4020 – 04 – Understanding Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance, also known as PM, is one of the common forms of maintenance used in manufacturing. It needs regular maintenances like inspecting and lubricating the machines on a regular basis. Most maintenance activates include some sort of preventive maintenance except reactive maintenance.

Preventive maintenance is a practice that has been utilized for thousands of years. The Roman engineers used PM on their buildings and roads, and that is why they remained in good enough condition that they can be visited today. Unfortunately, it wasn’t used as much as it should have been due to expenses. Preventive maintenance nowadays is considered the more efficient form of maintenance available.

Once you work through the costs of hiring a maintenance worker, and using reactive maintenance, you will find that it is cheaper in the long run due to savings of avoiding downtime, labor, and parts.

  1. Which method of maintenance is the most efficient? 

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4020 – 01 – Understanding the Importance of Maintenance

4020 – 01 – Understanding the Importance of Maintenance

Making sure that you repair and preserve equipment and machines is called maintenance. For thousands of years humans have been using maintenance accompanying advances in mechanics and technology. Nowadays, machine shops use maintenance for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest jobs of maintenance workers is having shop equipment in a state of readiness, keeping downtime to a minimum. Downtime is when machine production is stopped because of mechanical failure. Downtime can be attributed to financial loses up to 40% of a manufacturing company’s profits. Maintenance needs to be done efficiently to keep costs to a minimum and run […]

4020 – 02 – Evolution of Maintenance

4020 – 02 – Evolution of Maintenance

For a long time, businesses didn’t pay the most attention to maintenance on their machines. If a machine broke, then workers were required to repair them fast and with little regard for safety or long-term machine performance. There was typically no plan or manual to service the machine, no regular preventive maintenance like lubrication to keep the machine running smoothly. Maintenance is an important factor in the industry of manufacturing. Professionals, engineers, and others have made a community that focuses on maintenance. They have publications, websites, and educational curriculums that study the maintenance profession. Companies know that investing in skilled […]

4020 – 03 – Using Reactive Maintenance (RM)

4020 – 03 – Using Reactive Maintenance (RM)

A simple approach to maintaining your machinery is to use reactive maintenance, or RM. Reactive maintenance is used only when the machine has already broken down. Even if you save money in the short term, it can result in more costs because the machine breaks down more often. This requires more work hours, downtime, and possible replacement of machines that can’t be fixed, which can mean more expenses. Injuries are far more likely to occur during reactive maintenance, this is because it occurs during unplanned downtime where they are rushed to finish the job. They tend to over look safety […]

4020 – 05 – Knowing the Limitations of Preventive Maintenance

4020 – 05 – Knowing the Limitations of Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance needs a constant maintenance schedule including inspecting, tightening, and cleaning machines at different times usually based on the age of the machine. Even though preventive maintenance is the most common approach, doesn’t mean reactive maintenance isn’t necessary. Even with PM programs, close to 60% of maintenance done in the shop is reactive maintenance. Some people believe that failure will be due to machine age, rather than looking at each machine and what they need. The approaches in maintenance work that can lower the need for reactive maintenance include predictive maintenance (PdM), reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), and total productive maintenance […]

4020 – 06 – Using Predictive Maintenance (PDM)

4020 – 06 – Using Predictive Maintenance (PDM)

Predictive maintenance (PDM) is a maintenance technique where schedule maintenance not on age but based on an individual machine basis, and then schedule maintenance for each machine. It takes a lot of money and time to start a PdM program. Employees need to be trained in PdM techniques, and more expensive costs including expensive tools and instruments. It can save company lots of money in the long run. Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is a maintenance style that is similar to PdM. CBM monitors machine condition usually automated, utilizing computers to work out equipment failures and warn machine operators to problems that […]

4020 – 07 – Different Predictive Maintenance Techniques

4020 – 07 – Different Predictive Maintenance Techniques

Maintenance professionals need to use a wide variety of techniques and instruments when using predictive maintenance. At the start of a PDM program, a maintenance technician takes a baseline reading of the machine. They are taken when a machine is operating normally, so difficulties can be known early. PdM technicians get readings about machine vibration, temperature and many other factors that get recorded for later use. After these readings, PDM technicians will check the machines from time to time. One of the most performed PdM tests is vibration analysis. Instruments are used to monitor and test the machine vibration to […]

4020 – 08 – Using Reliability- Centered Maintenance (RCM)

4020 – 08 – Using Reliability- Centered Maintenance (RCM)

A different approach that has become more common is reliability-centered maintenance, or RCM. RCM utilizes predictive maintenance techniques while trying to remain fiscally optimal. RCM became more widely used in the airline industries of the 60’s and 70’s. It wanted to increase the consistency of advanced aircrafts while saving money. RCM is great at using maintenance in today’s complex machinery. RCM is related to predictive maintenance but works on some machines more than others based on what is needed for the job. The machines are kept functioning as needed. RCM technicians also attempt to plan for what may happen during […]

4020 – 09 – Knowing the Elements of RCM

4020 – 09 – Knowing the Elements of RCM

Unlike PdM, RCM technicians know that all machines are not valued equally. A machine that is used and is essential will need more maintenance than a machine only used occasionally. RCM programs may not use any preventive or predictive maintenance on specific machines. A machine may be ran until it needs reactive maintenance, which is called run-to-failure. Low priority machines may be run-to-fail because downtime won’t harm production. A lot of RCM need skilled maintenance professionals, which means RCM programs can be very expensive. RCM can lower a company’s costs in the long term.

4020 – 10 – Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

4020 – 10 – Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

A separate approach to maintenance is Total Productive Maintenance, or TPM. TPM is an approach to maintenance where everyone pools his or her knowledge and experience to create an efficient maintenance program. They began in Japan during the 1950’s and 1960’s. It has since spread to the United States, used in conjunction with other maintenance practices, like PdM. TPM is related to the idea of lean manufacturing, focusing on product quality and customer satisfaction to lower cost and waste. Waste is anything with no value in the manufacturing process including unplanned downtime. TPM places emphasis on the safety and involvement […]

4020 – 11 – Selecting a Maintenance Approach

4020 – 11 – Selecting a Maintenance Approach

It is highly unlikely that any maintenance approach will get rid of the need for reactive maintenance. Picking the best approach can lower the amount of time maintenance workers need to spend performing RM. A lot of companies will mix different styles of maintenance in the shops. All maintenance approaches have advantages and disadvantages. With fewer machines, a PM approach needs to be effective. The costs would be much lower than the training and equipment of a PdM or RCM approach. A company can hire a consultant to determine the optimal approach.

4020 – 12 – How to Schedule Maintenance Work

4020 – 12 – How to Schedule Maintenance Work

A lot of companies need scheduled maintenance to reduce machine downtime and increase safety and efficiency. A maintenance planner can be hired to make a maintenance schedule for the plant. Supervisors can also create schedules./ A maintenance department can utilize a computerized maintenance management system, or CMMS to schedule maintenance work. When a CMMS system is used, maintenance technicians or planners enter the data about machines and their needs. The CMMS organizes the data and schedules when tasks should be performed. It can keep inventory and know where all the equipment is. A CMMS may not be necessary but can […]

4020 – 13 – Using Effective Maintenance Communication

4020 – 13 – Using Effective Maintenance Communication

It is usually assumed in the maintenance industry that talking companies into new maintenance practices will be hard unless it has short-term results. Increasing profits is usually the top priority and some managers can find it difficult to start in a new maintenance program. PdM and RCM need a lot of money to start up so it can be daunting, but looking long term and keeping employees safe and saving money can grant many unseen results. It is important for everyone to have the same goals and open minds. Maintenance technicians need to communicate with machine operators on a steady […]

4020 – 14 – Lesson Summary

4020 – 14 – Lesson Summary

Maintenance involves repair and upkeep of equipment and machines. Maintenance workers need to do their jobs quickly and efficiently to lower costs, and increase safety. Reactive maintenance (RM) was the chosen approach to maintenance, but today preventive maintenance (PM) is used more cost-effective than reactive maintenance in a lot of situations. Predictive maintenance (PdM) is a maintenance technique using scheduled maintenance not based on machine age as in PM. Many industrial companies now have reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) techniques into their programs. RCM meets the need of today’s complex machinery. Another approach to maintenance is total productive maintenance (TPM), which is […]

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