Top Key Benefits of Routine Maintenance

Routine maintenance refers to maintenance activities that are carried out in an orderly way to spot and prevent problems.

19:29 26 January 2022

Routine maintenance refers to maintenance activities that are carried out in an orderly way to spot and prevent problems before they result in equipment failure. It includes servicing and inspections on a regular basis. The best way to keep any machine functional is through routine maintenance, which is done regularly, yearly, monthly, weekly, or even daily. Routine maintenance is also treated as a preventive type of maintenance because it helps prevent the emergent breakdown of machinery.

 

The following are some examples of routine maintenance of a machine system

• Lubricating and cleaning of machinery
• Replacing the worn-out parts of the equipment 
• Regular testing of equipment like a fire alarm to ensure their safety
• Maintaining the workplace, including removing dust and keeping the floor and windows clean.

 

There are many benefits of routine maintenance of systems, but the top ones are discussed below;

 

Reduces Unexpected Downtime

Machine downtime cannot be avoided irrespective of whether you rely on reactive or preventive maintenance. However, routine maintenance can minimize the downtime where the scheduling is done perfectly. The longer the time your machine is unavailable for work; the more money you will lose in the long run. With visual inspection the breakdown of a machine will be identified and fixed within a short period, and this will significantly reduce downtime in turn. 

 

Aids to Long-Lasting of a Machine 

Almost all machines have a variety of parts that keep on moving, resulting in friction which makes these parts wear out quickly. Components like bearings, seals, and gaskets need regular checkups and replacements if needed. Also, regular cleaning, which includes lubrication and removal of dust in a machine, will increase the lifetime of a certain machine. 

 

The information concerning an equipment failure can be tracked, and this gives an organization a chance to plan preventive maintenance at the right time, and probably the equipment will be repaired before it breaks down. It is only through this that the lifespan of a machine can be lengthened.

 

Boosts The Efficiency of an Equipment

Costly equipment majorly has three phases in the life cycle, that is, new, middle-life and end–of–life. In every company, a machine is expected to work more efficiently in the first phase because there are low cases of errors unless a mistake was made during the installation period. In the middle life, the machine needs proper maintenance as it is expected to return value for investment. 

 

Tasks like repair, regular cleaning, lubricating, and many others are done in this stage. In the final phase, the efficiency of the machine depends on whether the equipment was maintained properly or not. A well-maintained machine will have a low rate of energy consumption, and even repair cost is low. Due to routine maintenance, a machine will be more efficient in all the phases.

 

Enhances Working Conditions and Safety of Workers

An organization's role in the maintenance of the workplace and the morale of the workers in doing their work is greatly correlated. Employees working in an organized place are likely to perform their duties perfectly compared to those in a disorganized workplace.

 

Naturally, working with any equipment that is not routinely maintained is more discouraging to the workers. It is always advisable to have routine maintenance of machines in an organization for the success of any organization. The benefit may not be noted immediately, but in the long run, it will be reflected.

 

For the safety of employees in a workplace, one needs to have the machines in good condition to avoid accidents. For example, an electric machine is likely to endanger the life of workers if not regularly checked.

 

Poor planning in the maintenance of equipment will result in failure in achieving the objectives of the firm, which no one will be happy about it.

 

Save Money

Whenever routine maintenance is done more frequently, the machines will work efficiently, and this will reduce the energy consumption rate and, in turn, lower the utility bills. This applies mostly when an air conditioner, heater, or any other equipment that uses power energy is installed. Apart from saving in utility bills, planned maintenance will also reduce the repair cost. 

 

Many times an organization end up spending hundreds of dollars in replacing necessary machinery parts, which was not expected. It is worse if the equipment has broken down completely and needs to be replaced, making the cost go up. This does not mean that there is no cost incurred in routine maintenance of equipment, but it's a bit cheaper compared to unexpected payments to technicians and the purchase of repair parts.

 

Limited Risk of Breakdowns

Another major benefit of routine maintenance is a lower risk of breakdowns, especially if preventive maintenance is practiced. There are rare cases, approximately less than 10 %, where a machine breaks down abruptly. This means that, through routine maintenance, some problems which can lead to the failure of the machine can be detected and prevented in advance. Machine breakdown can lead to a loss in the industry because a piece of new machinery should be purchased or hired.

When the directors of any organization schedule the maintenance of the equipment properly, there will be high chances of maximizing the profit.

Few Repairs Are Needed

Where the equipment is expensive, the repairs are mostly prevented through routine maintenance. This is advisable due to the high cost of purchasing spare parts of such equipment. Lubrication of movable parts of a machine will reduce the risk of wear and tear; hence no repair is needed. This also applies to regular inspection of machinery where a small problem is tracked and solved at the right moment. 

 

Final Words

Routine maintenance has a lot of benefits though some cannot be realized directly. It is referred to as one of the cheapest ways of improving maintenance since it is straightforward. Routine maintenance is a suitable way of saving on the repair cost, attracting customers, creating a conducive environment for the employees, and many others. 

 

Regardless of what kind of equipment you have, just try a bit of preventive maintenance and share your experience with friends and relatives. Let us focus on how to manage our assets through routine maintenance, and we will enjoy the fruits joyfully.