What is Breakdown Maintenance: 5 Common Causes and How to Avoid Them?
Breakdown maintenance is a reactive approach that involves repairing equipment when necessary - in other words, after the equipment has failed or broken down. This maintenance approach might sound less effective than preventative maintenance, but it has its place and can be the best choice in certain situations. To fully exploit the benefits, it's crucial to understand its common causes and how to avoid them.
The 5 Common Causes Of Breakdown Maintenance
- Human Error: Whether it's neglecting regular checks, misusing equipment, or ignoring minor issues, human error is a leading cause of equipment breakdown. Proper training and education is the best way to minimize this risk.
- Wear and Tear: All equipment will eventually wear out over time, regardless of how well it's maintained. Regular check-ups and replacing parts as necessary can help to avoid sudden and unexpected breakdowns.
- Poor Operating Conditions: Environments that are too hot, cold, dusty, or damp can negatively impact the functioning of your machinery. Keeping your workspace clean and at an appropriate temperature is key.
- Incorrect Installation: If machinery isn't installed correctly, it can lead to all sorts of problems. Always follow manufacturer's instructions or hire a professional to install your machinery.
- Oversights in Preventive Maintenance: Preventive maintenance may overlook some issues that can lead to breakdowns. Regular, thorough inspections are necessary to avoid this pitfall.
Why is Breakdown Maintenance Important?
While most businesses want to avoid breakdowns wherever possible, the fact remains that some degree of breakdown maintenance is always going to be necessary. Rapid and effective breakdown maintenance helps to minimize downtime, repair costs and keeps the operation running as smoothly as possible. This highlights the importance of remaining diligent and responsive when things do go wrong.
What are the Key features of Breakdown Maintenance?
- Reactive: Breakdown maintenance is performed after a fault or failure.
- Unplanned: As this maintenance type involves work that is unforeseen, it requires a flexible scheduling approach.
- Cost-Effective: When dealing with non-critical equipment that doesn't affect process flow, breakdown maintenance can be a cost-effective option.
- Risk-Assessment Needed: Due to its unpredictable nature, a solid risk-assessment plan is necessary.
Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Breakdown Maintenance
- Enhanced Training: Provide comprehensive training for operators to reduce the chance of human errors.
- Spare Parts Stock: Keep an adequate supply of spare parts in stock to avoid downtime.
- Implement Preventive Measures: Integrate preventive maintenance to identify potential failures before they occur.
- Good Documentation: Ensure all maintenance actions are accurately documented for future reference.
FAQs about Breakdown Maintenance
- What are the advantages of breakdown maintenance?
- Breakdown maintenance can be cost-effective, especially for non-critical systems or equipment where downtime does not significantly impact productivity.
- What types of businesses typically use breakdown maintenance?
- Businesses with equipment that either has a low breakdown rate, is inexpensive to fix, or does not critically affect operations can benefit from breakdown maintenance.
- Should breakdown maintenance replace preventive maintenance?
- Both forms of maintenance have their unique advantages and should be used in tandem depending on the context. A maintenance program that integrates both preventive and breakdown maintenance approaches tends to work best.
- Is it costlier to use breakdown maintenance than preventive maintenance?
- It depends on the nature of the equipment and the cost of downtime. For critical equipment, preventive maintenance is generally more cost-effective, as it prevents expensive breakdowns and prolongs equipment life.
- How can technology improve breakdown maintenance?
- Technology like CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) can be used to log breakdown incidents and generate predictive analytics which can help in preventing future breakdowns and improving the efficiency of breakdown maintenance.
By understanding the nuances of breakdown maintenance, such as its common causes and how to avoid them, you can build a more resilient and effective maintenance strategy for your business. While it can come with challenges, these can be largely circumvented with the right strategies. And, while breakdown maintenance shouldn't replace preventative measures entirely, it's a powerful tool to have in your arsenal when things go wrong.
