8 Reasons to Invest in Preventive Maintenance

What is Preventive Maintenance?

A preventive maintenance program refers to the regular and routine maintenance tasks performed on equipment and machinery to ensure optimal performance and reduce the likelihood of failure.

By addressing minor issues before they escalate into major problems, PM helps organizations avoid costly repairs and unexpected breakdown. It’s the first critical step toward breaking free from the reactive cycle of constantly addressing equipment breakdowns and playing catch-up.

Preventive maintenance may involve scheduled inspections, operator rounds, lubrication, and part replacements to keep assets running smoothly.

Top Reasons to Do Preventive Maintenance

1. Identifies Potential Failures

Preventive maintenance helps detect early warning signs of equipment failure before they escalate into costly breakdowns. Through routine inspections and other diagnostic techniques, maintenance teams can pinpoint components that are starting to degrade. By identifying issues early, preventive maintenance effectively moves the equipment along the P/F curve (Potential/Future failure curve), shifting the failure point to a later stage and providing more time to take corrective action.

2. Reduces Unexpected Downtime

One of the most significant benefits of preventive maintenance plan is its ability to reduce unexpected downtime. Preventive maintenance program enables maintenance teams to spot potential issues before they become critical. By regularly checking equipment against a predefined schedule, PM helps identify signs of wear, corrosion, or misalignment, on different piece of equipment. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of unplanned downtime, leading to fewer disruptions in production.

3. Extends the Lifespan of Equipment

Performing preventive maintenance ensures that your equipment operates at its peak performance level over a longer period. By addressing wear and tear and replacing parts before they fail, PM reduces the risk of premature breakdowns on critical equipment.

Regular upkeep and inspections help identify parts that are nearing the end of their useful life, allowing businesses to replace or repair them before they lead to larger failures.

4. Improves Safety

Properly maintained equipment contributes directly to the safety of the workplace. Malfunctioning machinery can pose serious risks, from minor injuries to catastrophic accidents. Preventive maintenance helps ensure that equipment operates according to safety standards, reducing the likelihood of safety hazards.

By regularly inspecting and servicing critical asset’s safety features like emergency shutdown systems, pressure valves, and electrical components, businesses can create a safer work environment, safeguarding both workers and assets.

5. Reduces Maintenance Costs

Preventive maintenance is generally more cost-effective than emergency repairs or replacement. When equipment breaks down unexpectedly, repairs are often more expensive due to the need for immediate action, emergency service calls, and expedited parts replacement.

In contrast, regular preventive maintenance allows companies to plan maintenance for repairs and component replacements as part of a structured budget. This not only lowers the costs associated with reactive repairs but also prevents larger, more expensive failures that could result from neglecting routine maintenance.

6. Improves Asset Reliability and Performance

Reliability and performance are at the heart of preventive maintenance service. By keeping equipment in optimal condition, PM ensures that machinery operates efficiently, reducing the risk of performance issues. Well-maintained assets work with fewer interruptions, allowing businesses to maximize productivity and minimize downtime. Regular maintenance helps avoid the peaks and valleys in performance caused by neglected equipment, keeping operations running consistently at high levels.

7. Compliance with Regulations

Many industries are subject to strict regulatory standards. These regulations often require that companies maintain equipment in good working order to ensure both safety and environmental protection. Preventive maintenance checklist is a start to complying with these regulations, as it involves regular inspections and maintenance tasks that are documented and verifiable. Meeting these compliance requirements helps avoid fines, penalties, and shutdowns while promoting a culture of safety and quality.

8. Supports Predictive Maintenance and Other types of Maintenance

Preventive maintenance serves as the foundation for more advanced maintenance strategies, such as predictive maintenance (PdM). PdM relies on data collected from sensors and condition monitoring systems to predict equipment failures before they occur.

Essentially, preventive maintenance helps pave the way for a more sophisticated and data-driven approach to asset management.

Conclusion

Preventive maintenance is essential for any organization looking to improve the reliability, performance, and safety of its assets while reducing operational costs.

Whether it’s for reducing downtime, improving asset health, or ensuring compliance with regulations, the reasons to implement preventive maintenance are clear. As part of a larger strategy, PM sets the stage for advanced maintenance approaches, further boosting operational efficiency.

FAQ Section

What is the difference between preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance?

Preventive maintenance (PM) is proactive, focusing on regularly scheduled tasks to prevent equipment failures, while corrective maintenance (CM) is reactive, addressing issues after they occur.

How often should preventive maintenance be performed?

The frequency of preventive maintenance depends on the type of equipment, manufacturer recommendations, and the specific industry. In general, PM should be performed based on a regular schedule, typically ranging from weekly to annually, depending on the asset’s usage and criticality. It’s important to adjust PM schedules to the needs of the equipment and the operational environment.

Can preventive maintenance be automated?

Yes, preventive maintenance can be automated using preventive maintenance software such as an APM. These tools can track maintenance schedules, automatically generate work orders, and send reminders to ensure that PM tasks are completed on time. Automation helps improve efficiency, reduce human error, and ensure that maintenance is performed consistently and on schedule.

How do you measure reactive maintenance vs preventive maintenance?

Measuring reactive maintenance (RM) versus preventive maintenance (PM) involves tracking key metrics such as the frequency of unplanned repairs, downtime, and repair costs. RM typically results in higher unplanned downtime, increased repair costs, and more frequent equipment failures, which can shorten asset lifespan. In contrast, PM helps reduce unexpected downtime, extend equipment life, and lower repair costs by addressing issues before they escalate. Metrics like Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) reflect the effectiveness of each strategy, with PM leading to fewer failures and quicker repairs.

Raphael Tremblay,
Spartakus Technologies
[email protected]