1. Purpose:
- Preventive maintenance aims to prevent equipment failures and breakdowns by performing regular inspections, servicing, and repairs.
- Breakdown maintenance, also known as reactive maintenance, involves repairing equipment only after it has broken down or malfunctioned.
2. Timing:
- Preventive maintenance is carried out on a planned and scheduled basis, based on the manufacturer's recommendations, past maintenance history, and the equipment's usage patterns.
- Breakdown maintenance is performed on an ad-hoc basis when a failure or problem occurs.
3. Proactiveness vs. Reactiveness:
- Preventive maintenance is proactive as it seeks to identify and address potential issues before they lead to breakdowns.
- Breakdown maintenance is reactive as it addresses problems after they have already occurred.
4. Cost and Efficiency:
- Preventive maintenance can help reduce long-term costs by preventing major breakdowns and downtime, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.
- Breakdown maintenance can result in higher costs due to the need for emergency repairs and potential equipment damage.
5. Equipment Health and Reliability:
- Preventive maintenance helps ensure that equipment operates smoothly, efficiently, and reliably by identifying and correcting minor issues before they escalate into larger problems.
- Breakdown maintenance can lead to reduced equipment reliability and a higher risk of unplanned downtime.
6. Safety:
- Preventive maintenance helps ensure the safe operation of equipment by identifying and addressing potential hazards before they cause accidents or injuries.
- Breakdown maintenance may increase safety risks due to the potential for sudden equipment failures.
7. Planning and Resources:
- Preventive maintenance requires careful planning, scheduling, and resources allocation to ensure regular maintenance tasks are performed effectively.
- Breakdown maintenance often involves unplanned resource allocation and can disrupt operations due to the urgent need for repairs.
Overall, preventive maintenance is preferred over breakdown maintenance as it is proactive, cost-effective, and promotes equipment reliability, safety, and efficiency in the long run. By identifying and addressing potential problems before they lead to breakdowns, preventive maintenance can significantly reduce downtime, improve operational efficiency, and extend the lifespan of equipment and machinery.
