Keeping equipment in good working order is instrumental to maximizing efficiency. There are many ways to keep a machine running well, but one approach stands out from the rest: condition-based maintenance. Condition-based maintenance is a set of techniques that monitor a machine's condition and use the data to develop an appropriate maintenance plan.
Condition-based maintenance is a strategy that uses predictive analytics to proactively identify and address equipment issues before they cause significant problems. By monitoring the operating conditions of your equipment, problems can be identified and resolved before they occur, which reduces downtime and improves profitability.
By watching for signs of impending failure, this strategy can save money by avoiding catastrophic failures and extending equipment lifespan by preventing premature replacement.
What is condition-based maintenance?
Condition-based maintenance is a proactive approach to managing the health of your equipment. It’s commonly used in industries like manufacturing, power generation, , and distribution that require equipment to be up and running at all times. Condition-based maintenance uses data from sensors on machinery to detect early problems before they become major issues.
There are two main types of condition-based maintenance: predictive and preventive.
- Predictive condition monitoring- Predictive maintenance uses predictive algorithms to determine when equipment has reached its end-of-life or failure point but does not yet show symptoms.—for example, if there's increased vibration coming from a gearbox, then this could indicate that something needs replacing soon so the machine does not fail altogether.
- Preventive condition monitoring- Preventative maintenance involves detecting problems after they happen but before they cause equipment failure—for example, if there has already been damage due to overuse, preventative measurements could reduce further damage depending on how bad things were initially.
When you have an issue with your machinery or another piece of equipment, you can use condition-based maintenance to help predict when it will fail so you can fix it before it stops working completely.
How Does Condition-based Maintenance Work?
Condition-based maintenance is a strategy for managing equipment maintenance that improves the efficiency and reliability of your plant. It's also called predictive maintenance, predictive analytics, or condition monitoring.
Condition-based maintenance is a proactive approach to maintenance that uses predictive analytics and machine learning to identify when a machine or system is likely to break down. This can help companies cut costs, reduce downtime, improve safety, and more.
These strategies use advanced analytics to predict when and where equipment will fail based on its current condition. They can be used at all asset lifecycle stages, including procurement, during operation, and post-operational.
The goal is to reduce downtime and improve performance while lowering costs. Condition-based maintenance has been used in a variety of industries for years. This maintenance strategy is becoming common in nearly every sector—from manufacturing plants and power plants to oil refineries and wastewater treatment facilities.
Types of Condition-based Maintenance
There are many different types of condition-based maintenance, but they all have one thing in common: they help you decide when to repair a piece of equipment before it becomes a problem.
- Vibration analysis
How assets react to vibrations can indicate where and when maintenance is required. Wear can cause vibrations which can be analyzed in order to identify flaws. There are many techniques for vibration analysis, including broadband vibration analysis and shock pulse analysis. The most common applications of vibration analysis include detecting and assessing structural and rotational issues, such as misalignment and imbalance.
- Electrical
Electrical tests use sensors and other devices to measure voltage levels, currents, amperage, and other metrics that can indicate potential problems with electrical components like fans or motors—or even safety issues like short circuits or overloads. This method allows for preventative maintenance to be performed before an asset fails by measuring the degradation trends in the electric system.
- Oil analysis
Oil analysis involves testing fluids from various points throughout the machine and analyzing them for contaminants or unusual wear particles, and viscosity that might indicate trouble spots needing repair or replacement. Oil analysis is used in many areas, including compressors and gearboxes.
- Operational performance
Operational performance condition-based maintenance is a method of performing maintenance based on equipment performance. The goal is to ensure that the equipment performs as expected and according to its design specifications.
- Infrared
Infrared cameras take images of equipment components, which can then be analyzed by software to look for signs of wear or damage. This analysis typically requires training and experience with infrared technology, but it can detect cracks in metal components that might otherwise go unnoticed.
You can use condition-based maintenance for everything from oil changes to heavy machinery. The most common applications are in facilities where many pieces of equipment need regular maintenance and inspection—like manufacturing plants or industrial facilities.
Advantages of Condition-based Maintenance
Condition-based maintenance is an innovative approach that can help get a better picture of your asset health. Personnel can learn the peculiarities of each asset by closely observing and analyzing the data. It provides information to reliability and maintenance organizations that can help them improve asset health over time and their maintenance practices and processes.
The benefits of condition-based maintenance include the following:
- Reduce / eliminate unscheduled downtime.
- Increased asset uptime. .
- Improved equipment lifespan.
- Reduced maintenance costs.
- Management and maintenance are more efficient .
There are many advantages to condition-based maintenance. One of the most important is that it allows for more accurate predictions about when equipment will need to be serviced, which can save a lot of money. It also allows for better planning to get the right parts in stock at the right time.
Condition-based maintenance also reduces costs by providing better information about which parts need replacing and why they should be replaced sooner rather than later. This means you will only have to replace necessary parts or wait longer than necessary before they're replaced.
Tools Used for Condition-based Maintenance
Condition-based maintenance is a strategy for maintaining industrial facilities based on a schedule of regular inspections. The goal is to catch problems before they become more extensive and expensive.
Condition-based maintenance is often used by manufacturing facilities and industrial facilities. It can be applied to any facility that needs to be maintained regularly.
There are several tools you can use to perform condition-based maintenance.
- Condition monitoring systems
These systems monitor a piece of equipment or machinery, then issue alerts when it needs service. They usually include software that works with the system to record the readings and send them to your technicians via email or text message. - Condition monitoring software
This type of software records all data from your condition monitoring system and allows you to view it in one place. It also offers tools for generating reports, tracking repairs, and performing other CMMS-related tasks (condition-based maintenance management system). - Condition monitoring hardware
The hardware in this category includes sensors attached directly to machines so they can be monitored remotely by an operator or technician at any time.
The world of condition-based maintenance is complex and wide-ranging,TechStar has you covered. We offer a full range of condition monitoring systems, software and sensors to handle the care and monitoring of your asset. This includes training and service to help you implement condition-based maintenance in your facility. Contact an expert with any questions about what tools are best for your business or how to implement a new system.