Generally, improving reliability at your facility is a process that requires time. That said, there are a few tactics you can use to get almost immediate results for your…
While many different factors influenced the 2019 California wildfires, insufficient infrastructure maintenance practices contributed to the overall devastation. A large and growing population were additional components to the factors that…
Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash Each maintenance strategy has its merits, and while some are technically more cost-efficient than others, it’s often best not to stick with one single strategy.
“Lean” is a term being used quite a bit these days—it covers lean manufacturing, lean enterprises, and more. Central to running a business as “lean”—or on as few resources—as possible…
A floating schedule helps add a great deal of flexibility to your equipment management program. Maintenance and repair requests can be scheduled according to a particular threshold. Once those moments…
Every business and industry has its own set of acronyms and the maintenance industry is no different. One acronym that most people are unfamiliar with is PFMA. However, this analysis…
Design failure mode and effects analysis (DFMEA) is a process tool that helps companies locate and repair design failures. A wide variety of industries use DFMEA to help reduce overall…
A planned maintenance system, or PMS, helps maintenance teams track recurring maintenance tasks. These systems are designed to make sure each preventive maintenance task occurs exactly as expected by…
The true cost of downtime can be time-consuming and costly for businesses. Unplanned downtime is expensive, but most facilities may not be aware of exactly…
Risk-Based Maintenance Definition and Uses Risk-based maintenance or RBM is maintenance that focuses on the most risk-sensitive systems and machinery. Risk-based maintenance isn’t the most familiar subset of maintenance, nor…
Common preventive maintenance for building controls work to provide the maximum amount of comfort with minimal energy usage. Equipment such as HVAC systems, pumps, dampers and fans must be…
What is usage-based maintenance? Usage-based maintenance, or UBM, is a type of meter-based preventative, or preventative, maintenance. The trigger for UBM is when usage on a certain system or…
Common preventive maintenance for air compressors revolve around detecting and fixing leaks and maintaining proper pressure to minimize energy usage. Additionally, although air compressors are a capital investment for businesses,…
Common preventive maintenance for fans includes cleaning blades, lubricating parts, checking vibration, and inspecting bearings. Although daily maintenance is minimal, monthly and yearly tasks should not be ignored. Fans are…
Common preventive maintenance for pumps includes regular inspection for stability and balance, scheduled lubrication, and thorough evaluation of potential problems. Pumps receiving proper maintenance in this manner almost never experience…
Common preventive maintenance for fire alarms and smoke detectors is minimal and revolves around regular testing to ensure proper function. Any problems occurring within the first five years are typically…
Common preventive maintenance for cooling towers ensures circulating water is clean and regular maintenance keeps fans and motors functional. Various maintenance tasks require daily, weekly, monthly or annual performance. Tip:…
Common preventive maintenance for chillers typically involves cleaning, monitoring temperature and pressure, and general system testing. Depending on the maintenance tasks, technicians must perform them anywhere from daily to annually.
Boilers are heavy-duty equipment that generate hot water or steam by burning fuel. Boilers generally operate under high temperatures and pressures. Given that they are subject to extreme working conditions,…
Electric motors convert electricity to useful make machinery work. It is estimated that 70% of all electric energy used in the manufacturing sector in the US is consumed by motor…
Common preventive maintenance for air handlers includes making sure filters and coils are clean and dampers and ducts are efficient. Beyond a quick visual daily inspection,…
With the recent rise in catastrophic wildfires, we began to think about how maintenance might be able to help. Forest fires can be reduced by protecting areas around young forests…
A common checklist used for lighting preventive maintenance is the one the U.S. Department of Energy outlines (provided below). That said,…
Preventive maintenance for steam traps revolves around the pressure ratings. Maintenance checklists include items about temperature, pressure, condensation and equipment functioning. Steam traps have automatic valves that allow steam to…
Equipment failures are a major setback for plant operations and overall productivity. During breakdowns, the restoration of plant operations lies in the hands of the maintenance team. Promoting a reliability…
What is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)? The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a network of devices used in industrial applications to transfer data and enhance…
As the name suggests, criticality analysis is a methodical approach to identify how critical an asset is to the business. In other words, a criticality…
Since Operations often focuses on production uptime while maintenance focuses on improving reliability and minimizing costs, the two are often at odds. For example, it might be difficult for a…
Staying on top of maintenance issues for CNC machines requires careful scheduling, observant technicians, available spare parts, and comprehensive documentation. According to industry sources, most businesses can…
What is maintainability? Maintainability refers to the ease with which maintenance activities can be performed on an asset or equipment. Its purpose is to measure…