What type of maintenance strategy focuses on preventing equipment failures before they occur?

The focus of predictive maintenance is to prevent equipment failures before they occur by using data-driven approaches to anticipate when maintenance should be performed. This strategy relies on condition-monitoring tools and techniques that collect and analyze data about equipment performance and health. By identifying patterns and indicators that signal potential failures, organizations can schedule maintenance activities at the optimal time, thereby avoiding unexpected breakdowns and extending the lifespan of the equipment.

This proactive approach contrasts with other strategies, such as reactive maintenance, which addresses failures after they occur, and emergency maintenance, which is conducted in response to critical failures. Scheduled maintenance, while systematic, tends to follow a time-based approach rather than being driven by the actual condition of the equipment. Thus, predictive maintenance stands out as the most effective strategy for not only enhancing reliability but also optimizing overall maintenance costs and minimizing downtime.