What Is Prescriptive Maintenance?
Prescriptive Maintenance or RxM in short is a type of Preventive Maintenance (PM) strategy where the upcoming due dates of PM tasks are not predetermined. Instead PM Work Orders and PM Tasks are modified and rescheduled based on the recommendations made by subject matter experts, who have analyzed the current condition of the machine and the historical machine condition data collected automatically with the help of IoT-sensors. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can also be used to make recommendations and predict upcoming machine failures if there is enough collected data available for analysis.
Preventive RxM strategy is selected for critical operating fixed assets to prevent undesirable events from affecting the operational availability and quality, and the productivity of the company. Machine condition data is analyzed to make recommendations to reduce the risk of failure and extend the time to predicted upcoming machine failures and to schedule PM tasks before the predicted time of the upcoming failure will happen. The purpose is to reduce PM costs to minimum by avoiding maintaining machinery and equipment too often and never too late. Recommendations give instructions on how to adjust operations and maintenance activities and predictions give time for the planning of maintenance, repairs and overhauls that require a long maintenance downtime.
Preventive RxM strategy improves productivity by minimizing preventive maintenance costs by recommending more efficient and effective maintenance activities and by making sure operating fixed assets are running as long as possible before they are shut down for planned maintenance.
Productivity is the key for making money. The goal of all for-profit companies is to make money, and use it for asset replacements, improvements, or new investments to grow the company. Otherwise the money must be paid back to the owners or shareholders as dividends.
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