What is Preventive Maintenance?

Preventive maintenance, often abbreviated as PM, is a systematic approach to maintenance that involves regularly scheduled inspections, tasks, and actions aimed at preventing the occurrence of equipment failures or breakdowns. The primary goal of preventive maintenance is to identify and address potential issues before they escalate into more significant problems, helping to maintain equipment reliability, extend its lifespan, and minimize unexpected downtime. 

Key features and components of preventive maintenance include: 

Scheduled Inspections
Preventive maintenance involves routine inspections of equipment, machinery, and facilities. These inspections are conducted at predetermined intervals to assess the condition of components and identify any signs of wear, degradation, or potential failure. 

Routine Maintenance Tasks
Regular and predefined maintenance tasks are performed during preventive maintenance. These tasks can include lubrication, cleaning, adjustments, and replacements of consumable parts. The schedule for these tasks is typically based on manufacturer recommendations, industry standards, or historical performance data. 

Time-Based Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is often time-based, with tasks scheduled at fixed intervals, such as daily, weekly, monthly, or annually. Time-based maintenance helps organizations establish a structured and predictable maintenance routine. 

It is important to note that preventive maintenance is different than predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance uses sensors and related equipment for route data acquisition to gauge machine health. In the predictive maintenance approach, maintenance is only performed on an as-needed basis rather than on a scheduled basis.