Why Preventive Maintenance Programs Don't Work
Many preventive maintenance (PM) programs fail to reduce downtime because they are based on arbitrary schedules and generic checklists, not on the actual condition of the equipment.
Why This Happens in Real Plants
- Calendar-Based PMs: Maintenance is scheduled based on time (e.g., every 3 months) regardless of equipment usage or condition.
- Lack of Data: PM tasks are not based on failure history or condition monitoring data.
- Generic Checklists: One-size-fits-all checklists are used for all equipment, leading to unnecessary work on some machines and missed issues on others.
- No Operator Involvement: Maintenance is seen as the sole responsibility of the maintenance department, with no input or involvement from operators.
What Most People Get Wrong
Most companies believe that doing more preventive maintenance is always better. In reality, performing the wrong PM tasks, or performing them too frequently, can actually introduce new failure modes and waste valuable technician time.
What Actually Works
- Condition-Based Maintenance: Use data from sensors (vibration, temperature, etc.) to trigger maintenance tasks only when needed.
- Automating Tasks: Deploying technology like automated lubrication solutions, from perma, take the guesswork and manual nature out of preventative maintenance.
- Data-Driven PMs: Analyze failure history to focus PM efforts on the most common and critical failure modes.
- Equipment-Specific Task Lists: Develop customized PM task lists for each critical piece of equipment.
- Autonomous Maintenance: Train and empower operators to perform routine cleaning, inspection, and lubrication tasks.
When to Involve a Partner
If your PM program is consuming significant resources but you are not seeing a corresponding reduction in downtime, it's time for a strategic review. A reliability partner can help you transition from a calendar-based to a condition-based maintenance strategy, optimizing your resources and maximizing your impact.
Is your PM program failing to deliver results?
Adams Corporation helps manufacturers in Florida, Alabama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic develop and implement data-driven reliability programs that work. We offer a full range of solutions from condition monitoring to reliability consulting.
- Nate
