Benefits of Using a Condition Based Maintenance Manual
The main technical meaning of maintenance includes periodic technical checks, maintenance, repairs, replacing or repairing of essential mechanical, electrical, and other physical devices, construction machinery, building materials, and other supporting utilities in commercial, agricultural, and domestic installations. In non-urban settings, it also refers to the scheduled and unplanned reparation of damaged or worn-out components due to exposure to adverse conditions such as freezing, high humidity, corrosive environmental factors, vibration, noise, and many others. A wide range of mechanical, structural, and electrical systems are included in maintenance. Some of the most common categories are refrigeration and heating, air conditioning, construction, elevator systems, electrical, gas, steam, and water services.
Maintenance of the above mentioned systems require timely assessment, identification, and the scheduling of maintenance activities. Based on the condition of the equipment, the methods to be used for their repair, servicing, replacement, and maintenance, as well as their costs are determined. An important factor that must be considered is the kind of technology implemented in the specific equipment. A modern day facility with all the latest equipment and advanced technologies requires a different approach to maintenance management than an older facility. It is for this reason that there are special facilities for the maintenance of highly developed technologies.
All the machines require periodic repair and servicing. Some of the critical services like the cooling system require repair and replacement on a regular basis. This kind of maintenance management services can be carried out as scheduled daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly services depending upon the nature of the machine involved and the equipment maintenance strategy adopted. These services are required to ensure that the facility is not affected by downtime, which can be detrimental to the operations. If the repair and replacement processes are not properly carried out, the equipment may cease to function after some time.
As far as equipment maintenance management is concerned, the value of the assets increases if regular repairs and replacements are carried out. When the equipment stops functioning, there will be a negative impact on the operations. The operational costs will rise and will be difficult to control. The value of the asset thus will depreciate. However, when repairs and replacements are done regularly, the asset continues to operate at optimal performance levels for a longer period of time and thus, it adds to the value of the asset.
A good method to maintain the condition-based maintenance is to implement a CTM or depot management program. A CTM is a system that is integrated with the asset management program to allow repairs and replacements to be done on an as needed basis. A CTM works by storing repair information, which helps in determining when to make repairs or when to replace an asset. This helps in controlling the costs and the downtime caused by such activities. For instance, when the weather is rainy and the machine requires repairs, the CTM tells the operators when to make such repairs or replacements.
Proper and scheduled maintenance management ensures that the assets are maintained well.When there is a discrepancy in the scheduled maintenance between the planned maintenance and actual maintenance, the equipment becomes less efficient and does not work properly. Such discrepancies can lead to increased repair costs, overtime costs, missed deadlines, damaged parts, damages to the customer’s equipment, etc. Therefore, the planned maintenance and the actual maintenance should be monitored and planned as closely as possible. When planned and scheduled, preventive maintenance activities help in preventing such problems from occurring
A proactive maintenance plan ensures that preventive maintenance and preventive repairs are performed before there is a need for them. This helps to ensure that the equipment is in optimum condition and working in perfect condition. A CTM program for preventive maintenance consists of three major activities – preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, and corrective preventive maintenance. A CTM for preventive maintenance incorporates three different types of preventive maintenance – random preventative maintenance, hazard preventive maintenance, and specific preventive maintenance.
A CTM for preventive maintenance includes preventive steps that are designed to reduce unexpected downtime or repairs. It aims at reducing costs and at maintaining or improving performance. Such a CTM also ensures that the system is in good working condition, by checking for the existence of any unexpected or undesirable issues, and fixing them on time. A CTM for planned maintenance ensures that the system performs according to the planned parameters. It involves timely reporting of faults to the service centre, corrective actions taken on time, and keeping a record of the condition-based maintenance done on the system. Such a record-keeping helps to ensure that the system undergoes no further modifications, thereby saving on the costs incurred on redesigning the system.
