New tools offer options for preventive maintenance
Today’s computerized maintenance management systems and enterprise asset management systems take the drudgery out of keeping track of service records, replacement parts and breakdowns.
Scheduled maintenance, like an oil/filter change every 7,500 miles or six months (whichever comes first), is what preventive maintenance (PM) is all about.
Most machine builders supply PM schedules for the equipment they build. But managing a large number of machines—all with their own PM cycles—is no picnic. Fortunately, PM has become a lot easier to manage, thanks to modern computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and enterprise asset management (EAM) systems. These systems automate PM tasks, tracking inventory, time spent on repairs, common and repeated breakdowns, maintenance labor and costs, and parts costs—and can even predict and prioritize repairs based on previous data collected. These systems can also automatically order replacement parts and dispatch crews and technicians via emails, text messages or phone calls. And this software can work with or without sensor input from equipment.