7 Advantages of a preventive maintenance plan

In commerce and industry, the care and proper functioning of machines and equipment are essential. Thus, good maintenance management is necessary. We can find different maintenance strategies, each of which requires a plan. Within these, preventive maintenance is key to avoiding problems.

Types of preventive maintenance

Maintenance is the activity that allows us to improve certain aspects of an operation, such as safety or productivity. It can refer to machinery, equipment, or installations and buildings. To carry out this policy, a corrective and preventive maintenance plan is needed that details the operations and those responsible.

There are two types of preventive maintenance: scheduled and unscheduled. The latter is the one that must be carried out in an emergency due to equipment failure. From this point of view, all maintenance should be scheduled, and all manuals should be prepared. In case you are dealing with a Bosch 1575a foam rubber cutter, for instance, having the Bosch 1575a Foam Cutter manual is essential.

Within scheduled maintenance, various types differ, basically, by the moment in which the maintenance operation occurs: before or after a failure. The characteristic that defines preventive maintenance is that it is carried out before the failure occurs. However, that definition can raise many questions. For example, when it should be done, or if the original conditions of the equipment are modified or not. Therefore, different types or strategies of preventive maintenance were listed:

- Preventive planned or programmed. It is cyclical, regardless of the condition of the equipment.

- Based on the condition and predictive maintenance. Types of maintenance that are carried out before the failure occurs.

- Active preventive. Preventive maintenance generates some type of corrective action.

- Improved. As a result of preventive maintenance, the intrinsic characteristics of the equipment are modified without modifying its original functions.

- Autonomous. Tasks executed by operators.

- Of opportunity. It can be unscheduled, taking advantage of a window of opportunity. For example, a shutdown for operational reasons could allow other unscheduled maintenance activities.

Advantages of a preventive maintenance plan

The maintenance plan allows you to integrate all these activities into a single preventive maintenance program. Its objective is to increase the safety of workers, eliminate or reduce the suspension of activities and extend the useful life of the equipment. Here are the top seven benefits:

- Reduce the need for corrective maintenance. By regularly monitoring the actual operating conditions of the equipment, unexpected events can be prevented.

- Reduce costs. A preventive maintenance plan implies an expense, but the greater job security and the saving of time and money in other forms of maintenance more than compensate for the investment.

- Reduce waiting times for repairs. If equipment needs to be shut down for repairs or overhaul, having a maintenance schedule can accurately identify components to replace and schedule tasks in advance.

- Manage the stock of spare parts. Acquiring unnecessary spare parts or not having the exact spare part on time are problems that the preventive maintenance plan can reduce.

- Increase the useful life of the equipment and spare parts. The prevention and early detection of faults can increase the useful life of the different components and equipment as a whole by up to 30%. A side benefit is that it prevents bugs from spreading to other computers.

- Increased production. A comprehensive preventive program, including predictive maintenance, helps improve operational performance and equipment availability.

- Increased operator safety. According to IPS statistics, more than half of workplace accidents are caused by contact between workers and equipment, objects, or machines. The preventive maintenance plan must be accompanied by prevention and occupational safety manual that trains employees in the correct use of machinery.

Disadvantages of preventive maintenance

Although it seems that preventive maintenance only has advantages, it also has some drawbacks, although they are minor.

Maintenance personnel: the experience of the maintenance personnel alone is not enough, but the manufacturer's instructions must be strictly followed. It is essential to do it this way so that the guarantees on the equipment are maintained. On the other hand, there are computer programs and failure prediction instruments based on new technologies, which require constant training and updating by employees.

Cost accounting: preventive maintenance extends the useful life of machinery and equipment, but accounting does not allow the exact recording of wear, depreciation, and amortization of these investments.

Have you thought about all the benefits of a preventive maintenance plan? Consult with the specialists!