What Factors Help Decide Between Preventive and Predictive Maintenance?
Maintenance teams today have more options than ever when it comes to keeping equipment reliable. Two of the most common strategies are preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance. Both aim to reduce unexpected breakdowns, improve asset life, and keep operations running smoothly. However, deciding which approach to use isn’t always straightforward. The right strategy often depends on several factors, including equipment type, operational priorities, and available resources. Understanding these factors helps maintenance teams choose the most effective approach or even combine both strategies for better results. 1. Asset Criticality If a piece of equipment fails and immediately stops production, disrupts services, or creates safety risks, it requires a more advanced maintenance strategy. Predictive maintenance is often valuable for these high-criticality assets because it helps detect early signs of failure. On the other hand, for less critical equipment, preventive maint...