Maintenance involves functional checks, repairs, and replacements of industrial equipment. A well-managed preventive maintenance program reduces machine failure rates and extends equipment life.
However, some maintenance departments struggle to communicate that message to operations teams who are concerned their productivity will take a dive while maintenance technicians work on things. An effective CMMS can address this issue with planning, tracking, work order, and inventory management functionality.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance (PM) is the process of identifying and correcting equipment problems before they cause significant or expensive downtime. This includes inspections, cleaning, part lubrication and repairs. It also includes maintaining accurate records of these activities and understanding the lifespan of parts so that the frequency of replacement can 수원운전연수 be planned. PM software helps manage these tasks and reduces the risk of errors that may occur due to insufficient planning or inadequate record keeping.
Ideally, preventive maintenance schedules are based on manufacturer recommendations or on the expected life span of an asset. However, there are many factors that can affect the effectiveness of a PM program and its ability to predict failures or upcoming maintenance requirements.
A well-planned preventive maintenance program can save time and money, keep operations running smoothly, efficiently and productively, and ensure that employees are working safely. In a manufacturing environment, for example, PM schedules can ensure that production machines are functioning within acceptable parameters, water supplies are sanitary and electrical systems are safe.
To improve the efficiency of preventive maintenance, it can be helpful to distinguish between mandatory and non-mandatory tasks. Mandatory tasks are those that must be completed at the specified intervals, such as safety and co 수원운전연수 mpliance checks. Non-mandatory tasks, on the other hand, are less critical and can be delayed without affecting equipment performance or exposing workers to unnecessary hazards.
Condition-Based Maintenance
This maintenance strategy is based on monitoring specific parameters of equipment and taking action when those parameters indicate possible problems, rather than performing routine maintenance tasks at predetermined intervals. Using one or more of several different methods, such as visual inspections, sensors or performance data, this strategy identifies issues before they become serious and expensive.
Like preventive maintenance, it reduces overhead costs and risk to employees while increasing machine uptime. It also lowers repair costs because small problems can be detected early and repaired before they turn into major repairs. However, it is typically a more time-consuming form of maintenance than preventive maintenance because the initial upfront investment for monitoring equipment and training will be higher.
For example, vibration analysis can detect when rotating equipment such as compressors and pumps start to degrade and lose their smooth operation. Infrared cameras can spot overheated equipment that might be dangerous to operate or cause damage if not fixed. Other common condition-based monitoring techniques include oil analysis, acoustic and electrical (motor current readings).
Once the initial work to select critical assets and set up sensors is done, you can collect ongoing performance data from multiple sources and analyze it in real-time. You might integrate it with a CMMS to create alerts and automatic work orders based on predictive analytics and historical data.
Corrective Maintenance
This maintenance strategy involves fixing or restoring equipment to full working order after a failure. It encompasses troubleshooting, disassembling, readjusting, and replacing components to restore system performance. It can also involve inspecting, cleaning, and lubricating assets. It may be planned or unscheduled. Corrective maintenance is often conducted in conjunction with preventive maintenance, as the same work orders can be used for both.
While the main goal of corrective maintenance is to avoid mechanical failures, it is not foolproof. If a problem occurs, it must be fixed immediately to minimize service interruptions.
Corrective maintenance is cost efficient for non-critical assets, since it eliminates the expense of creating a preventive maintenance plan. However, this approach can be inefficient for critical assets that require frequent monitoring to identify and resolve problems before they impact the whole system.
For example, a spray nozzle might become clogged with mineral build-up, leading to reduced lubrication and ultimately failure. If this issue is identified as part of a preventive maintenance inspection, a work order can be created to clear the blockage before it becomes a serious problem. When paired with a computerized maintenance management system, corrective maintenance can help reduce service interruptions and keep staff members safe by providing immediate response to issues as they arise. It can also extend asset lifespans by noting when a component is wearing out.
Emergency Maintenance
Emergency maintenance is an all-hands-on-deck affair that keeps people safe, property secure and business operations running. EM situations happen when equipment is damaged or in danger of breaking down, creating safety hazards, or causing serious damage to an organization’s profitability or viability.
While you should always be ready to handle a maintenance emergency, it’s best to minimize them through preventive and proactive planning. For instance, you should set up a system that allows your team to quickly report issues to the maintenance department for immediate response. It’s also important to establish a distinction between emergencies and urgent issues that can be addressed a bit later and create clear procedures for each.
To ensure your emergency maintenance program is effective, you should also perform a root cause analysis to find out what caused the failure and how to prevent it in the future. To do this, you need to know which assets are most likely to fail, how they are used and the risk factors that would cause them to fail.
With Limble CMMS, you can track these risks and reduce unplanned maintenance through a preventive maintenance program. This helps you and your team prioritize maintenance tasks, get ahead of schedule and stay on top of work. It also enables you to keep your equipment working optimally by reducing the amount of time it is offline.