ID 116772454 © Benjawan Sittidech | Dreamstime.com
Frustrated Engineer Benjawan Sittidech Dreamstime Xxl 116772454 5f0490d617bf8

When Recommended Maintenance Doesn’t Work

July 7, 2020
Why breakdowns may happen even though you’re performing recommended maintenance

The plant installed a new production machine five years ago. All the recommended maintenance is being performed, but breakdowns still occur. How do you resolve this?

First, conduct failure cause analysis because the problem might not even be maintenance related.

The manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations are based on assumptions of use. For example, the oil change interval for a taxicab is much shorter than for a passenger car. A taxi spends much more time at idle (where fuel drops out of suspension, contaminating the oil) plus it has much more start and stop usage. Contact the manufacturer and see if they can tell you what the usage assumptions were. Maybe you need to decrease your interval.

Second, make sure the maintenance is being done correctly. Look at the major maintenance steps and determine if there could be multiple interpretations of how those are supposed to be performed. Furthermore, make sure you witness those tasks being done to see if they (whatever they are) are done to high standards of performance.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EC&M, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations