Maintenance Matters Plant & Asset Management 16 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk April/May 2024 The role of condition-based maintenance in the food and beverage industry Tom Cash* explains how the role of condition-based maintenance (CBM) helps maintenance engineers recognise gross defects before catastrophe strikes. Food processing plants typically run their equipment for 16 to 20 hours a day, yet a Forbes report claims that manufacturers face an average of 15 hours downtime per week. This translates into increased operation costs and disruptions in the supply chain, causing delays in deliveries. CBM is a strategy that monitors the actual condition of an asset to decide what maintenance needs to be done. Using sensors, this strategy dictates that maintenance should only be performed when specific indicators show decreasing performance or upcoming failure. Checking a machine for these indicators include non-invasive measurements, visual inspection, performance data and scheduled tests. Condition data can then be gathered at specific intervals or continuously, as is done when a machine has internal sensors. Simply put, the primary goal of CBM is to optimise equipment maintenance practices by monitoring real-time data and responding to the actual condition of assets. It aims to prevent unplanned downtime, reduce maintenance costs and extend equipment lifespan by conducting maintenance activities only when necessary. Better than predictive maintenance? Although similar, CBM differs from predictive maintenance in its approach. Yes, both strategies involve real-time data and analytics, but CBM is a broader concept that covers various maintenance strategies driven by equipment condition. Predictive maintenance, on the other hand, specifically relies on data analysis and machine learning to predict when equipment failures are likely to occur. As the name suggests, this method focuses on predicting when equipment failures might occur, with the aim to preemptively address issues. That’s not to say that CBM can’t include predictive maintenance as one of its components. However, it encompasses other techniques, such as preventive and corrective maintenance, based on observed conditions. Therefore, the question food maintenance engineers should ask is, what strategy best suits your requirements? For instance, CBM is suitable for equipment impacted by variations in operating conditions, like temperature, pressure or flow rates, as continuous monitoring ensures consistent product quality. Whereas predictive maintenance is valuable for predicting failures in equipment critical to
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