What process is used to monitor equipment parameters to detect faults before failure?

Condition-based Monitoring (CBM) is the process that involves continuously monitoring equipment parameters to detect faults before they lead to failure. This approach utilizes real-time data collected from sensors and diagnostic tools to assess the operational condition of equipment. By analyzing this information, maintenance teams can identify unusual patterns or trends that may indicate potential problems.

The key advantage of CBM is its proactive nature; it allows for maintenance activities to be planned and executed based on the actual condition of the equipment rather than on a predefined schedule. This helps in reducing unplanned downtimes and can lead to significant cost savings, as intervention is only performed when necessary, rather than at fixed intervals regardless of the equipment's actual state.

In contrast to other maintenance strategies like preventive maintenance, which focuses on scheduled interventions, or reactive maintenance, which addresses issues after they have caused failures, CBM offers a more efficient and effective strategy tailored to the specific conditions of the machinery involved.