Precision maintenance

What is precision maintenance?

Precision maintenance is a method of performing maintenance tasks so they are always done with consistency, accuracy, and in line with industry best practices. This strategy encourages attention to detail, efficiency, and safety through training, standard processes, and data.

Requirements for precision maintenance

There are a few key ingredients that maintenance teams need to establish a successful precision maintenance program:

Employees must be given the skills and training to perform maintenance tasks quickly and without error.
Technicians must have access to tools and equipment that are calibrated, and they must be able to use them correctly.
The materials used in maintenance, such as lubricants, tools, or spare parts, must be of the highest quality, and they must be stored so that they are free from contamination.
There should be an established plan or workflow that employees can easily follow.
All information about an asset, including its past work history, ideal condition, diagrams, and manuals, should be easily accessible.
All maintenance tasks and procedures should be well-documented and tested regularly.
Organizations should have an existing preventive or predictive maintenance plan in place.
Precision maintenance is built upon established practices, such as a preventive maintenance program or asset management policy, and must lead to continuous maintenance improvements.

Examples of precision maintenance

Because precision maintenance involves creating a culture of accuracy across an organization, there are many ways in which it can be applied. Here are five main examples of precision maintenance in the day-to-day operation of a maintenance team:

Training: Maintenance personnel are fully trained and certified for the tasks they do, the tools they use, and the safety procedures associated with the assets the handle.
Planning maintenance: All elements of a planned maintenance task are standardized, and well-defined, including instructions, time and parts requirements, safety needs, and priority level.
Conducting maintenance: Assembly, installation, and repair of equipment is completed at the frequency that is best for an asset’s health and according to established guidelines built from best practices.
Inventory management: Inventory, including tools, spare parts, and lubricants, are high-quality, easy to find, stored appropriately, and free of contamination.
Measuring maintenance: KPIs are established based on industry benchmarks and are tracked using careful measurements of equipment performance. Performance is analyzed to identify areas of opportunity for improvement.

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The benefits of precision maintenance

Fostering a culture of precision maintenance at your facility can have a huge impact on the organization as a whole:

Precision maintenance makes it easier for technicians to follow precise standards for maintaining machinery and equipment to reduce downtime.
Precision maintenance leads to assets that run more efficiently, keeping equipment working longer and more effectively.
Precision maintenance results in lower costs for labour, parts, and downtime.
Precision maintenance improves organizational productivity and boosts efficiency as a result.
A successful implementation of a precision maintenance program is an important part of establishing a total productive maintenance strategy at an organization, ensuring everyone at a facility has a hand in improving maintenance.

The impact of precision maintenance from the shop floor to the top floor

Precision maintenance typically takes years to achieve, but the benefits are worth the wait as it plays a key role in reducing downtime, increasing production, boosting efficiency, and reducing costs. By training employees to perform required maintenance tasks quickly and efficiently, and undertaking regular assessments of maintenance, companies will see the benefits of precision maintenance. Organizations that are able to build a culture of precision maintenance will reap the rewards of a healthier bottom line, a safer workplace, and more productivity throughout the facility.