Maintenance Strategy 

Increase your plant’s productivity by 25% with a well-planned maintenance strategy!   

In the previous step, we discussed the criticality ranking of your assets. Now that you know which are your most critical assets, you need to build your maintenance strategy around this ranking. It’s crucial to perform the right task at the right time, by the right person, in the right way.

According to a study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an effective maintenance strategy can significantly increase plant productivity, by up to 25%.  

To do this, it helps to get down to the level of failure modes.  

 1. Identifying failure modes

For each component, we need to list the symptoms of impending failure. Take a motor, for example: it may overheat, vibrate or make strange noises. These are signs that a problem is brewing.

2. Addressing failure modes

You will then address these failure modes with specific tasks at a defined frequency. For example, for an oil leak-related failure mode, you might decide to carry out a visual inspection every week, every two weeks or every day. An operator will then check the oil level of this equipment, and so on. This method is the best way to build a solid maintenance strategy and focus your efforts on what’s important. 

3. Planning and monitoring maintenance tasks

Once the tasks have been defined, it’s essential to plan them properly. Use a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to create a maintenance schedule. This system will help you keep track of tasks, assign them to the appropriate technicians, and record the results of inspections and interventions.

Figure 1: example of maintenance plans in SAP

Next, integrate software to monitor the health of your assets, such as Spartakus APM. In this way, you can analyze the data to adjust the frequency and priority of maintenance tasks in line with changes in equipment condition. 

4. Staff training and skills  

For your maintenance strategy to be effective, it’s also crucial that staff are properly trained. Make sure your technicians are familiar with the equipment, typical failure modes and maintenance procedures. Organize regular training sessions and update your teams on new maintenance techniques and technologies. 

5. Use of advanced technologies  

In addition to visual inspections and scheduled interventions, consider integrating advanced technologies such as vibration analysis, infrared thermography or lubricant analysis. These techniques can detect potential problems before they become critical, reducing unplanned downtime and repair costs.

Conclusion

In summary, an effective maintenance strategy relies on accurate identification of failure modes, rigorous addressing of these failures with specific and regular tasks, careful planning, and ongoing staff training. By adopting a proactive approach and using advanced tools, you can ensure the reliability and longevity of your critical assets, optimize your maintenance costs, and improve your organization’s overall performance. 

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