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Types Of Machine Maintenance

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There are different types of machine maintenance strategies that can be adapted by you for the maintenance of your factory machinery. The different types of machine maintenance strategies have been discussed below.

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1. Preventive Maintenance

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As the name suggests, the preventative maintenance is carried out regularly to help reduce the mechanical machinery from failing. The preventative maintenance is sub-divided into two:

 

Time-Based:

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This maintenance is done after every fixed time interval, such as on the first of every month or after every week. This mostly depends on the running of heavy machinery.

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Usage-Based:

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This maintenance depends on the operation of the equipment. This means that machinery maintenance is scheduled after every 1,000 miles or after the completion of ten production cycles.

 

2. Break Down Maintenance

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The breakdown maintenance is carried out when there has been any sort of failure associated with the machine. This hinders the functioning of the machine, which in turn affects the production cycle. In the breakdown maintenance, the machinery is repaired or replaced with the same components, which were faulty or damaged. All of the maintenance work is done as quickly as possible, trying to disrupt the production cycle as minimally as possible. 

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3. Corrective Maintenance

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The corrective maintenance takes place before the machine reaches a point of a full failure. This includes any small, non-invasive tasks that are noticed during a routine inspection. To explain this further, think about going to the mechanic to get your car’s oil changed, and then noticing a little flat tire, which you get pumped. The pumping of the tire with air, before it gets punctured, is an example of corrective maintenance

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4. Condition-Based Maintenance

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In the condition-based maintenance, the machine’s equipments are kept under observation, to catch the point when failure begins, way before a breakdown. The monitoring of the equipment is done by certain indicators, such as increased vibration or heat production. Once any of such indicators are detected, the machinery undergoes condition-based maintenance, to prevent the machine from breaking down.

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5. Reactive Maintenance

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Reactive maintenance is also known as emergency maintenance. This maintenance only takes place when the machine breaks down. There is no fixed maintenance strategy for the machinery; and it is only addressed when the machine breaks down completely.

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6. Predictive Maintenance

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In predictive maintenance, certain monitoring tools techniques are used to track the performance of the machinery. You can easily identify defects and faults before any failure occurs. All information, from the past, present, and future, is taken into account to propose an ideal time for the maintenance of the machines before any failure occurs.

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7. Prescriptive Maintenance

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The prescriptive maintenance uses the help of machine learning tools to help predict when the maintenance of the machinery would be due. Furthermore, it can even tell what kind of maintenance should be done exactly to help that specific equipment to perform better for longer.

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8. Routine Maintenance

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Any tasks that are carried out as part of an ongoing and planned routine are a part of the routine maintenance. It rarely requires any specialized skills or equipment. An example of routine maintenance is the daily safety checklist which is completed by machine operators.

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Which Maintenance Strategy Is The Right One For You?

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Choosing the right maintenance strategy can be a bit tricky. What strategy may work for one business, may not work out for you. There are a few variables that you should consider before choosing any strategy. These variables are:

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1. Costs

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You should evaluate your finances thoroughly to figure out how much you are willing to spend on the maintenance of your heavy machines. Apart from this, you should have a rough idea about how much would it cost you if you decide to change your maintenance strategy.

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2. Equipment

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You should have an idea about the equipment and machinery you use in general. This would help in analyzing the maintenance costs for each equipment and machinery. There are certain types of equipment that require frequent maintenance or some may be underperforming. This helps to give you a better picture of the costs you would have to endure for each piece of equipment.

 

3. Staff

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Working on a good maintenance strategy and not having good people to execute it would defeat the whole purpose of it. You should analyze your staff to see what are their strengths and weaknesses, what training is deemed necessary for them, and can you grow your team if the need arises. Having a good maintenance strategy is very important for the health and safety of your staff and also to prevent any workplace hazards from happening.

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Ways To Improve Machine Maintenance

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You can improve your machine maintenance by having a proper plan and strategy for your work machinery. Having a good machine maintenance strategy would prevent the breakdown of your machinery, which would help you to save up on large sums of money you would spend on repairing big faults. Improve your machine maintenance strategy by:

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1. Planning

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Having a proper plan is the key to the success of that particular strategy. The strategy you choose mainly depends on the amount you are willing to spend. Having a strategy in place will ensure that it is applicable effectively when needed.

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2. Precision

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With a precision maintenance strategy, you can ensure that all maintenance tasks are performed consistently, accurately, and in accordance with the industry standards. Furthermore, these four elements are very essential:

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• Having trained and skilled workers who can perform maintenance tasks quickly and efficiently.

• The necessary tools and equipment must be available to perform the required maintenance tasks.

• Maintenance plans must be easy to follow.

• The material required for maintenance should be of high quality and free from any contamination, which can affect the effectiveness of the material.

 

3. Protection

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To prevent any workplace hazards from happening, it is extremely important to maintain workers’ safety. They must have the proper training to use personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly. For this reason, regular workplace safety training should be mandatory for every employee, a frequent and thorough inspection of all electrical equipment, power cords and switches must be done to identify any exposed wires.

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4. Measurement

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Accurate data regarding the performance of your machinery would help you in making better decisions in improving your machine maintenance. Without this data, maintenance plans will not be as effective as you would expect them to be.  

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Industries That Utilize Machinery Maintenance

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All industries, whether small scale or large scale, carryout machine maintenance. As these industries rely on heavy machines for the production of their goods, they need to maintain a proper machine maintenance log. This would help these industries in preventing any major machine failure, which could affect the production of their goods. A few of the industries have been listed down below.

 

Plastic Product Manufacturing

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Producing plastic is a complex procedure, which involves injection molds, blow molding machines, vacuum forming machines, etc. These machines have to be regularly maintained to prevent any machinery failures, which could delay the next procedure involved in plastic production. 

 

Automotive Manufacturing

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Various procedures, including automated ones, are involved in the manufacturing of automobiles. The automated processes have to be checked regularly for any repairs required.

 

Refineries

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A lot of heat is generated in the machinery of the refineries. It involves furnaces, boilers, compressors, etc.

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Food Production

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The food industry is another industry that has a lot of processes involved in its production, which rely on different heavy machines. These machines include cookers, ovens, fryers, etc. which have to be maintained regularly to prevent any hindrance in the production process.

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Steel Mills

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The steel mills also involve various steps which generate a lot of heat. For the iron to be produced, it has to be handled at different temperatures. For the machines to function properly, they have to undergo regular and thorough machine maintenance.