• What is Preventive Maintenance? Give examples.
Preventive maintenance (PM) is a strategy in which maintenance work is performed in
advance to avoid asset failures that can lead to downtime, safety issues, and
production stops.
Example: Periodic lubrication and calibration of conveyor belts,
presses and assembly line machines.
This includes checking for wear
replacing worn parts.
• What are the types of Preventive Maintenance? Explain them briefly.
1. Time Based Maintenance (TBM):
• Scheduled at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, annually), regardless of
the status of the equipment.
2. Maintenance based on usage (MBU):
• It is carried out based on the actual use of the equipment, measured by
parameters such as operating hours or production cycles.
3. Predictive maintenance (PdM):
• Uses condition monitoring tools and techniques to predict when maintenance should
be performed based on the actual condition of the equipment.
4. Prescriptive maintenance:
• An advanced form of predictive maintenance that not only predicts when
maintenance is necessary, but also suggests specific actions to prevent future
problems.
• What are the benefits of Preventive Maintenance?
1. Increases the useful life of assets
One of the main advantages of preventive maintenance is the longer useful life of
assets. When assets are kept in the best possible condition, their useful life is
increased, reducing the organization's overall costs by avoiding breakdowns and
unnecessary replacements.
2. Save money
Preventive maintenance gives maintenance managers the ability to optimize work
schedules, plan ahead for spare parts inventory orders, and reduce the costs of
production downtime and asset replacement.
3. Reduce interruptions
Instead of stopping production to address requests, technicians can schedule
maintenance based on expected downtime to optimize equipment availability:
Technicians can focus on assets available for work, assign employees with the right
skills and establish priorities based on criticality.
4. Increases worker safety
Preventative maintenance reduces worker safety problems such as fires, hazardous
material spills, or slippery surfaces caused by leaks. Preventive maintenance
checklists and procedures can also ensure that all workers follow the correct
protocols, such as lockout/tagout procedures and other safety-related measures that
improve and support worker safety.
5. Reduce equipment downtime
Finally, preventive maintenance minimizes overall downtime because your assets are
more reliable and your technicians can schedule planned downtime for repairs around
production schedules.
• Can you mention the disadvantages of Preventive Maintenance?
1. Possibility of excessive maintenance
2. Its application can be expensive
3. Requires extensive employee participation
4. Requires scheduled downtime
5. It can be labor intensive
