What kind of maintenance occurs after equipment failure?

Reactive maintenance is performed after equipment has failed or malfunctioned. This type of maintenance is necessary to restore the equipment to operational status and is often characterized by its unplanned nature, as it responds to an immediate need arising from the equipment's breakdown. In industries where equipment reliability is critical, reactive maintenance may lead to increased costs and downtime, prompting organizations to adopt more proactive maintenance strategies like preventive or condition-based maintenance.

Preventive maintenance, for example, is carried out regularly on equipment to reduce the likelihood of failure by addressing potential issues before they lead to breakdowns. Condition-based maintenance is performed based on the actual condition of the equipment, monitored through various diagnostic techniques, rather than at set intervals. Scheduled maintenance involves planned servicing or repairs at predetermined times, regardless of the equipment's condition.

In contrast, reactive maintenance is a response to events that have already occurred, making it distinctly different from the other types of maintenance focused on prevention and timely intervention.