Category:
What Is Industrial Maintenance?
Defined maintenance methods allow companies across industries to sustain the machinery necessary for daily operations.
Fleets of vehicles, warehouses of lathes and milling machines, and heavy-duty equipment operations incorporate maintenance techniques to protect their sources of income to ensure efficiency and longevity. For example, implementing predictive maintenance among the Fortune Global 500 companies could result in 40% fewer maintenance costs and a collective $233 billion in savings, according to one report.
This guide includes an introduction to industrial maintenance, including a discussion of three distinct methods popular among successful companies.
Without a strong maintenance protocol in place, companies risk running aground, losing money rather than making it.
What Is Industrial Maintenance?
At its core, industrial maintenance ensures that the equipment and systems necessary for production perform as expected for as long as possible. When done effectively, industrial maintenance reduces the chances of unplanned downtime, asset disrepair, and steep machinery replacement costs.
Although industrial maintenance can add to the existing workload, the benefits far outweigh the existing workload.
Industrial maintenance involves three main processes:
- Inspections: Systems and personnel monitor for abnormalities to address a problem before it grows in size and related costs to the company’s bottom line.
- Upkeep: Routine cleaning and lubrication protect machinery components from deterioration, and maintenance personnel may also perform inspections as they complete these processes.
- Repairs or replacements: During planned or unplanned downtime, repairs can be completed to limit damage to the machine and ensure the proper functioning of all components.
Introducing industrial maintenance into a company’s existing processes can present numerous challenges. For example, companies may struggle to address maintenance concerns due to a limited budget. The dwindling availability of skilled maintenance technicians who can perform work on outdated machinery also presents a hurdle.
What Are the Main Types of Industrial Maintenance?
Aviation, transportation, food and beverage, oil and gas, healthcare, automotive, and manufacturing industries all depend on industrial maintenance for efficiency and longevity.
The type of maintenance required may vary between industries, but the intended results are the same. Explore reactive, preventative, and predictive maintenance below to understand how each approach can benefit companies regardless of industry.
Reactive Maintenance
When a machine breaks down, reactive maintenance describes the troubleshooting approach maintenance technicians take to diagnose the problem and perform repairs. It’s the same approach you would take if your car broke down on the highway and you had it towed to the dealership or your chosen mechanic.
Despite the best-laid plans, sometimes reactive maintenance is required in the course of production.
However, reactive maintenance can prove costly, both in terms of time and money. Sourcing parts can lead to delayed production schedules, which means businesses are losing money. In worst-case scenarios, reactive maintenance requires total replacement, which can significantly set a company back.
Preventative Maintenance
To reduce the impacts of reactive maintenance, preventative maintenance seeks to head off repairs before they happen, prolonging the equipment’s lifespan to avoid costly breakdowns.
Most preventative maintenance occurs on a set schedule based on historical patterns or trends, similar to changing the oil in your car every 3,000 miles. Regular inspections can also help identify the beginnings of component fatigue or disrepair so maintenance technicians can address those concerns before they intensify or cause additional damage.
Although preventative maintenance may require downtime, performing inspections and repairs on a set schedule can help managers plan ahead. It’s much easier to account for a truck entering the shop for scheduled services than one requiring emergency repairs.
Preventative maintenance also boosts the efficiency and productivity of the entire operation, enabling businesses to meet deadlines.
Predictive Maintenance
The concept of predictive maintenance takes preventative maintenance one step further, integrating data analytics to more accurately predict when maintenance can be most effective. It’s the difference between changing your oil at 3,000 miles or knowing you can get 500 more miles out of it before you have to pay for an oil change.
Companies that employ predictive maintenance can still perform the same maintenance tasks, just with greater efficiency, to maximize their rate of return.
What are the Benefits of Industrial Maintenance?
Industrial maintenance offers several benefits, from extending a piece of equipment’s lifespan to reducing costs. When machinery is responsibly maintained, it performs reliably without the threat of downtime and lost resources.
Industrial maintenance practices also comply with regulations surrounding worker safety and promote a brand image of accountability and forethought.
How Has Industrial Maintenance Evolved?
Innovations in industrial maintenance technology and best practices have enabled companies to optimize previously successful methods for additional benefits.
For example, the integration of the internet of things (IoT) devices allows companies to monitor and troubleshoot machinery based on data they receive from sensors located at various touchpoints. Cloud computing connects shareholders with this information — often in real time — to inform higher decision-making processes.
Beyond data collection, industrial maintenance integrates AI and machine learning to identify operational trends and leverage the resulting insight to maximize efficiency. Sifting through the immense amounts of data generated by industrial maintenance requires a robust system that gives managers a bird’s-eye view of the entire operation.
A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) governs everything from scheduling and inventory control to report generation.
Partner With Cadence to Conquer Industrial Maintenance
Cadence supports countless businesses across multiple industries in maintaining their equipment with high-quality products and solutions built to deliver value at every turn. Our trained and experienced employees strive for safety, integrity, and continuous improvement in our pursuit of excellence.
Call us at 336-629-2061 to speak with a friendly and knowledgeable staff member about your industrial maintenance needs.
Sources:
The True Cost of Downtime 2024 | Siemens
Types of Reactive Maintenance | GeeksforGeeks