Businesses use equipment to complete many tasks. For electricians, this might include electrical contractor software, electric drills, and measuring devices. In the field of AC repair, some of these tools include voltage testers, multimeters, and electrical saws.
To maintain the quality of these tools of the trade, you can institute the practice of predictive maintenance. We’ll focus on examples of this type of maintenance.
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Predictive Maintenance & Benefits
Though predictive (or preventive) maintenance examples
abound, before diving deep into what those are, it helps to have an idea of what predictive maintenance is. This form of maintenance, also known as condition-based maintenance, involves monitoring performance and equipment conditions. You conduct such monitoring during the process of regular operations, in the hopes of reducing the chances of equipment breakdown. During this process, these techniques are designed with the hope of determining the condition of in-service equipment.
When it comes to predictive maintenance, this process can’t exist without condition monitoring. When machines adopt the practice of continuous monitoring with various mechanical equipment, it helps to ensure asset optimization. When this occurs, there’s a good chance that the machines affected will reap the benefits of the applications of predictive maintenance.
The important thing about preventive maintenance is that this program can lead to maintenance costs savings, less equipment failure, and more productive use of a business’s time. In addition to this, predictive maintenance can also improve maintenance budgets by maximizing production time. This occurs because these preventative maintenance tasks are only occurring when needed. Companies such as data science software industry leader TIBCO use this type of predictive maintenance software. The hope is that this predictive maintenance solution will increase the shelf life and useful life cycle for their equipment. The operations and benefits of predictive maintenance programs are numerous for whatever business decides to adopt this maintenance solution.
Infrared Thermography & Acoustic Monitoring
There are a wide variety of examples of predictive maintenance, highlighting its varied use by companies. The first of these includes infrared technology. This is a non-intrusive technology, used for predictive maintenance purposes. For example, companies can utilize infrared to check the temperature of different machines. This can come in handy if you come across higher than normal temperatures in an object. This will give you a better idea of how to handle it.
Maintenance technicians use infrared thermography to figure out what components wear out due to excessive heating. These parts appear as heat spots on a thermal image. Another piece of preventive maintenance technology includes acoustic monitoring. Acoustic monitoring allows maintenance personnel to detect the sound of gas emission, liquid, or vacuum leaks. This occurs at the sonic and ultrasonic levels, lower than most maintenance teams can hear. This predictive maintenance software helps to enhance the hearing capabilities to an impressive point. Both infrared thermography and acoustic monitoring are notable examples of how predictive maintenance can be utilized by maintenance teams across the United States.
Vibration Analysis
Another form of predictive maintenance that helps to increase the reliability of machines is vibration analysis. This predictive maintenance is primarily used for high-speed rotating equipment. For example, a maintenance technician will use handheld devices or real-time sensors within their equipment. This helps to monitor equipment functions. As a machine hits its peak performance, it produces a specific vibrational rhythm.
With continued use, the components of a device begin to wear down, and the vibration of the instrument changes. A new pattern arises that can be studied by an expert technician. Through using vibration analysis, you can locate a misalignment, loose mechanical equipment, and issues with a motor. This invaluable preventative maintenance tool can help many technicians to make better predictions on the condition of the equipment.
