Thomas Industrial Library

4. Not Changing or Updating the PM Program

This problem develops after the preventive maintenance program has been in place for a time period. The program was probably once effective, but then the level of breakdowns and reactive maintenance started to increase. Even though the PM program is in compliance, results are diminishing.

This change may be due to the fact that the equipment is entering a different phase of its life cycle. Whatever may have been the right level of service and activities in the past, the equipment maintenance needs change as equipment ages. The preventive maintenance tasks should be re-evaluated in light of the current equipment problems. It may be that when the preventive maintenance tasks were developed, the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks were defined, but the service required at semiannual, annual, and biannual frequencies was never developed. Thus, components on the equipment may develop undetected problems and fail.

The preventive maintenance tasks must be evaluated in context with the long-term equipment needs, insuring that preventive maintenance occurs for the entire life cycle of the equipment.

5. Poor Schedule Compliance

Compliance problems occur for several reasons, but always impact the effectiveness of the PM program. When tasks are scheduled and not completed within the assigned time frame, the equipment begins to deteriorate. Although the equipment may not begin to fail immediately, it begins to develop multiple deteriorated components. The interaction of the worn component conditions begins to mask problems. Operating the equipment becomes more complicated, as it no longer stays in adjustment or holds specifications. The equipment no longer runs at design speed; the deterioration requires it to be slowed 10% or more, reducing its capacity. Troubleshooting the equipment also becomes more difficult as one problem leads to another. The equipment will require a rebuild to reach an acceptable baseline, where the preventive maintenance tasks will once again be effective.

The only cure is to fully dedicate the resources and provide the release time needed to keep the PM program in compliance. This cure may require management support because production schedules may have to be altered or, over time, may have to be authorized.

6. Insufficient Detail on PM Sheets

Insufficient detail is typically a start-up problem with the preventive maintenance program. Because the proper level of detail is not developed, items are missed on the preventive maintenance inspections or services. Some samples of poor detail include checking the motor to see if it is hot, checking the belt drive, and checking the chain drive.

These are examples of vague preventive maintenance inspections. For example, when checking the motor, how hot is hot? The task description should contain temperatures, pressure setting, flow values, and so forth.

Some may argue that that level of detail is expensive and time consuming. By itself, that statement is true. However, what does a missed inspection point cost when the equipment fails? The lack of PM inspection details allows for items to be overlooked or viewed incorrectly, this contributing to breakdowns and overall loss of preventive maintenance efficiency.

One of the greatest causes contributing to the lack of detail is the lack of resources during the initial development of the PM program. For example, how can the resources be calculated? The following information illustrates one approach:

Because most companies do not allocate this level of resource, the preventive maintenance tasks are only partially developed, with the hope of going back someday and finishing the development. But in most organizations, this never happens and the preventive maintenance program is ineffective. The only solution is to dedicate the resources necessary to develop the task details initially. Then the company will realize the full benefits of preventive maintenance.

7. PM Data Not Being Recorded

Sometimes after the preventive maintenance program is implemented and the completed inspections are turned in for processing, the inspections are never reviewed and the notations are not permanently documented. This problem usually occurs because there are no resources to transfer the inspection results to a database so they can be analyzed. Therefore, the comments made by the inspectors are lost and any subsequent work that was to be requested and performed is also lost. This problem prevents evaluation of the PM program’s results and effectiveness. In turn, the PM program will deteriorate as the equipment ages, unable to meet the equipment’s changing needs.

The lack of data gather is also commonly caused by the lack of an easy-touse computerized maintenance management system. Give scarce resources, any CMMS used to manage data must make it easy to input and analyze that data.

This problem has a two-part solution. First, the correct staffing level must be determined, based on the amount of data collection and analysis the organization is performing. When the department is understaffed, data accuracy ultimately suffers and what is collected is of no value. Once the correct staffing level is provided, the organization should plan to utilize the most effective CMMS it can afford. This step reduces the amount of frustration that employees would otherwise have if they had to record and analyze data on antiquated software.

8. Lack of Understanding of EPA, OSHA, and ISO Regulations

This problem stems from a lack of education and the discipline to carry out data recording based on that education. The regulatory requirements for maintenance organizations are complex and require extensive training to accurately understand. However, most maintenance management positions are high-turnover positions, with newer and younger replacements regularly being hired.

This problem places the company under tremendous pressure. If the preventive maintenance is not carried out on the equipment, the company may be in violation of a regulatory standard. However, the maintenance manager may not even have a good understanding of which preventive maintenance activities require priority. This leads to compliance issues and ultimately a failure of the preventive maintenance program.

The only solution to this problem is effective education for the maintenance supervisors about regulatory requirements and then the ability to enforce the requirements for collecting the data and keeping the company equipment in compliance.