To avoid the costs, time and production lost from a mechanical breakdown, manufacturing companies
have developed a handful of processes concepts and strategies. These maintenance management
systems each control the tasks required to keep a machine functioning. They also dictate the way in
which manufacturers address the breakdown of company machinery. Deciding which system to use
takes careful consideration and an understanding of how each individual machine works. Only then
can you incorporate a predictive, preventive, proactive, corrective, reliability centered or equipment
criticality ranking maintenance system.

What Are They? Each maintenance works to minimize the impact of a critical machine problem. They do so in different ways.

Predictive maintenance uses technological advances to monitor the machines for breakdowns.
Through process like oil analysis and infrared thermography, manufacturers can detect the
process in real-time. This way, the problem is fixed before it reaches a critical stage.
Proactive maintenance is examining the machines after they have shown signs of trouble. The
Industrial machinery mechanic thoroughly inspects and test the machine to get to the root
cause of the problem. After the fix, the company uses the information found to prevent future
problems in other machines. Corrective maintenance is also known as reactive maintenance. It is the least desirable method that involves fixing problems as they occur.

Reliability centered maintenance helps manufacturers develop a maintenance program for each
individual machine, using other maintenance strategies. One machine may require preventive
maintenance, while it is only cost effective to treat another machine proactively.
Equipment criticality ranking is a numeric system that rates the importance of the machinery by
parts availability, safety, cost, efficiency and other factors. This system is used in conjunction
with other methods to develop a maintenance schedule or plan.

The Primary Differences

Preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance are processes that the maintenance department use
in caring for the machinery. Equipment criticality and reliability centered maintenance are tools used
to tailor the maintenance process to the plant and the machines in it. Plant managers used these tools
create their preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance schedules. Proactive maintenance is a
strategy used to combat chronic problems within a plant that persist despite the maintenance. Of the
maintenance systems, the corrective system is the one that plants try to evolve from. In fact, they look
to maintenance strategies, tools and processes after finding out just how risky corrective methods can
be.

Why Preventive Maintenance Dominates

Manufacturers don’t work well in risk, especially when it comes to their machines and equipment. The
consequences of working on a corrective or predictive basis are much too great. Machine replacement,
time lost to production shutdown, potential medical costs from injured workers are just some of the
risks. With preventive maintenance, the problems are most likely to be caught long before catastrophe
strikes. Some companies use other maintenance tools and strategies alongside the preventive
maintenance to fit their needs. Whatever the method, maintenance management strategies are a bit more intricate than ever. As

technology ramps up the replacement costs, and also increases the maintenance possibilities,
manufacturers will change their systems to adapt. That is most important.

Eagle Technologies Group is an industry leader in the design and implementation of factory automation systems worldwide.