In manufacturing, there’s no denying that some degree of machine maintenance should be in place to mitigate failures and downtime. Where the goal of all maintenance strategies is to reach net-zero downtime, the level of maintenance employed will dictate how close an operation is able to come to that ideal benchmark. Whether reactive, preventive, or predictive, understanding the varying levels of machine maintenance will help in determining which strategy is best for your processes.
Reactive
Although dated, widely practiced reactive maintenance is just that: racing to remedy machine failure after a fault has already occurred. With reactive maintenance, you can always plan on experiencing unplanned downtime. In addition to costly production halts and delayed schedules, the machines themselves are prone to a shorter life expectancy as they are run to a literal breaking point. Because reactive methodologies often result in finding quick solutions, machine efficiency is greatly reduced, affecting not only its health, but also an organization’s bottom line as additional energy is consumed to keep pace with production timetables.
Preventive
Also known as planned maintenance, preventive maintenance is the first tier of machine monitoring that is tailored to reduce the frequency of unplanned downtime. Conducted based on usage or time triggers, machine maintenance is routine. While this strategy is effective in avoiding unplanned downtime, the cost of servicing machines based on usage as opposed to analytics results in some instances of unnecessary maintenance.
Predictive
Driven by IoT and rooted in data analytics, predictive maintenance utilizes machine condition monitoring to pinpoint at-risk machines and ensure optimal performance. As opposed to reactive and preventive strategies, predictive maintenance provides floor technicians with the ability to not only identify possible faults, but also enables proper diagnoses to enhance efficiency and extend life expectancy. In addition to monitoring a machine’s vibrational and ultrasonic frequencies, many predictive programs utilize thermography technology to identify the slightest decrease in performance so it can be corrected before causing production halts.
As the most proactive approach to managing machine health, a well-designed predictive maintenance program can decrease manufacturing costs by reducing downtime and maximizing machine efficiency. To enjoy the operational benefits of employing predictive strategies in your processes, contact VibePro to learn more about their powerful, industry-changing solutions and enhance your production capabilities today.
About VibePro
At VibePro, it is our mission to provide the best predictive tools on a single iPad platform and services to monitor nearly any asset. We strive to bring our customers the portability, connectivity, and affordability offered by the latest available technologies. Our product family combines wireless portable and online vibration data collection and analysis, balancing, shaft alignment, thermography, and ultrasound into an affordable and completely scalable solution on one simple to use platform. VibePro’s predictive technology apps feature many additions that have come directly from customers. Click here to learn more.
