What Is Predictive Maintenance? Pros, Cons And Examples

As a Facilities Manager (FM), it’s your responsibility to keep on top of the maintenance and operation of a building and its assets, as well as ensure full compliance and safety. 

This isn’t always easy; you need to apply the correct strategies for the best results, and that’s where predictive maintenance can help. 

Predictive maintenance will play a pivotal role in keeping you on top of your responsibilities, potentially saving time and money along the way.  

At SFG20, we have been the industry standard for building maintenance since 1990, so we know how crucial this technique is for an FM and how it can make all the difference in prolonging and maintaining building assets and equipment, as well as ensuring the safety of workers. 

This article will provide you with a clear and concise breakdown of everything you need to know about predictive maintenance, helping you to understand why you need it, the pros and cons and the different types of techniques. 

What Is Predictive Maintenance (PdM)?

Predictive maintenance, sometimes referred to as PdM, is a type of Preventative Maintenance (PM).

PdM helps to identify potential issues before the failure of an asset using real-time, condition-based monitoring (such as vibration, pressure or temperature) either with or without the aid of historical data. 

This historical data can come from the knowledge already generated from work orders and repair records or collection sources outside of the company. 

Predictive maintenance aims to reduce unplanned breakdowns and the maintenance costs that come with it by predicting failures and acting on them pre-emptively, while also preventing a potential major malfunction. 

The accumulated data helps to identify the optimal time for carrying out a series of set procedures to help maintain and prolong the lifespan of assets, resources, equipment and infrastructure. 

It is typically used for specialised equipment that has: 

• Failure modes that can be monitored effectively 

• An essential operational function 
  
  

The technologies used to determine potential failures will depend on the type of machinery; typical examples include infrared thermography, acoustic monitoring and vibration analysis (which will be discussed later on).  

Why Do I Need Predictive Maintenance? 

Nobody wants to deal with unexpected repair costs, pay out more than is necessary or have unplanned downtime.

This is why predictive maintenance can be a useful addition to a maintenance strategy, particularly if you have specialised assets. 

There are a number of benefits to anticipating potential equipment failures before they happen. Here are some examples: 

Improved safety levels 

Health and safety is of the utmost importance in the workplace and should be taken seriously; someone’s life could depend on it. 

Identifying potential hazards sooner rather than later is key to preventing accidents and injuries in the workplace. 

Fundamentally, predictive maintenance can help to ensure machinery is working properly and doesn’t pose a risk to workers. 

Cost savings 

Equipment can be expensive to replace, so by only maintaining it when necessary and making smaller repairs, you can extend its lifespan and avoid having to carry out unnecessary or emergency maintenance, which will save money in the long run. 

Reduced unplanned downtime 

Detecting issues before they occur means being able to act on them before they lead to breakdowns that could cause massive disruptions and be hugely costly in operational downtime. 

Say for example you had a conveyor belt that hadn’t been replaced for a while, data analysis that has collected information over time could help to predict when the belt is likely to have enough wear and tear to cause possible failure. 

Instead of the asset suddenly breaking down, you can plan in any repairs or replacements at a time that’s more convenient and doesn’t impact the working day. 

Improved efficiency  

It makes sense to keep equipment running as efficiently as possible from both a cost-effective and time-saving point of view. 

Well-maintained equipment is much more energy efficient, which can save you money.

Moreover, well-maintained assets have an increased lifespan, which again can save you money –  it's a win-win situation.  

Efficient maintenance scheduling 

Monitoring the condition of equipment means you can carry out targeted maintenance schedules as opposed to fixed schedules that might turn out to be a waste of time. 

What Are The Different Types Of Condition Parameters That Can Be Measured?  

There are different types of techniques that can be used to monitor key performance parameters; their use will all depend on the equipment you’re gathering data from. 

Here are some common examples: 

Vibration analysis

Primarily used on equipment that has rotating components that use bearings, this process works by collecting vibration signals through specialised sensors. 

The findings recognise the machinery’s patterns which can then be compared to real-time data.

As the bearings wear, this helps to detect when the machine is out of sync, which can point to possible failures before they become a bigger issue. 

Equipment that uses motors, pumps, fans, conveyors, turbines and generators all benefit from this technique.  

Oil analysis 

Machinery that requires oil should have an oil analysis process to improve performance, avoid malfunctions and increase its lifespan. 

This can be to measure properties such as temperature or viscosity or to detect foreign bodies such as metal shavings which could be an indicator of a failing asset. 

Elements of this can now be carried out remotely with electric sensors or specialist equipment. However, you may need to collect and send off the samples yourself and then wait for a lab report that will determine the machine’s condition by looking at factors such as oil health and contamination. 

Most businesses will need to work with qualified professionals, as it entails specialised equipment and/or a laboratory. 

Acoustic analysis  

By monitoring sound frequencies on operating machinery, acoustic sensors can be used to detect changes in sound patterns. 

Rotating machinery particularly benefits from this type of technique as it helps to identify factors such  as friction and stress which could point to deterioration. 

Acoustic analysis can also be used for fluid flow processes in pipes and pressure vessels. 

Infrared monitoring  

Monitoring the temperature of a machine can help to identify issues in machinery, electrical systems and even building structures, which is why infrared thermography is such a widely-used maintenance technique. 

Sensors look for abnormal heat signatures such as hotspots and fluctuations to highlight possible malfunctions before they happen. 

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Predictive Maintenance? 

See below for a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of predictive maintenance: 

Pros 

• Can help save you money by reducing unnecessary repairs and replacements.  

• Helps to prevent losing valuable time on unexpected breakdowns or carrying out unnecessary maintenance schedules. 

• Ensures assets are running properly to create a safer working environment for staff. 

• Assets are likely to have an increased lifespan.

Cons 

• Investing in these types of sensor systems can be costly to start with. 

• A business that doesn’t have experience with these systems might find it complicated to implement in their existing processes and manage the cultural shift required for teams to embrace the new technology. 

• It can take some time to gather enough data to get predictions from the system. 

• As with all technology, things can go wrong, whether that’s data that hasn’t been recorded properly or a sensor that’s been disconnected, all of which can affect accuracy. 

Put Compliance First

Now that you’ve learnt the ins and outs of predictive maintenance, you can see why it is so essential for facilities managers and how it ensures that assets and equipment are running as efficiently and safely as possible.  

Compliance doesn’t need to be complicated – at SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance specification, we have a wealth of experience in this field and want to share our guidance with you. 

Unsure on your compliance responsibilities? You will find our Ultimate Guide to Compliance in Facilities Management extremely useful – click below to understand your duties as a Facilities Manager, from compliance responsibilities to building maintenance strategies.