As with most things in life, it is easier and cheaper to be proactive than reactive. This is especially true when it comes to maintenance. Reactive maintenance (Run to Fail maintenance) is fixing something only after it has broken down. Proactive maintenance is taking the necessary steps to prevent breakdowns before they happen. Not only does proactive maintenance save you money in the long run, but also minimizes downtime and keeps your equipment running at peak efficiency.
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Preventive Maintenance (PM) is an important part of any reliability program as it comes under proactive maintenance. It is a scheduled effort to detect and correct potential problems before they cause failures or unplanned downtime.
The goal of preventive maintenance is to keep equipment running at peak performance and to extend its useful life. Time-based preventive maintenance is the most common type of PM, but it is not always the most effective.
Condition-based preventive maintenance (CbPM) is a more effective approach that uses condition monitoring data to determine when PM is needed. CbPM can be used to schedule PM based on equipment conditions, rather than on time or usage.
This blog explains the difference between time-based and condition-based preventive maintenance and how to effectively transform your PM schedule from time-based to condition-based.
Preventive maintenance (PM) has long been the conventional wisdom around manufacturers to prevent equipment failure, loss in production, and potential safety risks. It involves the execution of regularly scheduled maintenance, such as checking and replacing components and ensuring that the equipment is operating correctly, to ensure that it runs correctly and efficiently. Time-based preventive maintenance typically relies on a maintenance technician’s experience and knowledge to determine when and how often certain parts need to be replaced, as well as when to perform periodic inspections.
Unfortunately, time-based preventive maintenance schedules can often be inefficient, especially as the size of the operation increases and the number of pieces of equipment expands. They often result in over-servicing or under-servicing and can be costly due to the costs of manual labor, parts, and equipment downtime. In addition, time-based schedules don’t consider changes in the condition of the equipment over time, which further reduces their efficiency.
In this ever-evolving digital world, data is becoming increasingly important for effective decision making, particularly in the realm of preventive maintenance. Real-time data from condition monitoring systems allows manufacturers to pinpoint maintenance issues before they become expensive problems. This data-driven approach provides much needed visibility into the current health of their equipment, which is critical in preventing costly downtime.
Condition monitoring systems use a variety of sensing technologies to collect data on the condition of the equipment over time. This data can be used to determine the health of the asset, predict failure, and optimize maintenance scheduling. In addition, advanced analytics and machine learning can be used to analyze the data to identify potential problems. As a result, manufacturers can schedule maintenance at the right time, reducing costly downtime and minimizing the costs associated with replacement tasks.
Making the shift from time-based to condition-based preventive maintenance requires a few steps. First, you need to implement a condition monitoring system. This involves selecting the right sensors for your application, ensuring that the system is properly installed and calibrated, and training personnel on its use. Once the system is in place, you can begin collecting and analysing real-time data on the performance and condition of your equipment.
Next, you need to develop a maintenance strategy based on the data. This involves identifying the potential failure modes of each asset and developing maintenance tasks to address them. Once the tasks have been identified, you need to develop a maintenance schedule that takes into account the predicted performance and reliability of the equipment.
Finally, you need to ensure that your maintenance technicians are properly trained on the use of the condition monitoring system and the new maintenance strategies. Training should include instruction on how to use the system to monitor the condition of the equipment, how to interpret the data and identify potential malfunctions, and how to perform the appropriate preventive maintenance tasks.
Condition-based maintenance is well worth the effort for most businesses. It offers several benefits that make it superior to time-based maintenance schedules. For one, it’s much more efficient and cost-effective. With condition-based maintenance, you’re no longer wasting time and money on unnecessary maintenance tasks. You’re only performing the maintenance that’s necessary when it’s necessary.
Condition-based maintenance also reduces maintenance costs by extending the life of your equipment. By proactively monitoring and addressing potential failure modes, you’re able to prevent costly outages and extend the life of your equipment. In addition, condition-based maintenance helps you to reduce inventory costs by ensuring that you have the right parts and components on-hand to perform necessary maintenance tasks.
Making the switch from time-based to condition-based preventive maintenance can seem daunting. But with the right tools, it’s a fairly straightforward process. The first step is to evaluate your current maintenance strategy and determine which components are best suited for condition monitoring. While all components can be monitored for condition, it’s wise to focus your efforts on the assets that are most critical to the success of your operations.
Next, you need to select and install the appropriate sensors. This involves researching the available options, testing them in your environment, and selecting the ones that are best suited to your application.
Then, you can begin collecting data and analysing it to identify potential failure modes. This helps you to identify the maintenance tasks that should be performed, as well as the frequency with which they should be performed.
Finally, you need to implement the new maintenance schedule and train your maintenance technicians on the use of the new system. This includes training them on how to use the condition monitoring system, interpret the data, and perform the necessary preventive maintenance tasks.
A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is a piece of software that helps you plan, track, and optimize your maintenance operations. A CMMS can automate and streamline all the tasks associated with keeping your equipment in good working order, from creating and scheduling work orders to tracking inventory and stock levels.
A CMMS can also help you make the switch to condition based preventive maintenance (CBM). CBM is a maintenance strategy that focuses on monitoring the condition of your equipment and catching problems before they cause downtime. This can help you reduce your overall maintenance costs and improve your equipment uptime.
In today’s manufacturing landscape, time-based preventive maintenance schedules are no longer sufficient to ensure the reliability and efficiency of your equipment. To ensure that your equipment is running optimally and to reduce the costs associated with maintenance, it’s important to implement a condition-based preventive maintenance schedule. Making this shift is worth it for your business, as it can significantly reduce maintenance costs and extend the life of your equipment.
If you’re looking to make the switch to condition-based preventive maintenance, the steps outlined in this blog post should have you off to a good start! Reach out to the Cryotos CMMS team to learn how we can help you switch from time based maintenance to Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) with our software.
