By Jim Fitch
Practicing Oil Analysis Magazine
Changing maintenance from reactive to planned activities is the goal of most compa-nies depending on safe and reliable machinery operation. However, successful change management demands a workable plan. The best plan is one with an eye for what lies ahead – a program that can pinpoint precise maintenance needs. The strategy is sometimes referred to as precision maintenance.
This is where oil analysis comes into play. When properly implemented, oil analysis can forecast maintenance needs before conventional maintenance scheduling. For example, oil analysis can assist outage (shutdown) management to efficiently direct maintenance resources where there is genuine need.