The difference between predictive maintenance, sustainability performance and preventive maintenance and how the three correlate can be hard to spot, but they are vital tools to fully comprehend before going and implementing any of them in a manufacturing environment.
When looking at how to implement predictive maintenance, it’s important to keep in mind that there is no one solution or program that can tell us exactly what we need to do. However, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software is a good base to start off on. With extra add on applications that you can customise to a manufacturers needs, you can get a little closer to having a helper that can point out predictive maintenance plans.
Another good way to define your predictive maintenance needs is by comparing it against your preventive maintenance and break-fix (reactive) classified equipment. Knowing each class of maintenance for each machine will make it easier to pick out which you want focused on predictive maintenance.
A critical idea to keep in mind is not to “overmaintain” your machinery. It’s unnecessary to replace or tear down equipment to inspect it all the time, because that will not only cost more money, but also more time.
To learn more about predictive maintenance, read the full article on LNS Research’s website.