Proactive Reliability Maintenance (PRM) is an asset efficiency process that enables continuous improvement of maintenance strategy and machine performance.
Most traditional forms of predictive maintenance will form a sustained maintenance loop, where as the SKF Proactive Reliability Maintenance (PRM™) process forms a continuous improvement loop. Each of the following four ‘steps’ builds on one another to prevent repetitive failures or problems from recurring.
Step 1: Establish a predictive system
The first step is to design a Predictive Maintenance (PdM) system specifically for your plant, based on information provided via an SKF assessment which enables us to understand the parameters that affect your plant and equipment effectiveness.
The PdM system includes activities such as:
- Vibration analysis and bearing monitoring
- Thermography
- Lubrication analysis
The Proactive Reliability Maintenance process may also highlight the need for additional activities during maintenance, such as geometric alignment, precision balancing, lubrication, filtration and sealing improvement.
Step 2: Diagnostics and root cause analysis
SKF Reliability Systems engineers will diagnose the root cause of problems and determine corrective maintenance actions, such as machine realignment, changing the lubricant, or replacing a damaged component.
Detailed machine diagnostics can be conducted on site, or at a centralised SKF remote diagnostics centre using SKF CoMo-Link. Physical analysis on the damaged components may also be required to determine the root cause of the failure. This information is used to prevent the same type of failure from recurring.
Step 3: Key Performance Indicators to measure improvement
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are performance improvement targets established jointly between SKF and you. They may cover a wide range of factors, from bearing performance to plant availability. Where possible, once a KPI is achieved, a new target is set to facilitate continuous improvement.
Step 4: Management review process
Periodic review of the improvement programme is important to monitor KPI achievement. Results are documented and presented at performance review meetings. Operational review meetings are held to continually refine the PRM process to achieve the best balance of plant asset performance with the PRM process activity cost.
How your plant will benefit
Implementation of well managed Proactive Reliability Maintenance process will ensure the best possible return on plant assets by managing potential risk. SKF Reliability Systems can guide you in establishing your own PRM process - or design, implement and manage the process for you. This can apply to your entire plant or any sector of it. A full management programme will include all the hardware, software and the technical resources needed to ensure measurable improvements. |
