The Fundamentals of Preventive Maintenance: The First Step Towards Reliability

In this article, I want to explain the fundamentals of Preventive Maintenance (PM), one of the key strategies in maintenance management .

The most general answer to the question " What is preventive maintenance? " is that it's the most fundamental maintenance strategy that avoids the reaction, " Where did this malfunction come from?! "

To measure a business's maintenance performance, the following question is typically asked:

"Do you perform scheduled maintenance?"

If the person continuing the conversation is an expert on the subject, they might go a step further and ask the following question:

"What percentage of your scheduled maintenance do you actually perform?"

At this point, the picture usually becomes clear. However, when we look at the literature, the situation is not that simple.

We see that this is not the case. In resources describing maintenance strategies, Preventive Maintenance is listed as the main heading in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) guidelines , and other types of maintenance are classified under this heading.

I, however, want to approach this structure in a slightly different way, focusing on four main elements:

Four Elements of Preventive Care

1. Periodic Maintenance

2. Meter-Based Maintenance

3. Predictive Maintenance

4. Prescriptive Maintenance

1. Periodic Maintenance

Periodic maintenance can also be defined as time-based maintenance . In this method, maintenance activities are prepared taking into account plans included in equipment manufacturer manuals, historical maintenance data, or MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) values.

Planning is entirely time-cycle-based — repeated within an annual cycle with weekly, monthly, or quarterly periods.

Advantage: It is easy to prepare and requires no additional equipment. It can be implemented with a simple Excel spreadsheet.

Disadvantage: If a plan is created without a risk-based equipment analysis, unnecessary maintenance activities may increase. This strains workforce capacity and reduces team motivation.

2. Measurement-Based Maintenance

Measurement-based maintenance is a more advanced method than periodic maintenance. In this approach, maintenance activities are planned according to specific measurement criteria of the equipment .

Measuring devices such as hour meters, odometers, or pressure gauges are used. The initial cost is low, and the system is internally consistent. However, it may be limited in the medium and long term; it is not sufficient on its own, especially in complex systems.

3. Predictive Maintenance

Predictive care can be described, without exaggeration, as the " Golden Boy of Care ." This strategy is one of the most effective methods for reducing unnecessary preventative care.

Data obtained through sensors that measure machine condition detects non-compliant situations, and the system can automatically generate work orders. This allows maintenance organizations to achieve significant savings in time, labor, and cost .

And if you're still spending most of your time on reactive methods like incidental maintenance, it's time to develop your preventive maintenance strategy.

4. Prescriptive Maintenance

While it's difficult to give a precise translation of Prescriptive Maintenance, we can define this concept as Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based Maintenance .

In this method, decisions are also data-driven; however, the software used here has the ability to learn and interpret . This means the system continuously improves itself by analyzing past data and guides you to the optimal maintenance point.

Intelligent algorithms evaluate production conditions along with machine condition data. This prevents unnecessary maintenance and eliminates the risk of emergencies.

For example, you planned to replace the heating element of your packaging machine in a month. However, during that time, the machine did not produce anything for a week. The software analyzes this situation, assesses its impact on the risk of failure, and automatically postpones the maintenance time accordingly.

At the heart of Preventive Maintenance lies the goal of reducing unplanned downtime and using resources most efficiently. Choosing the right strategy not only lowers maintenance costs but also strengthens the sustainability of the business.