How to Perform Preventive Maintenance on Industrial Automation Equipment? Transitioning from Breakdown Repair to Condition Management
Preventive maintenance for industrial automation equipment should establish mechanisms for equipment classification, operational data collection, regular inspections, spare parts planning, and repair acceptance to reduce unplanned downtime.
Repairing industrial automation equipment only after a failure occurs can easily make personnel, spare parts, and downtime uncontrollable. Preventive maintenance is not about replacing all components on a fixed schedule, but rather arranging inspections and repairs based on the equipment's importance, operating hours, and condition changes.
- Establish Equipment Classification
Prioritize robots, PLCs, drives, inverters, touchscreens, and industrial network equipment based on their impact on the production line, availability of backup stations, spare parts lead time, and safety risks.
- Record Operational Status
Continuously record alarms, temperature, vibration, current, mechanical clearance, communication dropouts, and downtime. Using consistent measurement conditions for the same items is essential to determine whether data represents normal fluctuations or gradual deterioration.
- Develop Inspection Cycles
Perform daily checks for sounds, temperature, oil leaks, and alarms; quarterly checks for filters, fans, cables, terminals, and safety circuits; and checks based on operating hours for lubrication, brakes, bearings, and flexible cables. Shorten cycles for high-temperature, dusty, and heavy-duty operating conditions.
- Manage Spare Parts and Acceptance
Prepare spare parts such as power supplies, fans, batteries, flexible cables, and common control components for critical equipment, and verify their versions. After each repair, complete verification of power supply, communication, motion, load, safety, and continuous production.
The value of preventive maintenance lies in scheduling controllable repairs in advance based on condition, while retaining data and acceptance records, gradually transitioning from breakdown repair to equipment lifecycle management.
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