Inhaltsübersicht
- 1 Preventive maintenance: the tactic for a long and cost-efficient machine life
- 2 Preventive maintenance: Definition
- 3 Preventive or predictive maintenance: a small but important difference
- 4 Advantages of preventive maintenance
- 5 Maintenance plans and checklists: digital tools for preventive maintenance and servicing
- 6 Find the optimum maintenance strategy for your company!
- 7 FAQ
Preventive maintenance: the tactic for a long and cost-efficient machine life
Better safe than sorry, as the old saying goes. When it comes to maintenance, it proves to be true: a well thought-out maintenance strategy that prevents malfunctions or even complete failure of your systems increases the service life of operational assets and saves costs in the long term.
There are many possible measures, and preventive maintenance is a method of maintenance management that has become uncomplicated, especially in the digital age. Provided you work with the right tools to protect your business from malfunctions and breakdowns.
How this works, what exactly preventive maintenance means and how we can support you: You can find out here.
Preventive maintenance: Definition
Preventive maintenance is a strategic measure in which companies regularly maintain their machines and systems in order to avoid unplanned downtime. This form of maintenance is based on systematic planning and includes targeted maintenance measures that continuously monitor and optimize the condition of the systems.
So you don’t wait until a problem stops production or leads to downtime, but try to prevent problems that could arise due to wear and tear in advance by taking preventive measures.
The aim of preventive maintenance is to identify and rectify problems at an early stage, for example before defective devices affect uptime and productivity.
Companies use various strategies to minimize the amount of work required for maintenance and repairs. This includes regular inspections and a structured maintenance plan.
Whether and which measures are worthwhile compared to repairs in an emergency can vary greatly from company to company. This is why maintenance processes in different areas are an individual matter.
Maintenance and servicing work in times of digitalization
Digitalization makes preventive maintenance measures even more efficient. No matter in which company we look at maintenance: The days of routing slips, manually completed checklists and inspection reports are definitely over.
Digital tools analyze large amounts of operating data and enable predictive planning of maintenance work. This enables companies to optimize their maintenance strategies and extend the service life of their machines. Compared to “analogue maintenance”, the digitalized version is far superior in terms of workload.
The implementation of preventive measures requires close coordination between the various areas of production and maintenance. Well thought-out planning not only reduces downtimes, but also contributes to cost efficiency.
Ultimately, preventive maintenance increases the reliability and performance of machines and systems. Companies that rely on these strategies secure competitive advantages and guarantee long-term plant availability, despite the manageable costs for monitoring and the resulting processes.
Types of maintenance
Maintenance strategies can vary greatly depending on the industry and company. However, they should all be efficient and cost-optimized.
Let’s take a look at the different types of maintenance that are conceivable for increasing the availability of your assets.
The following options are known to be common in maintenance:
Reactive maintenance, or “run to failure”, sets the repair team in motion as soon as devices or machines come to a standstill. In other words, the team only reacts when the wear and tear or breakdown makes a response absolutely necessary. Corrective maintenance is also sometimes referred to. Depending on the production system, this can sometimes save costs, but it can also be really expensive.
Predictive maintenance, also known as preventive maintenance or PM for short, is more active: instead of waiting until problems occur, regular inspections are carried out, for example according to a specified maintenance plan, to ensure that expected failures are avoided from the outset.
Predictive maintenance means using collected data and information to predict when and where a failure will occur. Precise measures can be taken in advance at this point to prevent the predicted system failure.
The two maintenance strategies – predictive and preventive maintenance – have similarities, but offer different advantages. Both describe a proactive approach: Companies try to fix problems before they even arise. This usually involves lower costs and less manpower than trying to rectify a production stoppage as quickly as possible once it has occurred.
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Preventive or predictive maintenance: a small but important difference
As the terms are sometimes confused, it is worth taking a closer look at two strategies, namely predictive and preventive maintenance.
Predictive maintenance
There are several synonyms for this: Predictive maintenance is also referred to as predictive maintenance. This maintenance strategy involves using and collecting data that is relevant to the controlled processes and analyzing it with a view to the question: What will happen when?
This prediction of future events – ergo machine failures – is the basis for using preventive measures to prevent what has been predicted. Measures and maintenance work in this strategy are the result of data collection and analysis. Decisions on which measures to take, when and how are based on data. This can be operating data, data from sensors or performance indicators.
The collected data is analyzed and evaluated: probable sources for the next failure, the expected signs of wear or possible weak points in the production process are identified.
Preventive maintenance
The second option for maintenance, which benefits from digitalization and its complex tools, is preventive maintenance. This method relies on precautionary measures: Regular maintenance, inspections and checks are carried out to prevent problems before they occur – for example, by replacing wearing materials on a regular basis.
Modern technologies support documentation and make not only work instructions easy, but also the collection of data. Checklists, logs and inspections can also be easily managed and organized with digital tools. This makes them effective aids for both maintenance strategies.
Our tepcon “instructor” software solution not only offers work instructions, but also solutions for service documentation, logging or checklists. This means that important data and instructions can also be compiled for maintenance, whether preventive, reactive or predictive.
Ask us – we have digital solutions for your individual maintenance needs!
Advantages of preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance plays a crucial role in the industry, as it makes the desired optimum condition a permanent state.
Regular maintenance work and planned inspections minimize downtimes and extend the service life of the devices. A structured PM method includes both the planning and implementation of targeted measures to avoid unplanned repairs.
A major advantage of preventive maintenance is the increased safety in operation. Predictive maintenance identifies potential risks at an early stage, which prevents accidents and production downtime.
In addition, well-organized maintenance ensures consistent product quality by avoiding disruptions in the processes.
Preventive maintenance offers companies an efficient way to optimize maintenance costs. Instead of reacting to sudden defects, this type of maintenance enables a targeted reduction in costs through planned work.
A structured checklist also helps to systematically record all the necessary tasks.
Even if this type of maintenance sometimes seems time-consuming, with the right planning and targeted use of resources, operational downtimes can be prevented and efficiency increased – and maintenance costs can potentially be reduced in the long term.
The overview: Advantages of preventive maintenance
- Reduction of downtimes
- Increased safety in operation
- Extending the service life of the machines
- Reduction in maintenance costs
- Optimization of processes and quality assurance
- Targeted planning of maintenance work
Maintenance plans and checklists: digital tools for preventive maintenance and servicing
Digital maintenance plans and checklists are extremely helpful tools for preventive maintenance. Their aim is to systematically monitor systems in order to detect problems at an early stage and minimize repairs.
The use of digital tools makes maintenance work more efficient and maximizes uptime.
A key advantage of digital strategies is the continuous analysis of the condition of machines. Real-time data enables more precise planning of preventive maintenance, reducing downtime and extending the service life of equipment.
In addition, digital maintenance plans improve safety by indicating necessary measures before a critical defect occurs.
In production, a well-structured digital PM strategy ensures the smooth integration of every maintenance task into the operational process. Work can be coordinated in a targeted manner and carried out in a personnel-saving manner, increasing efficiency and ensuring product quality, while companies benefit from the transparency and traceability of digital systems. All relevant information on preventive maintenance can be called up at any time, for example in the form of work instructions.
This makes it easier to implement strategies for long-term optimization. Digitalization therefore makes a significant contribution to the reliable functioning of your systems.
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Find the optimum maintenance strategy for your company!
Whether predictive maintenance with AI-supported analyses or classic, cyclically planned maintenance – efficient maintenance requires clear structures.
From detailed maintenance instructions and precise instructions for replacing spare parts to logging all operations on your systems – we provide you with the right solutions.
With our digital support, you can record serial numbers, document activity records and optimize your processes for maximum safety and efficiency. Find your maintenance strategy and benefit from a sophisticated, user-friendly solution.
Start now with a non-binding initial consultation – we have everything you need!
Maintenance and servicing optimized with tepcon “instructor”
Say goodbye to paper chaos and cumbersome handovers – with the tepcon “instructor” you can manage your maintenance work efficiently and digitally. Our tool supports your company with clearly structured work instructions and inspection specifications for optimized preventive maintenance.
Thanks to centrally stored maintenance plans and automated monitoring, you can avoid breakdowns and increase the availability of your systems and machines. The precise documentation of maintenance processes allows you to identify problems at an early stage and thus extend the service life of your devices.
With the flexible, browser-based system, you have access to important information at all times – no matter where you are. Change tracking, logging and single sign-on make the instructor a sophisticated solution for your maintenance.
Increase safety, reduce costs and optimize your preventive maintenance. Use the tepcon “instructor” for a smart, digital approach in your company.
Want to find out more now and protect your systems efficiently? We are here for you!
FAQ
What is preventive maintenance?
This method ensures greater safety, higher efficiency and lower costs in the company through defined maintenance measures. A structured maintenance plan helps to systematically coordinate the necessary work.
What is maintenance?
The aim is to extend the service life of machines, guarantee safety and ensure the quality of the manufactured product. Well-planned maintenance processes, coordinated and executed with suitable digital tools, help to reduce costs and prevent unexpected malfunctions.
What is the difference between preventive and predictive maintenance?
Maintenance work, for example, is carried out at regular intervals.
Predictive maintenance, on the other hand, uses sensors and digital monitoring to analyze the actual condition of the machine in real time.
This strategy offers additional advantages, as it takes effect specifically when deviations are detected, thus reducing unnecessary maintenance work.