The maintenance function is evolving from being after-the-fact, to planned, to predictive, to self-fixing. Developments in operational sensor technologies, combined with advances in information technologies including virtual or augmented reality (VR/AR), cloud-based platforms and analytics, are helping to provide real-time data on performance levels and help to outline predictive or scheduled maintenance without losing equipment efficiency.

Types of Maintenance

Corrective Maintenance: Corrective maintenance is performed to identify, isolate and rectify faults, so that the failed equipment, machine or asset can be restored to an operational condition within the tolerances or limits established for normal operations.

Preventive Maintenance: Preventive maintenance refers to regular, routine maintenance to help keep equipment up and running, preventing any unplanned downtime and expensive costs from unanticipated equipment failure.

Predictive Maintenance: Predictive maintenance techniques monitor the condition and performance of equipment during normal operation to predict when maintenance should be performed. It reports on the status and operational capacity of the machine by monitoring the values of specific variables and make data-driven decisions.

Shutdown Maintenance: Through shutdown maintenance, the parts known to experience age and use-related degradation are automatically replaced on a set frequency shorter than the mean time between failures. Doing this should prevent unexpected failure and allow for maximum production time.

Periodic Maintenance: Periodic maintenance is maintenance performed on equipment based on a calendar schedule. It consists of a series of primary tasks: data collection, visual inspections, cleaning, lubrication etc.

Safety

It is an essential factor which should be taken into account during all stages of production, such as the design, manufacturing, installation, adjustment, operation, maintenance and final scrapping. Machine, facility and personal safety can be achieved using safety interlock switches, safety signs and clothing respectively. The Machinery Directive exists to force manufacturers to guarantee a minimum safety level for machinery and testing equipment such as multi-meters and thermal imagers. Machines and tools have to conform to the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) listed in the Directive and are, therefore, required to provide a standard minimum level of protection.

No matter what your approach is, Farnell Element14 offers a wide range of maintenance, repair & safety products from many leading brands. Keep your production plant, machinery and safety equipment well maintained with our range of components, tools and equipment. We can help you to minimise the risk, stay compliant and ensure the safety of all your onsite employees.