MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
What is it and what is it for
"Machinery and equipment maintenance is the work that keeps mechanical assets running with minimal downtime."
All industry work revolves around Production. Machinery maintenance is an essential part of the functioning of production lines. It is critical in any plant or installation that uses mechanical resources. Maintenance ensures that organizations meet production schedules, minimizing costly downtime and lowering the risk of workplace accidents and injuries. Machine maintenance can include regularly scheduled services, routine checks, and scheduled and emergency repairs. It also includes replacing or realigning worn, damaged or misaligned parts. Machine maintenance can be done before the failure or after the failure occurs.
Types of Machine and Equipment Maintenance.
There are three basic types of machine maintenance and they have some variations peculiar to each one. Each type has its pros and cons. We can combine different modalities with assets to create a balanced maintenance program. Are they:
- Corrective Maintenance
- Reactive Maintenance
- Run-until-Fail Maintenance
- Preventive Maintenance
- Routine Maintenance
- Condition-Based Maintenance
- Predictive Maintenance
- Prescriptive Maintenance
Corrective maintenance
Corrective Maintenance is the category of maintenance tasks performed to rectify and repair faulty systems and equipment. The goal of corrective maintenance is to restore systems that have broken down. Corrective maintenance can be synonymous with breakdown or reactive maintenance.
Corrective maintenance orders are typically initiated when an additional problem is discovered during a separate work order. For example, if a maintenance technician detects a problem during an emergency repair, as part of a routine inspection, or in the process of performing preventive maintenance, that problem may turn into a corrective maintenance order. This corrective maintenance task is then planned and scheduled for a future time. During corrective maintenance work, the asset is repaired, restored or replaced as necessary.
Reactive Maintenance
Directly, the definition of Reactive Maintenance is a maintenance strategy that addresses machine problems only when they arise. In other words, the reaction actions in MR wait for failures to occur or for the equipment to malfunction.
Reactive maintenance represents the set of repair activities carried out on an asset after a breakdown, in order to bring it back to its original operational condition. It is a maintenance strategy that is not developed in a complex way but, on the contrary, aims to solve problems as they arise.
Reactive maintenance has a low initial cost. In this type of plan, maintenance technicians address problems as they arise. A poorly performing or failing machine will prompt diagnosis and repair. This is the least preferable of the four, as it can lead to permanent damage and lost productivity and be more expensive in the long run.
Run-until-Fail Maintenance
Maintenance to Failure, which is a type of reactive maintenance, is a strategy in which equipment and machines are operated until they fail, at which time repairs or replacements are carried out. Maintenance performed to failure, however, requires some careful planning and knowledge, which makes it useful only for short-lived or expendable assets, durable equipment, or non-critical parts. It is adopted in cases of machines and equipment that do not directly interfere with production levels or do not compromise production itself.
Perform-to-failure maintenance is often used for non-critical industrial equipment that already has built-in redundancies. In these cases, the cost and time associated with repairing or replacing the equipment are lower than the cost and time associated with implementing proactive monitoring of that equipment.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventative Maintenance comprises a series of regularly scheduled, recurring steps that help ensure that equipment remains in a basic level of condition, that standard operating requirements are met, and that equipment generally functions as intended.
- Time-Based (calendar): Time-based (calendar) Preventive Maintenance is a maintenance approach that requires regularly scheduled maintenance checks and tasks based on a time interval, such as daily, weekly, or monthly. These types of tasks can often be accomplished visually or through a quick test and can include oil checks and replacement, light cleaning, belt inspection, moving component inspection, and more.
- Usage-Based: Usage-based Preventative Maintenance is similar to calendar-based maintenance, except it occurs based on equipment usage metrics, such as a certain number of cycles or operating hours. These tasks would generally be similar to calendar-based maintenance (checking consumables and moving parts for wear and possible replacement).
Routine Maintenance
Routine Maintenance refers to any maintenance task performed on a planned and ongoing basis to identify and prevent problems before they result in equipment failure. Some common routine maintenance includes regular inspections or maintenance services. They can be performed on a time-based schedule or a usage-based schedule. Routine maintenance tasks are generally quite simple. They typically do not require specialized maintenance training, skills, or equipment to complete. Therefore, routine maintenance can be carried out by personnel external to the maintenance department, such as machine operators.
Typical examples of routine maintenance:
- Lubricate, clean or adjust machines
- Inspect equipment to ensure proper operation and safety
- Replacement of parts that show deterioration
- Checking, testing and maintaining safety equipment such as safety barriers, fire extinguishers or alarm systems
- Check and replace damaged signage or utilities, such as light bulbs
- General workplace maintenance such as cleaning floors, replacing HVAC filters and washing windows, removing trash and landscaping
Condition-Based Maintenance
Condition-Based Maintenance is a maintenance strategy that uses sensor devices to collect real-time measurements on equipment, such as vibration, for example. These measurements are used to monitor the condition of the equipment and determine when maintenance needs to be performed. Condition-Based Maintenance depends on the actual condition of the equipment and not a predetermined schedule, allowing for more efficient and targeted maintenance. By identifying potential problems before they become serious problems, this type of maintenance can help prevent unexpected breakdowns, reduce maintenance costs and extend the life of critical assets.
Predictive Maintenance
Predictive Maintenance, like Condition-Based Maintenance, is a type of maintenance that uses sensor devices to monitor the condition of assets. This approach aims to predict and prevent asset failures before they occur, optimizing maintenance activities and reducing downtime.
The Predictive Maintenance process involves several steps. First, baseline data is collected by monitoring the performance and condition of assets over a period of time. This data is used to establish normal operating conditions and identify any abnormal patterns or signs of degradation. Next, advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms are applied to analyze the collected data and detect potential issues or anomalies. These algorithms can identify patterns and trends that indicate the onset of equipment failure or deterioration, allowing maintenance teams to take proactive action. Based on the analysis results, maintenance teams can prioritize and plan maintenance activities accordingly. They can schedule inspections, repairs or replacements when assets are likely to fail or when their performance is outside acceptable parameters. This helps prevent unexpected breakdowns and reduces the need for reactive maintenance.
Predictive Maintenance relies on various technologies and techniques to collect data from assets, such as sensors, IoT devices, and data analysis software. These tools continuously monitor asset conditions, collecting real-time data on factors such as temperature, vibration, pressure and more. This data is transmitted to a centralized system or maintenance management software, which analyzes it and generates alerts or notifications when anomalies are detected. Overall, predictive maintenance allows organizations to move from reactive and preventive maintenance to a more proactive and efficient approach. By predicting failures in advance, organizations can optimize maintenance schedules, reduce costs, improve asset reliability and maximize uptime.
Prescriptive Maintenance
Prescriptive Maintenance is a maintenance strategy that collects and analyzes data on the health of equipment to make expert recommendations and reduce operational risks. It goes beyond traditional preventive and predictive maintenance, providing specific instructions and actions to be taken to optimize maintenance activities. These recommendations are based on real-time data and advanced analytics, enabling proactive decision-making and improved asset performance. Prescriptive maintenance aims to provide maintenance teams with precise guidance on when, where and how to perform maintenance tasks to prevent failures, increase equipment reliability and maximize productivity.
Prescriptive Maintenance differs from Predictive Maintenance because it not only predicts when failures may occur, but also provides practical steps to mitigate potential problems. While predictive maintenance focuses on identifying potential problems and scheduling maintenance based on predicted failure probabilities, prescriptive maintenance goes a step further by providing detailed guidance on how to resolve these problems and reduce operational risks. Prescriptive maintenance can be implemented with the help of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). An effective CMMS allows maintenance teams to collect and analyze data from a variety of sources, such as condition monitoring sensors, equipment history, and maintenance records. This data is then used to generate accurate recommendations and optimize maintenance activities.
Prescriptive maintenance has the potential to revolutionize maintenance management, enabling a more efficient allocation of resources, reducing downtime and extending the useful life of equipment. By adopting prescriptive maintenance practices, organizations can move from a reactive and corrective maintenance approach to a proactive and preventive approach. This change can result in cost savings, increased productivity and better overall performance.