A big emphasis has been put on predictive maintenance (PdM), and for good reason. However, it’s not always applicable or practical, and it has other limitations. Don’t fall into the trap of neglecting two other kinds of maintenance just because you made a significant investment in PdM.
- Reactive maintenance is usually unplanned, but not always. You react to a problem; after something breaks, you fix it (maybe now, maybe later). Run to failure, repair or replace after failure, and breakdown response are all terms used for reactive maintenance. This is not what you want as your core maintenance philosophy, but it’s not all bad. If you have equipment that is neither critical nor expensive, reactive maintenance is often the most cost-effective approach.
- Preventive maintenance (PM) typically involves carrying out testing/measurement and adjustment/replacement on some interval basis. The interval might be calendar time (e.g., quarterly) or run time (for example, you change your car’s oil every 5,000 miles). PM also includes replacing infrastructure such as transformers when they reach a certain age. A drawback of PM is you often get adjustment or replacement regardless of condition.
About the Author
Mark LamendolaMark Lamendola
Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.
Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.
Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.