Predictive Maintenance (PdM), also known as condition-based maintenance, attempts to evaluate the condition of equipment by performing periodic or continuous (online) equipment condition monitoring. The ultimate goal of PdM is to perform maintenance at a scheduled point in time when the maintenance activity is most cost-effective and before the equipment loses optimum performance. This is in contrast to time- and/or operation count-based maintenance, where a piece of equipment gets maintained whether it needs it or not. Time-based maintenance is labor intensive, ineffective in identifying problems that develop between scheduled inspections, and is not cost-effective.
The average plant not currently using vibration analysis to monitor equipment can reduce its maintenance budget by 20% simply by implementing a Predictive Maintenance Program. This can save your company thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
THE BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING PdM
Remember when diagnosing a machine’s condition required nothing more than a screwdriver and a good ear? Well, technology has come a long way.
These days, a host of high-tech tools make it possible to accurately determine the condition of equipment as it operates. This information can then be used to make precise maintenance decisions. The result is improved productivity, lowered maintenance costs, and extended machinery life.
By pinpointing problem areas and hot spots long before they cause critical shutdown, Predictive Maintenance (PdM) also increases productivity:
A major supplier to the U.S. government’s Defense and Aerospace Program avoided more than $1 million in downtime by doing an infrared thermography scan of its electrical distribution system.
Cost savings are one of the major motivations behind most Predictive Maintenance (PdM) Programs:
One manufacturer of heavy machinery reduced its repair expenses by $1.7 million with Predictive Maintenance.
Current estimates suggest that the average plant not currently using vibration analysis to monitor equipment can reduce its maintenance budget by 20% with PdM. This can save your company thousands-or even hundreds of thousands-of dollars each year.
