In the day-to-day running of a business, it is common to see the repeated use of a piece of machinery or device for a long period of time that may stretch for months or even years. In the AIDC Industry, the repeated use of barcode scanners and RFID readers is crucial to the operation of their respective industries. The continued use of the machine or device repeatedly for months or years would eventually degrade its quality. Once a certain threshold of wear and tear is reached, the machine/device may start malfunctioning and breaking down. 

A common response by businesses to a slowly dying asset would probably be to either repair it or decommission it entirely. However, doing so costs the business unnecessary losses of time and money, due to the need of purchasing a new product for replacement (as well as losing productivity while waiting for the replacement to be delivered). Therefore, some businesses aim to entirely prevent the breakdown of the machine or device in the first place by doing something called, “Preventive Maintenance”.

Definition of Preventive Maintenance

Definition of Preventive Maintenance

According to IBM (2022),The term “preventive maintenance” or “preventative maintenance” covers a wide range of proscribed activities and general tasks (such as regular servicing), that aims to ensure the continued lifespan of the product. Sometimes, preventive maintenance may include the heavy reconditioning, repair or even replacement of certain parts that may already be damaged beforehand. Generally, the cleaning, lubricating, and inspection of equipment can also be counted as part of preventive maintenance.

The Importance of Preventive Maintenance

Industrial situations depend heavily on regularly scheduled maintenance to remain fully productive and free from costly, time-wasting mechanical breakdowns. At a higher level, preventive maintenance also involves providing upkeep for the physical plant that houses the various production systems. General tasks associated with this type of preventive maintenance include ensuring the HVAC system is in good working condition, all electrical systems are functioning and compliant with code standards, and all necessary lighting is operating correctly.

For the AIDC Industry, preventive maintenance also includes the inspection, repair, cleaning,  or replacement of a device and/or its parts. An example on preventive maintenance on a barcode scanner, could see scenarios like replacing a slightly scratched glass cover of the sensor (which if left untreated, would cause a decline in product effectiveness). Therefore, having preventive maintenance on the ready is important to ensure the continued effectiveness of company productivity and asset lifespan. (IBM, 2022)

Types of Preventive Maintenance

There are several types of preventive maintenance which differ according to its frequency and need. There are four types of preventive maintenance: Usage-based preventive maintenance, Calendar/time-based maintenance, predictive maintenance, and prescriptive maintenance. The types of predictive maintenance are seen below with examples for each. (IBM, 2022) 

Usage-based preventive maintenance

Usage-based preventive maintenance is triggered by the actual utilization of an asset. This type of maintenance takes into account the average daily usage or exposure to environmental conditions of an asset and uses it to forecast a due date for a future inspection or maintenance task. For example: management decides that a machine should be maintained after 500 uses. Maintenance is then done after the 500th time the machine is used.

Calendar/time-based preventive maintenance

Calendar/time-based preventive maintenance occurs at a scheduled time, based on a calendar interval. The maintenance action is triggered when the due date approaches and necessary work orders have been created. For example: management decides that the machine should be maintained 4 times a year, every 3 months.

Predictive maintenance

Predictive maintenance is designed to schedule corrective maintenance actions before a failure occurs. The team needs to first determine the condition of the equipment in order to estimate when maintenance should be performed. Then maintenance tasks are scheduled to prevent unexpected equipment failures. For example: A few months ago, a machine could produce 300 units per day, while today its capacity is only 250 units per day, and in a few months the management predicts that the machine will only produce 200 units per day. In response, the management deems the machine to no longer be efficient, then schedules maintenance near the predicted date (a few days before production capacity reaches 200 units per day).

Prescriptive maintenance

Prescriptive maintenance doesn’t just show that failure is going to happen and when, but also why it’s happening. This type of maintenance helps analyze and determine different options and potential outcomes, in order to mitigate any risk to the operation. For example: management predicts when a machine will no longer be efficiently producing goods (like in predictive maintenance). However, the management then observes what might have caused the degradation of the machine, such as improper handling. In response, the management ensures the improper handling will no longer occur on other machines or the current machine after its maintenance downtime.

Our Preventive Maintenance Program

PT. Duta Kalingga Pratama aims to assist our customers by providing our own form of product and service care. We understand the need to ensure asset longevity and company productivity. Therefore, we would like to introduce our own solution to your preventive maintenance needs with a care plan of our own. To read more on our product care plan, click the link below!

References

IBM (2022). What is Preventive Maintenance? Types, Examples and Benefits | IBM. [online] www.ibm.com. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/id-en/topics/what-is-preventive-maintenance [Accessed 1 Nov. 2022].