Detective Maintenance: What is it and why is it important?

What is Detective Maintenance?

Detective Maintenance (also known as failure-finding maintenance) is a type of maintenance that aims to identify failures or anomalies in equipment before they result in major failures or compromise equipment operation.

This type of maintenance involves the use of specific techniques and tools to monitor and inspect equipment continuously or periodically, detecting signs of wear, malfunctions, or any other indicator of potential problems.

Therefore, the purpose of Detective Maintenance is to improve the detection of almost imperceptible failures of small dimensions, but if not treated, it can generate catastrophic consequences.

How is detective maintenance performed?

Now that you know the meaning of detective maintenance, you may be wondering how detective maintenance is done. A well-known and useful tool is Tests for Fault Detection. With this test, you will be able to check for possible failures that can delay your production and disrupt the reliability of your equipment.

Tests that can be performed, for example:

1. Oil and gas leak test;
2. Supervisory control test;
3. Smoke detector test, among others.

When to apply detective maintenance?

This type of maintenance applies under two conditions:

1. The equipment has already indicated signs of deterioration, but is still in operation (Scheduled Corrective Maintenance)
2. The equipment downtime due to the failure presented (Unscheduled Corrective Maintenance)

That is, if there is a failure, the equipment will undergo tests to confirm the failure so that it can be repaired or replaced.

For successful Detective Maintenance, you need skilled labor. Experienced and attentive professionals will be able to detect these small failings.

Detective Maintenance vs. Preventive Maintenance

A great ally of Detective Maintenance is Preventive Maintenance. Preventive maintenance is done by collecting data and thus making decisions. Detective maintenance, on the other hand, certifies that the equipment is working correctly, ensuring accuracy in data collection.

Let’s take as an example a periodic plan for lubricating machines. When programming a lubrication, we can list some procedures as follows:

1. Blow and lubricate scissors
2. Lubricate passing spindles
3. Lubricate the opening wing
4. Lubricate chains
5. Adjust Connecting Rod Clearance
6. Topping up the oil of spindle reducers, etc.

In procedures such as those mentioned above, you can easily apply tests and detect:

1. Wear and tear of a part
2. Accumulation of grease or debris can be a warning sign
3. Slack in bolts and nuts
4. Disconnected wires
5. High noise and so on…

Once the failure is identified, the best action is programmed to solve the problem, which will often have very simple actions since we are talking about almost imperceptible problems.

One of the actions that will be overseen by the person responsible for the Maintenance Planning and Control department will be to schedule Planned Corrective Maintenance, for example. But beware: do not underestimate these small failures, as their recurrence can bring numerous financial losses and a lot of headaches.

Therefore, if well applied, Detective Maintenance will add a lot of value to your management.

Detective Maintenance advantages

Let’s look at some advantages that we can highlight about Detective Maintenance:

1. Increased Reliability: Improves equipment reliability, as faults can be identified and corrected before they cause outages.
2. The Maintenance Planning and Control department will be able to perform more and more of its work with excellence. Because good maintenance management is essential, it is essential to avoid unscheduled maintenance at all costs. And if there were a Detective Maintenance, an unscheduled equipment stop would certainly be avoided.
3. Cost Reduction: Reduces emergency maintenance costs and losses associated with unplanned downtime. Since unwanted Unscheduled Corrective Maintenance was avoided, we have had cost reductions by not stopping production, by not consuming excess materials, by not displacing employees.

Maintenance Software in Detective Maintenance

The use of technology can bring good benefits to any company, as it allows for complete and effective data management, which facilitates management. To do this, perform a plan, follow some steps to obtain excellent results:

1. Define which assets and equipment will be monitored
2. Create the routine of procedures, applying Tests for Failure Detection
3. Create a segment of the functions that will be performed by those responsible for monitoring
4. Analyze and create routes for strategic planning
5. Create an action plan to correct failures
6. Document important information and decision-making
7. Involve the entire maintenance team in the process

To perform planning as exemplified above, it is necessary to have software that is totally focused on maintenance. Request a free demo with our experts and see the tools that Engeman® has that can help you control Detective, Preventive, Predictive Maintenance, and others.