What are the benefits and challenges of using condition-based maintenance?

2 How does CBM fit into RCM?

CBM is one of the possible maintenance strategies that can be selected by RCM. CBM is based on the premise that the condition of the equipment reflects its likelihood of failure, and that maintenance should be performed before the equipment reaches a critical state. CBM relies on sensors, data analysis, and predictive models to monitor the equipment's condition and trigger maintenance actions. CBM can be applied to assets that have observable and measurable indicators of failure, such as vibration, temperature, pressure, or wear.

3 What are the benefits of CBM?

CBM can offer several benefits for the system's reliability and performance, such as reducing unplanned downtime and breakdowns by detecting and preventing failures before they occur. It can also extend the equipment's life cycle and optimize the use of resources while reducing maintenance costs. Moreover, CBM can improve safety and environmental compliance by reducing the risk of accidents, injuries, and emissions caused by equipment failures.

4 What are the challenges of CBM?

CBM also involves some challenges that need to be overcome, such as implementing and maintaining a reliable condition monitoring system to collect, transmit, store, and analyze data from various sources and locations. Additionally, it is necessary to develop and validate predictive models that can accurately estimate the remaining useful life and the probability of failure of the equipment. Establishing and communicating clear criteria for triggering maintenance actions based on the condition indicators and risk assessment is also essential. Furthermore, it is important to integrate CBM with other maintenance strategies and align them with the system's objectives and constraints.

5 How to implement CBM successfully?

Successfully implementing CBM requires following best practices, such as conducting a thorough RCM analysis to identify suitable assets and effective maintenance strategies, selecting the right condition monitoring techniques and technologies, establishing a secure data management system, applying advanced data analysis and machine learning methods to develop predictive models, defining and updating maintenance thresholds and triggers based on condition indicators and risk assessment, and evaluating and improving CBM performance by measuring KPIs and feedback loops.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?