What Is Preventive Maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is a type of equipment maintenance, which involves inspecting and repairing equipment and facilities on a predetermined cycle before significant failures occur.
Maintenance is the activity of keeping facilities and equipment in sound condition and can be broadly classified into corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance. As the name suggests, corrective maintenance involves repairing and restoring facilities and equipment after failure. In contrast, preventive maintenance aims to prevent failures by replacing parts and making adjustments before problems arise.
Uses of Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is applied in various industrial fields and infrastructures to prevent sudden accidents and unplanned failures. Reactive maintenance is not sufficient when a failure or accident could cause serious damage or when a sudden breakdown could lead to significant consequences. Reliable preventive maintenance becomes essential and is used in areas such as:
- Repair of exterior walls of buildings and other general structures
- Pipelines and various types of piping, such as sewage lines
- Wiring
- Road surfaces and road appendages
- Various bridges on rivers
- Tunnels
- Dams
- Erosion control levees and coastal levees
- Harbors
- Airports and navigation signs
- Civil engineering facilities
- Parks
- Sprinklers
- Fire alarms
- Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
- Earth leakage breakers
In the manufacturing industry, preventive maintenance ensures efficient production through the stable operation of machinery and equipment in factories. Specific examples include:
- Periodic bearing replacement
- Air and hydraulic pressure checks
- Greasing of robots and chains
- Belt inspections
- Inspection of cutting tools, presses, and other processing machines
As noted, preventive maintenance has significant advantages, such as efficient maintenance preparation and minimizing damage from breakdowns and accidents. However, it can sometimes result in unnecessary inspections and replacements, known as overmaintenance.
It is also important to note that preventive maintenance cannot always prevent breakdowns due to potential failures in planning.
Types of Preventive Maintenance
Utilization-Based Maintenance (UBM)
Utilization-Based Maintenance, also called UBM, is a preventive maintenance method where maintenance tasks are based on the number of times equipment is operated. In some cases, this is determined by average daily usage.
Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
Condition-Based Maintenance, also known as CBM, involves repairs or replacements when the condition of equipment deteriorates to a certain level. This may involve vibration measurement using sensors or waveform analysis of analog signals like electric current.