Preventive Maintenance is the planned maintenance of equipment, designed to preserve and restore equipment reliability by replacing worn components before they actually fail. Maintenance activities include partial or complete overhauls at specified periods.
The idea is that by having a pre-determined schedule of care, equipment will last longer, be more energy efficient and minimize unplanned downtime or emergency work.
Unfortunately, the implementation of a preventive maintenance program can be time-consuming and costly. This creates constant debate as to whether a preventive maintenance program is worth installing. Will all the man-hours and money invested in the program outweigh emergency repairs? From our years of experience, we believe that when the program is properly operated the benefits exceed the costs.
Here are other important benefits of a properly operated preventive maintenance program:
- Equipment downtime is decreased, and the number of major repairs is reduced
- Better conservation of assets and increased life expectancy of assets, thereby eliminating premature replacement of machinery and equipment
- Reduced overtime costs and more economical use of maintenance workers due to working on a scheduled basis instead of a crash basis to repair breakdowns
- Timely, routine repairs circumvent fewer large-scale repairs
- Improved safety and quality conditions for everyone
The ideal preventive maintenance program would prevent all equipment failure before it occurs.
