Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum and my professional background differs from many of yours. I am employed by a company that manufactures high-precision measurement instruments requiring regular maintenance for optimal performance. I have been researching the reliability of our instruments to enhance our customer service. Through my investigation, I have identified various issues that could be addressed through Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM). However, our management is hesitant to adopt CBM as they believe time-based maintenance schedules are sufficient, and implementing CBM could decrease revenue for our service department and lead to unpredictable maintenance visits due to parts failing at different times. Despite this, I believe CBM offers numerous benefits for our customers. I would appreciate any feedback, comments, or personal experiences that could help me persuade management to integrate CBM into our instrument maintenance practices.
As a Maintenance Reliability Engineer, I strongly believe in optimizing resource utilization. It is well known in the maintenance field that manufacturers prioritize revenue over specifying condition-based maintenance (CBM) intervals. Despite this, it would be beneficial for manufacturers to consider the best interests of their customers. While management may argue that parts do not fail simultaneously, there may be instances where intrusive maintenance leads to additional failures. Post-warranty, maintenance often transitions to condition-based, except for precision instruments. It is essential for manufacturers to support customers in maintaining their products effectively, rather than purely focusing on financial gains. Some companies have been reluctant to assist in specifying maintenance intervals, such as oil changes, based on usage. Similarly, efforts to determine circuit board failures in UPS systems based on time have been unsuccessful. Manufacturers have the opportunity to enhance equipment reliability by embracing condition-based maintenance practices alongside industry trends. Customers are increasingly seeking manufacturers' collaboration in this area.
Implementing a short-term maintenance strategy may be a quick fix, but forward-thinking vendors understand the importance of developing a unique business strategy for long-term success. Japanese car manufacturers have set a high standard by investing heavily in quality control and inspection processes before and during manufacturing, allowing them to outshine competitors. The concept of forming a mutually beneficial partnership between vendors and clients, where costs, risks, and rewards are shared, has been a topic of discussion. While this partnership can be complex to manage, gathering data on instrument failure rates, particularly in control or trip loops, can help tailor a maintenance strategy. By leveraging performance monitoring systems, clients can pinpoint areas of poor instrument performance and schedule site visits accordingly. This targeted approach can ultimately lead to improved efficiency and longevity of the instruments.
Creating a standardized PM/PDM regimen can pose significant challenges due to the diverse environmental factors and usage conditions that manufacturers' products may be subjected to. Customization for each customer would be necessary to ensure effectiveness, but the resources required and potential liability issues may deter manufacturers from undertaking such a task.
Hello everyone, I want to express my gratitude for your responses. The insights I gathered from this forum and Reliabilityweb.com have greatly assisted me in creating a compelling business proposal for our management team. I had the privilege of presenting it yesterday, and as a result, we are now exploring the possibility of offering two types of maintenance services to our customers. One would involve using software to customize maintenance based on the system's condition, while the other would be a standard time-based maintenance approach. I have a query about maintenance intervals. When implementing condition-based maintenance for a system with a high number of randomly failing parts, should one opt for a complete overhaul, replace a few additional parts, or simply replace the failed part? And if additional parts need to be replaced, how does one determine which ones to change? Your insights would be greatly appreciated. JE
Answering the "how" question is essential for your company, and there are plenty of technical assistance options available to help you. However, it's crucial to determine whether your instrument failures are truly random. Supporting this claim with data and thorough analysis is key.
Welcome to the forum! I agree that it can be a challenge to shift the management's mindset, especially when they're used to a certain way of doing things. However, Condition-Based Maintenance can indeed bring considerable improvements in customer service and satisfaction. It can also lead to longer equipment life, lower costs over time and less downtime due to unexpected failures. Perhaps you could approach the management with a cost-benefit analysis showing these long-term benefits? It'd also be essential to assure them of a strategic transition plan to minimize disruptions and ensure a balance between CBM and time-based activities to maintain revenue stability during the shift. It’s not all about the immediate returns but also about addressing evolving customer expectations and staying competitive in the industry.
Hello and welcome to the forum! I can understand your management's concerns, but I believe incorporating CBM could actually enhance your customer service and potentially increase your revenue in the long run. Customers overly appreciate companies that provide well-maintained equipment with a lower risk of sudden failures, as opposed to ones sticking strictly to time-based maintenance schedules. The predictability offered by CBM is a value-add in itself. Your service team should look at this not as a threat but as an opportunity if they're trained to capitalise on it. Perhaps you could present a cost-benefit-analysis (looking at the downtime cost of unexpected failures against the potential of planned CBM visits) to your management to help make your case stronger.
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Answer: - Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) is a maintenance strategy that involves monitoring the condition of equipment during operation to determine when maintenance should be performed. It differs from time-based maintenance schedules, which rely on fixed intervals for maintenance regardless of the actual condition of the equipment.
Answer: - Implementing CBM for high-precision instruments can lead to improved reliability, increased operational efficiency, reduced downtime, cost savings by avoiding unnecessary maintenance, and enhanced customer satisfaction due to optimized performance.
Answer: - CBM can help in identifying potential issues early by monitoring key parameters, allowing for timely maintenance interventions to prevent costly breakdowns. It can also enable predictive maintenance strategies, optimizing the use of resources and ensuring maximum performance of the instruments.
Answer: - One approach could be to present a business case highlighting the long-term benefits of CBM, such as improved customer satisfaction, reduced maintenance costs, and increased equipment reliability. Providing case studies or examples of successful CBM implementations in similar industries could also help in persuading management.
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