Condition-Based Maintenance: Define the Decision Before Choosing Sensors
Industry Operations Note 2 of 6: condition-based maintenance
Before starting condition-based maintenance, define who will make each maintenance decision when a signal changes. Without that decision process, collected data is difficult to apply to maintenance.
Condition-based maintenance does not suit every asset. Run-to-failure maintenance is appropriate for some assets, while scheduled preventive work is more reliable for others. Condition-based maintenance justifies its cost only where changes can be observed before failure and used to adjust inspection or maintenance decisions.
Choosing a maintenance strategy
| Maintenance strategy | What starts the decision | Where it can fit |
|---|---|---|
| Run to failure | The failure itself | Assets with limited consequences and straightforward recovery |
| Time-based preventive maintenance | Time, operating history, or a planned interval | Assets with a useful established schedule |
| Condition-based maintenance | A change from the operating baseline | Assets where a precursor can lead to a meaningful inspection |
If a signal cannot be collected reliably, or the team has no practical action after an alert, an established preventive schedule may remain the better choice. Most plants end up with a mix, set by asset importance, failure consequences, and maintenance capability.
Figure 1. Maintenance strategies differ by the event that starts a decision, not by a universal ranking.
Start from a maintenance question
Choose a first asset with clear actions for a change in condition. Specify whether the team will move an inspection earlier, prepare particular parts and work, or review whether continued operation is acceptable.
Select acoustic, vibration, temperature, or electrical data that supports the decision. Prioritize reliable collection of the signals the team can use over collecting more data.
The baseline includes operating context
A baseline is not one value labeled normal. The same machine produces different signals under different operating conditions, so store when the data was collected, what the machine was doing, and whether maintenance or process changes had occurred.
Adjust alert criteria against field findings. Record which changes led to useful inspections, and recheck the baseline after a sensor move, a repair, or a material operating change.
Alert review and response ownership
To use alerts in maintenance, define who reviews them, what starts a field inspection, and where results are recorded. Safety-critical stop decisions must follow established safety procedures and authority; a single sensor alert cannot make them automatically.
Link each field result to its signal. Record whether it was a real anomaly, operating change, or false alarm, then use the findings to adjust alert criteria.
When considering a collection and alerting tool such as XyloZero facility monitoring, define maintenance criteria first. The tool can supply acoustic, vibration, and environmental data to an existing control setup. Decide which condition changes require action, which signals support that decision, and who responds before choosing sensors.