On this installment (#3) of short and to-the-point maintenance-related articles, we present our definitions for the different types of industrial equipment maintenance - bonus at the end where we include a quick definition for RCM (methodoly rather then a maintenance type), lets go:
Reactive, corrective or run-to-failure
These are maintenance strategies where repairs or replacements of equipment are only performed after it has broken down or malfunctioned. For example, light bulbs are usually only replaced after they fail.
Preventive
This is a proactive approach to maintain the optimal performance and reliability of equipment. It involves regular inspections, adjustments, repairs, and replacements of parts before they fail. There are different types of preventive maintenance, such as time-based (actions are triggered on a fixed schedule) or condition-based (actions are triggered based on the actual condition of the equipment - for example "replace water filter if the concentration of water in hydraulic fluid is above a certain value").
Predictive
Predictive maintenance is a maintenance technique that uses data analysis and machine learning to monitor the condition and performance of industrial equipment, and to predict when it might need repair or replacement before it actually fails.
Reliability-centered (RCM)
RCM is actually a maintenance methodology rather than a maintenance type. We include it in here because it is commonly referred to on articles such as this. In summary, it involves a series of steps that look at how equipment can fail and what is the impact of such failures. It then selects the appropriate maintenance type (predictive, reactive, preventive as defined above) to minimize the consequences of those failures.
RCM involves four steps: 1) defining the functions and performance standards of the equipment, 2) analyzing the potential failures and their consequences, 3) selecting the appropriate maintenance tasks to prevent or mitigate the failures, and 4) implementing and monitor the maintenance plan and continuously improve it.