What is Proactive Maintenance? Here are 3 key examples

Proactive maintenance identifies the causes of an asset’s failure and tries to correct them before they become a problem. Here’s what it is and 3 key examples

There are many types of maintenance that a Facility Manager can refer to for efficient asset management. In this focus, however, we will mainly focus on the analysis of proactive maintenance.

Continue reading to discover some practical examples that will help you fully understand its main characteristics. In addition, if you deal with maintenance, whatever strategy you intend to use, I recommend that you try in first place a free Facility Management software that helps you manage the entire process and keep all the necessary maintenance operations under control.

What is Proactive Maintenance?

Proactive maintenance, also known as proactive maintenance, is a preventive maintenance strategy that aims to correct the underlying causes of failures, to anticipate and avoid the generation of more serious damage to assets.

In a company, there may be many causes that affect machinery efficiency.

• Excessive extension of the lifespan of the equipment;
• incorrect use of the equipment;
• poor quality materials and supplies;
• production increases;
• errors in maintenance procedures;
• lack of training for technicians.

This type of maintenance allows you to extend the life span of the assets and improve their performance. This is possible thanks to the continuous monitoring of the equipment, the collection and constant analysis of the data that allow the performance of maintenance efficiently only when it is really necessary.

Flowchart proactive maintenance intervention

Types of Proactive Maintenance

There are different types of proactive maintenance.

• preventive maintenance: it is a type of maintenance whose strategy is based on a timeline and whose activities are scheduled as per due date;
• condition-based maintenance: maintenance is planned according to the state of the equipment;
• planned maintenance: maintenance is planned at pre-set intervals based on manufacturer guidelines and historical equipment data.

Difference Between Proactive Maintenance and Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance and proactive maintenance are two types of maintenance based on a preventive approach. This approach uses the monitoring of equipment condition to perform maintenance tasks before damage is generated.

The main difference between the two types is that proactive maintenance tries to identify the cause of a potential problem, while the predictive one collects useful data and information to appropriately program the interventions to be carried out.

Difference Between Proactive Maintenance and Reactive Maintenance

Reactive maintenance and proactive maintenance are two completely different maintenance strategies.

Reactive maintenance is a “passive” action, after an expected failure. On the other hand, proactive maintenance acts not only to prevent equipment failure but also to improve equipment performance.

3 Key Examples of Proactive Maintenance

To fully understand how this maintenance strategy works, the 3 examples below will be useful:

1. machinery lubrication: performed at regular intervals to avoid problems due to friction between the surfaces, avoiding deterioration of the motors;
2. pipe inspection: to verify the integrity of the pipe distribution system and prevent costly interruptions due to cracks, corrosion and thinning of the ducts;
3. application of anti-corrosion coatings on metal surfaces: to avoid immediate replacement of machine parts.

Proactive maintenance examples

What are the advantages and disadvantages of proactive maintenance?

The main disadvantage of proactive maintenance is the initial economic investment that is necessary to efficiently implement the strategy consisting of the development with accurate constant schedules.

Benefits include

• reduction in the number of accidents;
• risk reduction;
• reduction of costs in the long term;
• reduction of machinery downtime;
• increased reliability of machinery;
• increase in the operation of machinery;
• increased availability of machinery;
• increased longevity of machinery.

How to implement an efficient proactive maintenance strategy?

To implement an efficient proactive maintenance strategy, I recommend following these simple steps listed below:

1. create and train a work team that manages all aspects of maintenance;
2. start a proactive maintenance program with all the assets that need such interventions;
3. invest in resources and technologies, try for free a facility management software to monitor, maintain and improve quality and safety in many areas of your company. Instead of programming everything manually, you can safely manage all aspects in a single central cloud-based database, which is secure and accessible to all professionals.