used for assets that are difficult or impossible to maintain, cheap to carry in inventory, easy to replace, or not essential to operations.
- Preventive Maintenance: Best used for assets that don't fit any of the other categories.
- Predictive Maintenance: Best used for assets that generate constant updates on their activities and conditions.
- Reliability-Focused Maintenance: Best used for newer assets.
