Breakdown Maintenance vs Preventive Maintenance – Key Takeaways
Within the operations of a business or organization, the maintenance of equipment, machinery, and systems is paramount to ensure smooth operation. This maintenance can be categorized into two main types: Breakdown Maintenance and Preventive Maintenance. Let's dig deeper into what they mean, their importance, key features, benefits, and how to effectively implement them.
1. What is Breakdown Maintenance vs Preventive Maintenance?
Breakdown Maintenance, sometimes referred to as corrective or reactive maintenance, is a mode of maintenance that is done after the occurrence of a fault or failure in a system. Contrastingly, Preventive Maintenance, also known as prepared or proactive maintenance, is scheduled and conducted periodically to lower the likelihood of failure.
2. Why are they important?
Preventive and Breakdown Maintenance play substantial roles in operational efficiency. Breakdown Maintenance can be cost-effective in scenarios where equipment failure does not lead to significant downtime or other costs. On the other hand, Preventive Maintenance helps avoid sudden machine failure which can cause unplanned downtime, increased costs, and lower production quality.
3. Key Features
- Breakdown Maintenance: This maintenance includes immediate fault detection, quick response, and restoration. It can be suitable for non-critical systems and smaller equipment.
- Preventive Maintenance: It involves equipment inspection, part replacement, and regular servicing. Designed to spot and correct small issues before they escalate, it's ideal for high-value and critical systems.
4. Benefits
- Breakdown Maintenance:
- - Lower upfront costs
- - Less complex to manage
- Preventive Maintenance:
- - Reduction in unexpected failures and downtime
- - Extends equipment lifespan
- - Improves safety conditions
5. How to Implement it Effectively?
Implementing effective maintenance strategies requires the understanding of equipment criticality, failure modes, and costs associated with downtime. For high-value and critical systems, a preventive maintenance schedule based on either time or usage should be introduced. On the other hand, for non-critical and low-cost equipment, a breakdown maintenance approach can be more feasible.
Top 5 FAQs
- Q: Can both preventive and breakdown maintenance be used together?
A: Yes, many organizations adopt a hybrid approach tailoring the mix to the criticality and value of their equipment. - Q: Which type of maintenance is more cost-effective?
A: The cost-effectiveness of either option depends on the equipment, its usage, and the potential costs of downtime. - Q: Can predictive maintenance replace preventive maintenance?
A: Predictive maintenance, which forecasts failure using data, is a step above preventive maintenance and can reduce unnecessary maintenance tasks. - Q: What tools can be used for preventive maintenance?
A: Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) can streamline preventive maintenance scheduling and documentation. - Q: Is breakdown maintenance a reactive approach?
A: Yes, breakdown maintenance is considered a reactive approach as action is taken after a failure has occurred.
