What is Equipment Maintenance? 

Equipment maintenance is the process of ensuring that machinery, tools, and other equipment operate efficiently and safely. It involves regular inspection, testing, servicing, and repair of equipment to prevent unexpected failures and extend operational life. The maintenance can be both routine and corrective. Basically, it’s any work that maintains vital assets, whether it’s heavy machinery or small technical tools.

Effective equipment maintenance reduces downtime, improves safety, and increases efficiency and productivity, making it a fundamental part of asset management. Equipment maintenance can be further optimized through the use of a Computerized Maintenance Management System, or CMMS. From tracking assets to scheduling maintenance, a good CMMS makes everyone’s job a little easier.

Types of Equipment Maintenance

There are different methods of equipment maintenance, each with its specific purpose and approach. A robust equipment maintenance strategy will encompass a range of approaches and activities aimed at keeping machinery in optimal condition. Regular and well-planned maintenance ensures that equipment operates reliably, supporting productive, safe industrial operations.

Preventive Maintenance (PM)

Preventive maintenance involves scheduled inspections and routine equipment servicing to prevent potential problems. The goal is to identify and address issues before they cause a breakdown. Activities can include oil changes, lubrication, alignment, and replacing parts.

Predictive Maintenance (PdM)

Predictive maintenance uses data analysis and monitoring technologies to predict when equipment might fail. By analyzing data from sensors and historical performance, maintenance teams can schedule repairs just in time to prevent failures, optimize maintenance schedules, and reduce costs. Think of it as a tech-enhanced version of preventive maintenance.

Reactive Maintenance

Also known as corrective maintenance, this approach calls for repairs after a machine breaks down or a part fails. It involves fixing or replacing components only when they are not functioning correctly. Initially, avoiding routine service can reduce maintenance spend, but the cost of replacing an entire machine often outweighs any short-term savings. Preventative equipment maintenance might slightly increase your monthly costs, but prolonged asset lifetime makes it a worthy investment.

Condition-based Maintenance (CBM)

Condition-based maintenance involves monitoring the actual condition of equipment to decide what maintenance needs to be done. It often uses real-time data from performance metrics, inspections, and tests to determine the required maintenance actions. Once equipment usage reaches a predetermined point, a maintenance task is created to maintain peak performance and efficiency.

Equipment Maintenance Roles

The effectiveness of any equipment maintenance strategy depends on the people responsible for carrying out tasks.  Here are some key roles within equipment maintenance teams:

Maintenance Technicians

Maintenance technicians are responsible for performing routine inspections, repairs, and equipment servicing. They carry out the actual maintenance tasks. These professionals have technical skills that enable them to diagnose issues, replace faulty components, and ensure machinery is in good working order.

Maintenance Engineers

Maintenance engineers develop and oversee maintenance strategies, ensuring that maintenance practices align with operational goals. They analyze performance data, recommend improvements, and implement preventive maintenance plans.

Reliability Engineers

Focusing on the long-term reliability and performance, reliability engineers analyze equipment failure data, identify root causes, and develop strategies to enhance equipment reliability. Their goal is to minimize downtime and extend asset lifespan.

Maintenance Managers

Maintenance managers oversee the entire maintenance department, ensuring that all activities are carried out efficiently and effectively. They allocate resources, coordinate schedules, and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

Condition Monitoring Technicians

These specialists use advanced monitoring tools and technologies to assess equipment condition in real time. They are vital to any condition-based maintenance efforts. They collect and analyze data to predict potential failures and recommend timely interventions.

Maintenance Planners and Schedulers

These professionals are responsible for planning and scheduling maintenance activities. They ensure that maintenance tasks are carried out at the right time, with minimal disruption to operations. Effective planning helps balance maintenance needs with production demands.

Each role within an equipment maintenance team plays a vital part in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of machinery. By working together, they help prevent unexpected failures, optimize maintenance schedules, and improve overall equipment performance.  

Industries That Use Equipment Maintenance

Understanding practical applications of equipment maintenance can help illustrate its importance across industries. Here are eight places where equipment maintenance plays a pivotal role:

  1. Manufacturing: In manufacturing, machinery such as conveyor belts, presses, and assembly lines requires regular maintenance to function efficiently. Preventive maintenance schedules might include regular lubrication, parts replacement, and system checks to ensure continuous operation without unexpected downtimes.
  2. Construction: Heavy machinery like bulldozers, cranes, and excavators undergo rigorous use and need frequent inspections and maintenance. Typical maintenance tasks include hydraulic system checks, engine tune-ups, and tire inspections to prevent breakdowns that can halt construction projects.
  3. Automotive: Maintenance in the automotive sector ranges from routine vehicle servicing to complex repairs of production line equipment. Regular maintenance activities on vehicles include oil changes, brake inspections, and transmission repairs. Equipment may undergo similar tune-ups, lubrication, and inspection. These practices ensure that vehicles and production equipment remain in top condition.
  4. Aerospace: Take everything that makes equipment maintenance crucial for the automotive industry and multiply it by the stressful, cutting-edge environment of aerospace. For airplanes, any equipment failure can lead to issues ranging from passenger delays to catastrophic consequences. Every part must be regularly calibrated, and software must be updated before pilots can safely take off. The aerospace industry absolutely cannot rely on a reactive maintenance strategy. On the industrial side, complex assembly line equipment must be kept in order so that these highly complex machines are built correctly.
  5. Healthcare: Medical devices and equipment, such as MRI machines, ventilators, and laboratory instruments, require stringent maintenance protocols to ensure patient safety and diagnostic accuracy. Regular calibration, software updates, and part replacements are crucial to maintaining the reliability and accuracy of healthcare equipment.
  6. IT and Data Centers: Servers, cooling systems, and network infrastructure in data centers require constant monitoring and maintenance to prevent data loss and downtime. Maintenance tasks include software updates, hardware replacements, and performance monitoring to ensure seamless operation.
  7. Agriculture and Food Production: Tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems in the agricultural sector require maintenance to perform efficiently during critical seasons. Once harvested crops reach a processing facility, there is an entirely new network of machines that must operate correctly to get food to your table. Regular inspections, engine maintenance, and lubrication help prevent failures during peak usage periods.
  8. Hospitality: Hotels and restaurants rely on an interlocking set of machines and processes to properly serve customers. Kitchen equipment and elevators must be reliable, and bathrooms need to be in working order. Regular cleanings, part replacements, and preventive maintenance keep customers focused on quality service, not equipment failures.

These examples highlight the diverse applications of equipment maintenance across industries. By implementing comprehensive maintenance strategies, businesses can ensure the longevity and reliability of their equipment, ultimately supporting operational efficiency and safety.

Benefits of Equipment Maintenance

Implementing a multifaceted equipment maintenance program offers numerous benefits to organizations, no matter the industry. Here are some of the key advantages of regular equipment maintenance:

Increased Equipment Lifespan

Regular maintenance helps extend the life of machinery and equipment by preventing wear and tear. This practice ensures that components are always in good working condition.

Reduced Downtime

Preventive and predictive maintenance strategies help identify and address potential issues before they result in equipment failures. When these strategies are implemented, organizations see a reduction in unexpected downtimes, ensuring continuous operations and productivity.

Cut Maintenance Costs

While maintenance requires a budget, a proactive approach can reduce costs. Emergency repairs and equipment replacement can significantly eat up maintenance funds. Effective, proactive maintenance can lead to significant cost savings over time by reducing the need for major repairs and extending equipment lifespan.

Improved Safety

Properly maintained equipment is safer to operate, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. Regular inspections and servicing ensure that safety features function correctly, protecting workers and equipment.

Enhanced Performance

Well-maintained equipment operates more efficiently, leading to better performance and productivity. Regular service ensures that machinery runs optimally, reducing energy consumption and improving output quality.

Regulatory Compliance

Many industries have regulatory requirements for equipment maintenance to ensure safety and environmental standards are met. Adhering to these regulations helps organizations avoid fines and legal issues.

Better Resource Management

Maintenance planning and scheduling promote resource optimization, including using spare parts and labor. This leads to more efficient operations and better inventory and personnel management.

Sustainability

Regular maintenance reduces waste and environmental impact by ensuring that equipment operates efficiently, minimizing emissions. This reduces a facility’s carbon footprint and supports sustainability goals.

Examples of Equipment Maintenance

Equipment maintenance takes many forms. What a maintenance task entails depends on the type of asset being worked on and whether it’s a routine or corrective task. Some common examples of equipment maintenance are:

  • Oil changes
  • Filter replacements
  • Cleaning and sanitizing
  • Lubrication
  • Calibration and alignment
  • Software or firmware updates
  • Parts repairs or replacements

However, the most common, and often most important, form of equipment maintenance is the inspection. You can only fix equipment if you know there is a problem. Routine inspections scheduled at either a strict cadence or at consistent usage triggers are the backbone of all optimized equipment maintenance strategies.

Best Practices for Equipment Maintenance

Proper maintenance can extend the life of equipment and increase workplace productivity, but only when it’s done correctly. Equipment maintenance is easy if you have the know-how — here are some best practices to get you started. 

Inventory your equipment: Knowing exactly what you are dealing with will stop anything from falling through the cracks. Take stock of the equipment your organization is using, its age, and its manufacturer-recommended maintenance window. This will help you create a maintenance plan and avoid scrambling to find machine-specific repair methods in the future.

Keep equipment clean: It sounds simple, but consistently cleaning equipment improves its performance. Dirt and grime can easily clog filters or cause electrical system issues. In certain industries, sanitization is critical to achieving regulatory compliance.

Always use equipment correctly: Avoid unnecessary issues by always using equipment as directed by the manufacturer. Machines already wear down on their own. No need to speed that process up through improper usage; follow the instructions for increased longevity.

Don’t skip alignment and lubrication: Misalignment can be a silent problem that takes years off asset lifetime. Always ensure that your equipment is properly aligned and calibrated so it consistently runs at peak efficiency. For equipment with moving parts, reduce friction as much as possible through consistent lubrication.

Choose a maintenance strategy that fits: When building your equipment maintenance strategy, ensure that it makes sense for your organization. Condition-based maintenance might sound great, but if you lack the capabilities to easily monitor bespoke asset usage, it may not be the right fit. On the other hand, it could be cheaper to replace your equipment than constantly service it. In such cases, reactive maintenance may be the best choice.

Make timely repairs: Don’t let routine service go overlooked. Sticking to the recommended maintenance schedule is crucial to keeping equipment in good condition. Having a solid scheduled maintenance plan can greatly help in this regard.

Use a CMMS: Consider a CMMS as your maintenance command center. Track assets, schedule maintenance, and gather insights into usage and equipment health.  A CMMS can supercharge your maintenance efforts.

Certifications and Training

If you are interested in receiving official equipment maintenance training and getting certified, both the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) and the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) have certification programs.

The SMRP has the Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). It provides broad maintenance training, focusing on the five pillars of the SMRP Body of Knowledge. These include: Business & Management, Equipment Reliability, Manufacturing Process Reliability, Organization & Leadership, and Work Management. To get certified, you must pass a written exam. The exam fee is $300 for SMRP members and $470 for nonmembers.

The AEMP offers certifications that are more specific to equipment maintenance. These are: Equipment Management Specialist (EMS), Certified Equipment Manager (CEM) and Certified Equipment Support Professional (CESP). While EMS is open to anyone to start training, the other two certifications are more specialized and require a minimum of five years of equipment management or supplier experience to apply.

Equipment Maintenance Software

In the modern industrial landscape, equipment maintenance software plays a critical role in managing and optimizing maintenanceactivities. Solutions like eMaint are Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS). A CMMS provides tools and features that help maintenance teams plan, execute, and track maintenance tasks effectively.

Here are some key features and benefits of equipment maintenance software:

Automated scheduling: A CMMS can automate routine maintenance task scheduling based on predefined intervals or real-time data. This ensures that maintenance activities are carried out on time, reducing the risk of equipment failures.

Asset tracking: The software allows for detailed tracking of every asset, including maintenance history, performance data, and upcoming service requirements. With this information, teams can maintain a comprehensive record of each piece of equipment.

Work order management: Maintenance software simplifies work order creation, delegation, and tracking. This ensures that maintenance tasks are properly documented and completed efficiently.

Predictive maintenance: Advanced maintenance software uses predictive analytics to forecast potential equipment failures. By analyzing sensor data and performance metrics, eMaint can predict when maintenance is needed, optimize maintenance schedules, and reduce downtime.

Inventory management: Effective maintenance software helps teams manage spare parts and inventory, ensuring that necessary components are available when needed. This prevents delays in maintenance activities and reduces the need for emergency work orders.

Reporting and analytics: Maintenance software provides detailed reports and analytics on equipment performance, maintenance activities, and costs. This data helps inform decision-making, identify trends, and improve maintenance strategies over time.

Mobile access: Many CMMS solutions offer mobile access, allowing technicians to access maintenance schedules, work orders, and asset information from their mobile devices.

Compliance management: If your industry is subject to strict regulations and audits, maintenance software can help ensure compliance with industry standards by maintaining accurate records of maintenance activities and inspections. This makes audits much smoother and helps teams avoid penalties associated with non-compliance.

How Equipment Maintenance Software Can Help

Investing in equipment maintenance software like a CMMS can greatly enhance maintenance program efficiency and effectiveness. By leveraging the advanced features of these tools, organizations can optimize their maintenance activities, improve equipment reliability, and achieve significant cost savings.

Looking for a CMMS solution? Try a free demo or connect with a specialist to learn about all the features eMaint has to offer.