Preventive and predictive maintenance

Preventive maintenance is a proactive approach to managing equipment and infrastructure that focuses on regular upkeep and inspection to identify and address potential issues before they occur. The goal of preventive maintenance is to improve equipment reliability and performance, reduce unplanned downtime, and extend the service life of the asset.

Predictive maintenance is a similar approach to asset maintenance that focuses on using data-driven analytics and information gathered from the asset to anticipate and preemptively address potential maintenance issues. This approach leverages real-time monitoring of the asset's performance to identify and address issues before they become a problem.

Example of preventive and predictive maintenance

• Preventive Maintenance: Checking and replacing filters in a HVAC system on a regular basis to ensure the system is running efficiently and avoiding potential breakdowns.
• Predictive Maintenance: Monitoring the vibration levels of a motor in real-time to detect potential bearing failure before it occurs.
• Preventive Maintenance: Inspecting the exterior of a building for signs of structural damage or decay and repairing any issues before they become more serious.
• Predictive Maintenance: Using sensors to monitor the temperature of a machine and alerting operators when it begins to exceed normal operating temperatures, indicating a potential issue that requires attention.
• Preventive Maintenance: Inspecting electrical wiring on a regular basis to ensure it is up to code and free of any damage or malfunction.
• Predictive Maintenance: Using machine learning algorithms to identify patterns in the data collected from a system in order to predict when a component is likely to fail and proactively address the issue before it occurs.

When to use preventive and predictive maintenance

Preventive and predictive maintenance are both important approaches to managing equipment and infrastructure. Preventive maintenance focuses on regular upkeep and inspection to identify and address potential issues before they occur. Predictive maintenance uses data-driven analytics and information gathered from the asset to anticipate and preemptively address potential maintenance issues. Both approaches are useful in a variety of circumstances, particularly in businesses that rely on machinery and equipment. Some applications of preventive and predictive maintenance include:

• Maintaining industrial equipment and machinery: Preventive and predictive maintenance can be used to detect and address potential issues with industrial equipment and machinery, such as pumps, motors, and other components.
• Preventing unplanned downtime: Regular inspections and analytics can help identify potential issues with equipment before they cause downtime.
• Extending the service life of assets: Preventive and predictive maintenance can help identify and address potential issues before they become serious, thus increasing the service life of the asset.
• Developing maintenance schedules: Predictive maintenance can help develop maintenance schedules for equipment, ensuring that it is serviced and maintained on a regular basis.
• Optimizing maintenance costs: By utilizing analytics and data-driven insights, businesses can optimize their maintenance costs and reduce unnecessary spending.

Types of preventive and predictive maintenance

Preventive and predictive maintenance are two approaches to managing equipment and infrastructure that focus on preventing issues before they occur. This can include regular upkeep and inspection, as well as leveraging data-driven analytics and information gathered from the asset to anticipate and preemptively address potential maintenance issues. The following are some of the types of preventive and predictive maintenance:

• Regular Maintenance - This includes regular service, cleaning, and inspection to identify and address potential issues before they occur.
• Predictive Maintenance - Predictive maintenance utilizes data-driven analytics and information gathered from the asset to anticipate and preemptively address potential maintenance issues.
• Equipment Monitoring - Using real-time monitoring of the asset's performance, predictive maintenance can identify and address issues before they become a problem.
• Automated Maintenance - Automated maintenance systems can be used to automate preventive and predictive maintenance tasks, such as scheduling, tracking, and reporting.
• Proactive Maintenance - Proactive maintenance focuses on taking proactive steps to prevent issues from occurring, such as lubrication, alignment, and other preventative measures.

Advantages of preventive and predictive maintenance

Preventive and predictive maintenance are two approaches to managing equipment and infrastructure that can provide a number of benefits. Advantages of preventive and predictive maintenance include:

• Improved Equipment Reliability and Performance: By regularly inspecting and maintaining equipment, preventive and predictive maintenance can help reduce unplanned downtime and extend the service life of the asset.
• Reduced Costs: By avoiding costly repairs and replacements, preventive and predictive maintenance can help reduce operational and maintenance costs.
• Improved Safety: By addressing potential issues before they become a problem, preventive and predictive maintenance can help ensure the safety of personnel and equipment.
• Enhanced Efficiency: By addressing potential issues before they occur and improving equipment performance, preventive and predictive maintenance can help to improve operational efficiency.

Limitations of preventive and predictive maintenance

Preventive and predictive maintenance are proactive approaches to managing equipment and infrastructure that can help extend the service life of an asset and reduce unplanned downtime. However, there are a few limitations to this approach that should be taken into consideration. These limitations include:

• Expense: Preventive and predictive maintenance methods require a significant amount of time and money to implement.
• False positives: With predictive maintenance, false positives can occur when an issue is identified that does not actually exist.
• Difficulty in implementation: Implementing predictive maintenance can be difficult and time-consuming. It requires knowledge of the asset and an understanding of the data being collected.
• Impact of environment: The environment in which the equipment is being used can have a significant impact on the performance of the asset, which can make predictive maintenance more difficult.

Preventive and predictive maintenance — recommended articles

Ai in manufacturing — Scheduled preventive maintenance — Maintenance in industry — Maintenance log book — Andon cord — Cost effective maintenance — System of maintenance — Maintenance and service — Autonomous maintenance

References

• Arena, F., Collotta, M., Luca, L., Ruggieri, M., & Termine, F. G. (2022). Predictive maintenance in the automotive sector: A literature review. Mathematical and Computational Applications, 27(1), 2.