But what if you knew when the equipment would break down? Predictive Maintenance is the science of determining how and/or when a piece of equipment will break down. There are many aspects to it, and it is not unlike a human going to a doctor for a checkup. You have infrared analysis, which is like taking one's temperature to determine if you're running a fever (running too hot) or having X-rays done or have broken/stressed bones (hot spots within |
your system). You have vibrational analysis, which is akin to getting your pulse taken or having an ECG done to see if your heart is beating abnormally (checking for abnormal operational frequencies). And finally you have oil analysis, which is like having blood work done to look for infections (lubricant contamination and indications of abnormal equipment wear), signs of malnutrition (oil breakdown, inadequate system lubrication), and other abnormal indications. |