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STARrinks.com by JERRY STOCK 28 R INK MAGAZ INE november/december 2009 n equipment breakdown usually happens at the most inopportune time. By putting together a proactive/predictive maintenance schedule, in conjunction with your normal preventative mainte- nance program, you can predict the con- dition of your equipment and have another "tool-in-your-pouch" to make your maintenance life a little easier. Being proactive can: 1. Eliminate machinery breakdowns. 2. Anticipate and plan for maintenance needs. 3. Provide for "just-in-time" mainte- nance repairs. 4. Determine the root cause or source of failures. 5. Provide a proactive, not reactive, service. 6. Reduce maintenance costs by elimi- nating catastrophic failures. 7. Increase machinery life. 8. Organize maintenance planning. In addition to your preventative main- tenance program, there are also a number of predictive technologies that can assist and enhance your periodic maintenance program to support the list above. All of these technologies are a means to detect the onset of problems within the machinery and assist with determining the cause and severity of problem. This will provide knowledge of the condition of the equipment based on fact rather than a "feeling" and allow you to identify and schedule corrective measures or repairs at a convenient time before they become cata- strophic, expensive repairs. Preventative Maintenance History In the early days, equipment mainte- nance was conducted only when equip- ment actually failed. The work was more "fix it" than maintenance. After that came the recognition that performing regular scheduled maintenance and repair tasks on equipment could keep equipment operat- ing longer between failures. This became known as preventative maintenance, or calendar-based maintenance. The goal was A VIBRATIONS Cool Assessing the Condition of Your Equipment Using Technology

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