The Cruciality of Maintenance

by Maria Chotou | February 21, 2023 | Reading time: 7 minutes

What Is Maintenance?

No matter what industry your business is in, you will likely have encountered the term maintenance at one point or another. The role that effective maintenance management plays in enhancing overall organisational productivity has drawn more attention: Maintenance is especially relevant in the context of industrial systems (such as production facilities, buildings, equipment, and so on) and describes the act of preserving, repairing or replacing machinery, equipment, and other structures to keep them in good working order.

Specifically, maintenance management is the process of planning, organizing, and directing the maintenance, repair, and improvement of a facility or system to ensure its efficient operation and long-term effectiveness. Many industries have adopted maintenance management as an integral part of their everyday operations and this guide explains what these methods are and which sectors use them.

In this guide, you will learn:

1. How to differentiate between the different types of maintenance

2. Why maintenance is important

3. Which industries use which maintenance practices

4. What the difference between repair and maintenance is

Understanding The Different Types of Maintenance

There are three main types of maintenance. Industries can determine the type of maintenance that is most appropriate for their needs by understanding the distinctions between the various maintenance types:

1. Preventive Maintenance
   The most fundamental practice for any maintenance program is preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance procedures, as the name suggests, are meant to avert unplanned breakdowns and impulsive equipment damage that would need corrective and repair actions.
   
   This preventive practice is predominately a time-driven schedule or recurring tasks which aim to maintain levels of reliability and availability within the business. Many industries have adopted this approach to maintenance, especially the automotive, aerospace industries IT sector. More specifically, businesses that need to maintain their site or equipment such as for building maintenance or computer maintenance use these methods. For its preventive nature, this management approach can be categorized into reactive, conditional, and scheduled practices that are defined as follows:
   
   
   • Reactive maintenance: It is done when the equipment needs it. Inspections and monitoring should disassemble equipment when the problem is detected. This procedure aims to prevent the escalation of potential problems after their start.
   • Condition monitoring: Problem detection through data analysis which provides insights into the causes of failure and preventive measures that will help avoid future failures.
   • Sceduled maintenance: It refers to tasks that should be completed when failures can not be detected in advance or if dictated by the production’s requirements.
2. Predictive Maintenance
   Predictive maintenance expands the mission of a maintenance program since it can be used as an optimization tool. This practice involves using various technologies to monitor the performance of machinery and equipment so that any potential problems can be identified before they can cause any serious damage.
   
   This can help prevent costly repairs and downtime, as well as reduce the risk of safety issues. Industries such as manufacturing and healthcare use predictive maintenance to ensure the continued reliability and efficiency of their operations. The focus of predictive maintenance is to eliminate unnecessary downtime, both scheduled and unscheduled, eliminate preventive and corrective tasks, and extend the life of critical industrial systems.
3. Corrective Maintenance
   Corrective maintenance aims to detect incipient problems before they lead to total failures and to correct the defects at the lowest possible cost. This practice involves the repair or replacement of damaged or malfunctioning machinery and equipment in order to get them back up and running as quickly as possible.
   
   This helps to ensure that the operation can continue without any interruptions, and can help to reduce the overall cost of repair and maintenance. Industries such as construction and mining use corrective maintenance to keep their operations running smoothly.

The Importance of Maintenance

Maintenance is an important factor in quality assurance and in some cases determines the long-term success of a business. Poorly maintained resources can cause instability and partially or completely pause production. Therefore, maintenance management is of great importance for two reasons:

1. Integrity and reliability
   Maintenance practices help to ensure the integrity and reliability of a company’s assets, which in turn help to ensure its continued success.
2. Quality performance
   By regularly inspecting and maintaining a company’s equipment, its performance and quality can be maintained for a longer period of time. This can result in significant cost savings over the long term, as equipment does not need to be replaced as frequently. Maintenance practices also help to prevent breakdowns, which can cause costly downtime.

On the other hand, maintenance practices can be costly and time-consuming. Companies must dedicate resources to regularly inspect and maintain their equipment, and if a breakdown does occur, it can lead to costly repairs. Additionally, if the maintenance practices are not done properly, it can result in further damage to the equipment and higher costs.

Overall, maintenance practices are a necessary part of any organization’s operations. While they may be costly and time-consuming, they ultimately result in cost savings and increased reliability over the long term.

Overview of Industries and Maintenance

It becomes apparent that one of the key components of ensuring smooth operations is the implementation of efficient maintenance practices. Different industries require different approaches to maintenance, as each sector has distinct needs for its machinery and equipment.

Automotive and aerospace industries

The automotive and aerospace industries heavily rely on maintenance practices to ensure the safety and reliability of their products. In the automotive industry, regular maintenance and inspections are conducted to ensure that vehicles are running safely and efficiently. This includes checking oil levels, tire pressure, brakes, and other components. Additionally, regular tune-ups are conducted to ensure that engines are running at peak performance.

In the aerospace industry, maintenance practices must meet even higher standards. Aircrafts must be inspected, tested, and serviced regularly to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. This includes checking the airworthiness of aircraft and their components, conducting pre-flight checks, and servicing aircraft engines and other mechanical parts. The Title of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), states that the owner/operator of a civil aircraft is responsible for maintaining the aircraft in an airworthy condition, including compliance with FAA Airworthiness Directives (AD), which also establishes legal requirements for aircraft maintenance.

Maintenance practices in both industries are essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of their products. Regularly scheduled maintenance helps to identify potential problems early, which can help to prevent costly repairs and downtime. Maintenance practices also help to extend the life of vehicles and aircraft, allowing them to remain in service for longer.

Manufacturing and healthcare

Manufacturing and healthcare both utilize maintenance practices to ensure their operations run smoothly and efficiently. In manufacturing, maintenance is a critical component of safety, as well as production and quality control. Regular inspections and preventive maintenance are essential to ensuring that machines, tools, and other equipment are in proper working order. The overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of a particular piece of equipment and its corresponding production process measures the availability, performance, and quality of its production. Manufacturers use an OEE toolkit as a diagnostic tool to determine where the inefficiencies are within their operations.

In healthcare, maintenance practices are essential to maintain the quality of care. Maintenance of medical equipment is critical to ensure that equipment is functioning correctly and that patient safety is not compromised. Additionally, maintenance of medical facilities is important to ensure that they are clean and properly disinfected. Maintenance of medical records is also key, as it helps to ensure the accuracy and integrity of patient data and records.

Overall, maintenance practices are an important part of both manufacturing and healthcare, as they help to ensure efficient and effective operations. Proper maintenance helps to prevent potential malfunctions and ensure that operations are running smoothly.

Construction and mining

For construction, maintenance practices involve the regular inspection and servicing of equipment used in construction, such as bulldozers, backhoes, and cranes. These inspections and services can include oil and filter changes, checking fluid levels, and inspecting belts and hoses. The Federal Construction Regulations (FCR) in the United States set out the legal duties and requirements for the safe management of construction and maintenance work. The regulations place duties on clients, designers, contractors, and workers to ensure that all construction activities are carried out in a safe and efficient manner. The regulations also set out the legal requirements for the planning, management, and monitoring of construction and maintenance work.

The mining industry also relies heavily on maintenance practices to ensure the safety of workers and the longevity of equipment. Mining equipment maintenance includes regular inspections and servicing of equipment such as haul trucks, loaders, and excavators. The inspections and services can include checking fluid levels and changing filters, as well as inspecting belts and hoses for wear and tear. By consistently performing maintenance, the mining industry can reduce the risk of equipment failure or breakdowns and ensure a safe working environment.

The Difference Between Repair and Maintenance

Whether we're talking about large manufacturing equipment, fleets on the road, tiny residential properties, or commercial aviation, maintenance and repair are the cornerstones that you need to keep any physical assets in top condition and ensure that they are capable of serving their intended function.At present most maintenance is corrective and preventive while repairs take place after a problem has already occurred.

Repairing is the act of fixing something that is broken or has stopped working correctly. It is the process of diagnosing an issue and then rectifying it. It is a more reactive approach and is typically done when a problem has already been identified.

Maintenance, on the other hand, is the act of preserving something in its current condition or keeping it running at peak performance. It is a more proactive approach and can include regular checks, cleaning, lubrication, and other preventative measures. Maintenance should be done regularly to keep things in good condition and avoid repairs.

Overall, the main difference between repair and maintenance is that repair is reactive and focused on fixing an existing problem, while maintenance is proactive and focused on preventing potential problems.

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Maria Chotou

Maria Chotou comes from an interdisciplinary background in Digital Journalism and Social Anthropology, giving her a unique perspective on the world. She believes that combining her knowledge from both fields can help her apply her writing skills and create content for Lumiform. She is actively involved in various writing and video production projects.