Most
people can readily grasp the concept of preventative maintenance which
is a strategy to prevent major problems by regularly performing routine,
preplanned services on equipment and vehicles.

While
predictive maintenance is similar to preventative maintenance, in that
it seeks to prevent major problems, the two strategies are not the same.
In order to better understand what predictive maintenance is, let’s
first look at the differences.

Preventative
maintenance follows a predetermined schedule of recommended tasks
intended to keep machinery and vehicles running smoothly – and hopefully
preventing major problems from occurring. For example, an equipment
manufacturer may recommend a maintenance schedule consisting of routine
fluid flushing and belt replacement every six months regardless of
whether or not the fluid needs changed or the belts are worn. These
items are likely somewhat worn due to wear and tear but the equipment is
not necessarily ready to fail. By replacing items before the need
becomes critical, this strategy can be effective at preventing problems.
It is an essential part of an overall vehicle and equipment maintenance
program.

Predictive
maintenance often takes place in conjunction with routine maintenance.
This strategy involves observing machinery for indications of a
potential problem as well as ongoing assessments, performance
monitoring, and comparisons to statistical data. Alan Friedman of the
Predictive Maintenance Institute of Mexico described the proactive mode
of predictive maintenance as the stage where you have enough historical
information about machinery and failure rates to make educated decisions
about extending their lives, replacing them, or weeding out inherent
design flaws.

·
      Inspections – Inspections should be integrated with routine
service. Since the equipment is pulled out of service temporarily, this
is an ideal time to physically inspect equipment for signs of potential
problems such as excessive wear, leaks, missing parts, signs of damage,
and so on.

·
      Operational Assessments – While inspecting equipment during
routine service calls is good, assessing it while its operational is
even better. When equipment is in operation, potential problems may be
easier to see or hear. For example, have you ever heard your car make a
strange clunking or squealing sound when driving it? That’s often a
signal that something is wrong. When changing your car’s oil and
visually inspecting the car for signs of problems, you might have missed
the underlying cause. However, once you start driving the car, the
clunking or squealing alerts you that something is amiss. Operational
assessments are useful in discovering potential problems.

·
      Performance Monitoring – Just as your car has temperature gauges,
odometers, and “check engine” lights, industrial equipment has
indicators such as operating temperatures, sensors, and counters that
should be monitored regularly for performance. These figures should be
compared against benchmarks. Deviations from normal benchmarks indicates
a possible problem.

·
      Statistical Comparisons – In addition to monitoring equipment and
comparing its performance to benchmarks, comparisons can be taken even
further. Keeping accurate service records and repair histories of all
equipment allows maintenance professionals to predict potential
failures. For example, let’s say that 60 forklifts out of a fleet of 100
have had major transmission problems after just nine months of
operations. Using this data, it would be smart to pay attention to newer
forklifts of the same make and model as they approach this age as the
likelihood of a transmission issue is roughly 60 percent based on
historical data. Keeping and analyzing records such as this example is
also smart in making future buying decisions.

Predictive maintenance is a proactive strategy that seeks to predict major problems with equipment, machinery, and vehicles.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR