Understanding Unplanned Maintenance in Asset Management

Unplanned Maintenance Explained

Unplanned Maintenance refers to maintenance activities performed in response to unexpected incidents or events. Unlike Scheduled maintenance, which occurs at predetermined intervals, Unplanned maintenance is typically reactive or corrective in nature.

In the realm of asset management, Unplanned Maintenance comes into play when there is an unexpected breakdown or failure of physical assets. This type of maintenance, also known as corrective or reactive maintenance, is carried out to swiftly address and resolve issues, ensuring the prompt return of the asset to operational status.

Few examples of Unplanned Failure and requirement Maintenance activity

1. Aviation Industry: Unexpected Engine Failure of aircraft can lead to cancellation of flight and loss of revenue. Unplanned maintenance is required immediately to resolve the engine malfunction and proceed with further flight schedules.
2. Facility Management: Failure in the HVAC system can cause disruptions to the occupants and require urgent repair of the HVAC unit.
3. Powerplant: Sudden malfunction in the critical turbine requires immediate repair which would cause potential power outage.

When is Unplanned Maintenance Necessary?

Unplanned maintenance becomes necessary when unexpected failures occur, disrupting the organization's operations, potentially causing asset downtime, and increasing overall maintenance costs. Frequent or increased instances of Unplanned maintenance pose a threat to an organization, leading to elevated maintenance costs and reduced productivity. Organization should focus on keeping the unplanned maintenance rate below 15% and keep the PPF (Planned Maintenance Percentage) of the organization above 85%. This would help the organization in reducing the downtime of the assets and increase productivity.

Causes of Unplanned Failures

Unplanned failures can be attributed to various factors, including:-

1. Aging of Assets
2. Poor Asset Quality
3. Improper Maintenance, Repair, or Replacement Schedules
4. Lack of Real-Time or Condition Monitoring
5. Lack of Predictive Maintenance
6. Environmental Conditions
7. Operational Stress
8. Natural Disasters
9. Human Errors

Impact of Unplanned Maintenance

Frequent Unplanned maintenance can create a huge impact on the organization. Below are the key impacts:-

1. Increased Downtime and cost of downtime
2. Reduction in Overall productivity
3. Elevated Maintenance Cost
4. Disruption in planned maintenance
5. Reduction in Asset Life Span
6. Impact in resource allocation
7. Losing Customer satisfaction
8. Losing the competitive edge

Preventing Unplanned Failures: Best Practices

To mitigate the occurrence of Unplanned Failures and reduce the frequency of Unplanned Maintenance, consider the following best practices:-

1. Implement a comprehensive preventive maintenance schedule.
2. Utilize Condition Monitoring Techniques, such as Vibration Analysis and Temperature Analysis.
3. Implement condition monitoring to assess the asset health using sensors and IoT devices.
4. Adopt a Reliability-Centered Maintenance approach.
5. Conduct thorough root cause analyses to address underlying issues.
6. Provide proper training and skill development to minimize human errors.

Leveraging AI to reduce the Unplanned Downtime

1. Predictive Analytics: AI algorithms play a crucial role in evaluating the operational performance of assets by analyzing sensor readings and comparing them with historical data to forecast potential failures. This facilitates the scheduling of maintenance activities during planned downtime.
2. Condition Monitoring: AI-enabled condition monitoring techniques continuously observe asset performance and readings. They promptly generate alerts or initiate maintenance activities if any deviation from established standards is detected.
3. Machine Learning: ML models, trained on historical data and failure patterns, can analyze performance patterns. These models trigger corrective actions or alerts when current performance patterns resemble historical failure patterns.
4. Prescriptive Maintenance: AI-powered systems analyze operational data to offer recommendations for maintenance tasks, enhancing the ability to make informed decisions about necessary actions.
5. Digital Twin: A virtual replica of the asset and its data standards, digital twin technology allows AI-powered systems to compare real-time asset operational data with the digital twin. Alerts are triggered when maintenance is deemed necessary.
6. Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics: AI-powered sensors and equipment facilitate real-time monitoring of asset performance from a central location. This enables remote diagnosis without the need for on-site inspections, effectively reducing downtime and manual inspections on assets.

By incorporating these best practices, organizations can proactively manage their assets, minimize unexpected failures, and optimize maintenance processes, ultimately leading to improved operational efficiency and reduced costs.

Author: 

Jawahar Jothilingam

Product Specialist - EAM360