Learning Center Asset Monitoring Industry 4.0 vs Industry 3.0: A Comparative Journey of Industrial Evolution Industry 4.0 vs Industry 3.0 Industries have undergone transformative phases over the years, each marked
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What is Reactive Maintenance?
Reactive Maintenance
Reactive maintenance, often known as “breakdown maintenance” or “run-to-failure maintenance,” refers to the process of repairing equipment or machinery only after it has broken down or failed. This type of maintenance approach waits until a problem occurs before any action is taken, rather than performing regular preventive or predictive maintenance to prevent issues from arising.
What is the Purpose of Reactive Maintenance?
The purpose of reactive maintenance is to address equipment and machinery failures as they occur, ensuring that operations can be resumed as quickly as possible. While it may not be the most efficient or cost-effective maintenance strategy in the long run, reactive maintenance has its own set of purposes and benefits:
- Cost Management: For non-critical equipment, reactive maintenance can reduce upfront costs associated with regular maintenance schedules and inspections.
- Simplicity: It requires less planning and fewer resources compared to preventive or predictive maintenance strategies.
- Immediate Response: Ensures that immediate actions are taken to repair equipment, minimizing prolonged downtime.
- Resource Allocation: Allows organizations to allocate maintenance resources to other areas until a failure occurs.
- Utilization of Equipment: Maximizes the use of equipment until it fails, which can be efficient for equipment with a low risk of critical failure.
- Focus on Critical Assets: Organizations can focus their preventive or predictive maintenance efforts on more critical assets, using reactive maintenance for less critical ones.
Difference between Reactive and Corrective Maintenance
Reactive maintenance and corrective maintenance are both approaches to fixing equipment when problems arise, but they have distinct characteristics and purposes. Here are the key differences between the two:
Feature | Reactive Maintenance | Corrective Maintenance |
Timing | Occurs after a breakdown or failure | Occurs after a problem is identified, but before a breakdown |
Proactivity | Completely reactive | Somewhat proactive |
Focus | Fixing the immediate problem | Addressing the root cause of the problem |
Cost | Often higher due to unexpected downtime and potential damage | Lower than reactive maintenance due to preventing major issues |
Efficiency | Lower efficiency due to unplanned work | Higher efficiency due to planned work |
Impact on operations | Significant disruption to operations | Minimal disruption to operations |
Example | Repairing a broken machine after it stops working | Replacing worn-out parts before they fail |
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