4 - Benefits of Predictive Maintenance

Abstract

The premise of predictive maintenance is that regular monitoring of the actual mechanical condition of machine-trains and operating efficiency of process systems will ensure the maximum interval between repairs, minimize the number and cost of unscheduled outages created by machine-train failures, and improve the overall availability of operating plants. Including predictive maintenance in a total-plant management program will optimize the availability of process machinery and greatly reduce the cost of maintenance. In reality, predictive maintenance is a condition-driven preventive maintenance program. Predictive maintenance is not a substitute for the more traditional maintenance management methods. It is a valuable addition to a comprehensive, total plant maintenance program. Where traditional maintenance management programs rely on routine servicing of all machinery and fast response to unexpected failures, a predictive maintenance program schedules specific maintenance tasks as they are actually required by plant equipment. It cannot eliminate the continued need for either or both of the traditional maintenance programs. Predictive maintenance can, however, reduce the number of unexpected failures and provide a more reliable scheduling tool for routine preventive maintenance tasks.