Industrial companies, large and small, know that the health of their business depends on the smooth operation of their production equipment, and that maintenance of that equipment is a major contributor.
However, many companies find it difficult to differentiate between the different types of maintenance strategies or to determine the ideal maintenance program for them.
In this text, we’ll look at the different types of industrial maintenance services, but first let’s take a look at the definition of industrial maintenance.
Definition of Industrial Maintenance
Industrial maintenance refers to all activities, procedures and practices aimed at maintaining, repairing, overhauling and optimizing equipment, machinery, plant and systems used in industrial production or other industrial processes.
The primary goal of industrial maintenance is to ensure that equipment operates reliably, efficiently and safely while minimizing unplanned downtime.
The 3 main types of industrial maintenance
1 – Corrective and Curative Maintenance Services
We have decided to group corrective and curative maintenance services in the same category because they share a very important characteristic: their aim is to eliminate a malfunction, anomaly or non-conformity in order to ensure the optimal operation of the equipment concerned. They are therefore carried out after an equipment inspection or in response to a breakdown.
That said, corrective maintenance involves the repair of machinery, while curative maintenance (also called remedial maintenance) involves the complete or partial replacement of mechanical components. This is the difference between the two terms.
Which companies should choose corrective or curative maintenance?
As you may have noticed, companies usually resort to both types of industrial machine maintenance in response to a breakdown or failure. As a result, this strategy is generally applied to non-priority equipment rather than critical equipment whose failure could affect the entire production line.
Companies that choose this type of maintenance should have a highly responsive industrial mechanics partner! After all, a late repair can have serious consequences for business operations and the life of the equipment involved.
In general, corrective and curative maintenance services will be an advantageous option for companies using less sophisticated equipment for which periodic maintenance would be too expensive in relation to the original value.
Call on our industrial maintenance specialists
2 – Preventive maintenance service (systematic and conditional)
As the name suggests, preventive maintenance aims to prevent equipment problems through periodic inspections, regular servicing and the correction of minor problems before they affect production activities.
Preventive maintenance services apply to parts, components, machines and production equipment to reduce the risk of failure or breakdown.
Typically, a preventive maintenance service is based on a maintenance program that takes into account the age and wear of the equipment.
Machine manufacturers’ recommendations (e.g., for parts replacement, alignment, lubrication, etc.) should also be considered when developing a preventive maintenance plan.
Difference between systematic and condition-based preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance can be divided into two categories: systematic preventive maintenance and condition-based preventive maintenance.
Systematic preventive maintenance is performed at regular intervals. It can be performed annually, monthly, weekly or at other intervals, depending on the equipment. With this type of preventive maintenance, it is possible to coordinate interventions during less busy or “shutdown” periods in order to limit the impact on production.
Conditional preventive maintenance, on the other hand, is not based on a predetermined schedule. Instead, it is based on the continuous monitoring of various equipment parameters (vibration, speed, power, etc.) using instruments or sensors linked to a monitoring system. In this way, maintenance is only carried out when it is really necessary, i.e. when an anomaly is detected, indicating that a problem is imminent.
Which companies should choose preventive maintenance?
Companies whose production goals depend on the smooth operation of their industrial machinery should follow a preventive maintenance program.
With the support of a skilled preventive maintenance partner, machines operate at their full potential, the risk of mechanical problems leading to unplanned downtime is greatly reduced, and maintenance costs are much easier to predict.
3 – Predictive Maintenance Service
Like condition-based preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance relies on advanced data collection and processing solutions to anticipate problems before they occur.
The difference is that in the case of predictive maintenance, the collected data streams are analyzed by advanced software that interprets data and detects trends. In other words, even when indicators appear normal, artificial intelligence can still detect signs that an incident is about to occur. In short, it’s the automation of detection!
Which Companies Should Consider Predictive Maintenance?
Predictive maintenance is increasingly relevant for companies with a high level of computerization and process automation.
Companies that are in the process of modernizing their equipment should also investigate the possibility of implementing a predictive maintenance plan
In both cases, companies must ensure that industrial maintenance technicians are sufficiently trained to manage IT systems.
Omnifab, a reference for many types of industrial maintenance in Quebec
As more and more companies depend on the smooth operation of their production equipment, a simple mechanical breakdown can have far-reaching consequences. Fortunately, thanks to industrial maintenance services, incidents can often be avoided or quickly resolved.
At Omnifab, we can offer you maintenance plans that are 100% tailored to your needs, including different types of industrial maintenance. In fact, we’re already doing it for many industries, including food, pulp and paper, mining and more!
Our technicians are specially trained and can travel anywhere in Quebec to service your equipment. Not to mention, we are a Cognibox and ISN accredited industrial maintenance management company.
Contact us to find out how we can contribute to your success.
