No matter whether you are on the plant floor managing equipment or in the control room overseeing operations, we can all agree disruptions such as non-reliable measurements impacting quality or safety can hinder productivity. Preventive maintenance is a common approach to plant maintenance and acts as the backbone to plant productivity, security and efficiency. But what if you could transform scheduled, predetermined tasks into an intelligent, data-driven strategy that helps anticipate failures and keep your plant running efficiently while cutting maintenance costs?
Well, this is no longer a nice-to-have or a future concept, it is already here. The rise of digitalization allows you to do more in the realm of equipment maintenance. Integrating both predictive and preventive maintenance strategies allows you to gain deeper insights into overall performance and is the first step in your plant’s maintenance evolution.
Preventive maintenance vs predictive maintenance: What does it mean?
As process industries evolve, maintenance strategies are also advancing. While predictive maintenance gains traction in process industries, it’s important to recognize that preventive maintenance remains the current backbone of effective asset management. Rather than viewing it as preventive vs. predictive maintenance, they should be seen as complementary — each with its own strengths and ideal applications.
Preventive maintenance is a proactive approach to maintenance that involves performing tasks on a set schedule or at pre-defined intervals. Its primary goal is to prevent unexpected breakdowns and reduce costly downtime through routine servicing. This method is straightforward to implement and relies on minimal data, typically following Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) recommendations and fixed schedules. Its simplicity and reliability make it especially well-suited for standard- or lower-criticality assets, where the cost of failure is manageable. However, it can sometimes lead to over-maintenance and higher operational costs due to rigid scheduling.
On the other hand, predictive maintenance represents a more data-driven, condition-based approach. By leveraging sensor data, diagnostics, and analytics, it enables maintenance teams to anticipate failures and intervene only when necessary. This can significantly reduce unnecessary maintenance tasks and reduce maintenance costs. However, predictive maintenance requires a higher level of investment in digital infrastructure, including sensors, connectivity, and analytical tools, often containing a form of artificial intelligence. As such, it is best suited for high-value or safety-critical assets, where the cost of downtime is substantial.
While predictive maintenance is an exciting development, preventive maintenance remains the most practical and widely applicable strategy today. It provides a solid foundation for measurement reliability and plant efficiency, especially when integrated with digital tools that enhance visibility and planning. For example, even within a preventive maintenance framework, digitally enabled devices can now alert you when they require cleaning, allowing you to incorporate this into your scheduled downtime more effectively.
Ultimately, integrating elements of predictive maintenance into your preventive maintenance strategy can help you evolve toward smarter, more efficient operations. But for most organizations, the focus should remain on strengthening preventive maintenance practices while gradually adopting predictive capabilities where they offer clear value.
The benefits of preventive and predictive maintenance in process automation
Utilizing digitally enabled assets gives you a more comprehensive view into the state of your devices. Digitalized sensors and the insights they enable are catalyzing the shift from a preventive maintenance approach to a hybrid preventive/predictive maintenance approach. Beyond reduced downtime, the hybrid approach also promotes maintenance workflow automation and simplification and enhances system-wide performance, and more.
The key benefits of a combined approach to equipment maintenance:
Embracing transparency and turning data into actionable insights
Maintenance is not just about the performance or status of a single asset but about looking and understanding your entire plant and processes. By leveraging data and insights about your installed base, you can identify and apply the best maintenance regime based on assets criticality. The best way to access this data is by adopting digital tools that connect directly to your assets. But what do you do with all the data?
To make the most of the data available, it can be beneficial to work with external experts who can provide detailed insights about your installed base and how to optimize your maintenance regime. Providing insights to help continuously evolve your installed base, mitigate safety and compliance risks with the correct documentation, and ensure you have the resources needed to keep your operations running smoothly.
At Endress+Hauser, our process experts are ready to support your maintenance needs with our Dynamic Installed Base Analysis (DIBA). Dynamic Installed Base Analysis (DIBA) takes your data to a level beyond collection and assessment. Our experts provide the visibility and recommendations to help optimize your maintenance regime, allowing you to take the next steps to keep your plant operating at its full potential.
See how transparency can be your competitive edge
Knowing everything about your installed base — and turning that knowledge into action — can be a real challenge. With Dynamic Installed Base Analysis (DIBA), you gain access to expert support that provides transparency to help you make sense of your installed base and empowers you to make smarter decisions.
Maintenance anywhere, anytime
Maintenance is not something you have to do alone. In the modern world, there are solutions and services for everything, and maintenance is no exception. Today you can access services and solutions that support you in the execution of your plant’s maintenance strategies. Thanks to the rise of digital assets and their connectivity, more data on performance, diagnostics, and health status is available. But what if this could extend to outside of your plant?
While on-site maintenance staff will always have internal knowledge of their plant, we understand that, in an unexpected breakdown situation or in a resource shortage, an extra pair of hands can go a long way. As a remote external service provider, we at Endress+Hauser can empower your team and enhance your expertise with additional insights on topics such as remote diagnostics, proactive maintenance alerts, risk mitigation and more.
That’s why we designed a remote support offering to be that extra pair of hands: Smart Support. Smart Support provides instrumentation support services to your in-house maintenance staff. Timely remote guidance from our team of experts can enhance your in-house expertise to help reduce time spent diagnosing and troubleshooting, which translates into less maintenance time and lower costs.
Discover the benefit of always-on digital maintenance support
Maintenance teams often face pressure to keep operations running smoothly without always having the resources or expertise on hand. With Smart Support, you gain access to external service experts who can analyze situations remotely and provide your team with recommendations to help keep your plant running smoothly, from anywhere.
