Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) is a preventive maintenance strategy that performs maintenance on an asset after monitoring its actual condition. The CBM team extracts data like vibration, temperature, or flow rate of the equipment to understand the health of the asset, and then develops an optimized maintenance frequency. These are specific indicators whose variation from the standard value indicates decreased performance or an upcoming failure.
CBM employs real equipment condition data, ensuring that the maintenance is carried out only when required. This improves reliability and reduces unnecessary maintenance work.
This article explains the features & benefits of condition-based maintenance (CBM) and why it is a better choice of industrial maintenance practices in Oman.
Condition-Based Maintenance V/S Other Maintenance Strategies
Modern industrial facilities use different maintenance strategies to ensure the reliability and performance of the equipment. Conventional equipment maintenance methods include reactive maintenance, time-based maintenance (TBM), predictive maintenance, preventive maintenance, and CBM.
The objective of each strategy is to reduce equipment failure, but their effectiveness varies depending on how the maintenance decisions are made.
- Reactive maintenance is the oldest maintenance strategy that follows the run-to-failure approach. Here, maintenance is performed only after the equipment breaks down. This resulted in unexpected downtime, production losses, high repair cost and safety risks.
- Time-based maintenance (TBM) is carried out at fixed intervals of time, regardless of the actual condition of the equipment. TBM leads to unnecessary servicing or premature component replacement. It is a pre-set proactive maintenance strategy.
- Predictive maintenance (PdM) is an advanced approach where tools, sensors, and analytical techniques are used to predict when an equipment failure is likely to occur. Here, the maintenance is planned before the fault becomes critical. However, predictive maintenance requires advanced analytics, specialized software, and higher implementation costs.
- Preventive maintenance (PM) strategy focuses on equipment servicing, inspection, or replacement activities before failure occurs, based on a planned schedule or predefined criteria.
- Condition-based maintenance (CBM) takes preventive maintenance one step further. CBM follows the objective of PM to prevent failure. But instead of time schedules or predefined criteria, maintenance is performed based on the actual condition of the equipment.
Compared to other maintenance strategies, CBM
- Eliminates the need for unnecessary scheduled maintenance
- Reduce unexpected equipment failure
- Optimizes maintenance resources
- Minimize downtime and operational cost
- Extends equipment or asset life
CBM vs Predictive Maintenance
| Aspect | Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) | Predictive Maintenance (PdM) |
| Use Case | Monitors current equipment condition. | Predicts future equipment failure. |
| Uses sensors and inspections. | Uses analytics and prediction models. | |
| Maintenance is done when the condition worsens. | Maintenance is planned before failure occurs. | |
| Data Utilization | Uses real-time or periodic data. | Uses real-time and historical data. |
| Focuses on the present equipment health. | Analyses trends and patterns. | |
| Simple condition monitoring data is enough. | Requires large datasets and algorithms. | |
| Maintenance Trigger | Triggered when limits or thresholds are exceeded. | Triggered by failure prediction results. |
| Example: High vibration level detected. | Example: Failure predicted in the coming weeks. | |
| Responds to detected deterioration. | Responds to predicted deterioration. | |
| Time Efficiency | Avoids unnecessary scheduled maintenance. | Prevents failures well in advance. |
| Maintenance occurs only when needed. | Maintenance timing is optimized earlier. | |
| Cost Efficiency | Reduces routine maintenance cost. | Reduces downtime and major repair costs. |
| Lower implementation cost. | Higher initial setup cost. | |
| Technology Requirement | Moderate monitoring technology. | Advanced analytics or AI tools required. |
| Maintenance Approach | Condition-driven maintenance. | Prediction-driven maintenance. |
How Is Condition-Based Maintenance Data Collected?
In condition-based maintenance (CBM), data is collected by continuously or periodically monitoring the equipment’s operating conditions using sensors and inspection techniques.
CBM uses the following tools for data collection:
- Sensor-Based Monitoring: Sensors on the equipment can measure parameters like vibration, temperature, pressure, and speed in real time.
- Portable Inspection Devices: Handheld tools can be used to do periodic checks, such as vibration, thermal, or ultrasonic inspections.
- Online Monitoring Systems: Data is collected by permanently installed sensors connected to the monitoring software. The data is automatically transmitted to a central platform for remote monitoring.
- Control System Integration: Operational data is collected from SCADA, PLC, or automation systems.
- Manual Inspection: The technicians record visual observations like leaks, noise, or overheating in the equipment.
- Data Storage and Analysis Platforms: The collected data is stored and analyzed using CMMS or monitoring software
Types of Condition-Based Monitoring
CBM employs different monitoring techniques to detect early equipment faults, reduce downtime, and improve asset reliability. The most common CBM monitoring methods are:
1. Temperature Monitoring
The temperature monitoring technique in CBM tracks abnormal heat rise in equipment to detect friction, electrical faults, leaks, or poor lubrication. Early temperature changes help to prevent excessive overheating of the equipment.
2. Thermography Inspection
Infrared thermography inspection facilitates CBM by identifying hotspots, insulation defects, moisture, and electrical problems in the equipment.
3. Vibration Monitoring
Vibration analysis measures vibration changes in rotating equipment such as motors and pumps. It helps detect imbalance, looseness, misalignment, and bearing wear at an early stage.
4. Oil Analysis
Oil analysis studies the condition of the lubricant, such as the presence of contamination, metal particles, and internal wear. Here, the machine degradation is detected at an early stage before any mechanical failure occurs.
5. Ultrasound Analysis
Compressed air leaks and internal defects in equipment are detected using ultrasound analysis.
6. Electrical Analysis
In electrical analysis, voltage, current, and power consumption variations are monitored. This helps to identify the wiring faults, the load imbalance, and the electrical equipment issues.
Why Perform Maintenance Based on Condition?
A maintenance strategy based on the condition is chosen over other types because of the significant savings in time, cost, and maintenance resources. In addition, it prevents failures and maximises the uptime.
The key benefits offered by CBM are the main reason why it is highly preferred in the modern maintenance industry:
- CBM reduces labor and maintenance costs
- CBM helps to achieve fewer failures and shutdowns
- CBM provides safe working conditions
- CBM increases the equipment reliability
- CBM improves the maintenance KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
- CBM reduces spending on spare parts
These achievements are factors that drive production and improve operations throughout an industrial plant.
Key Steps to Adopting Condition-Based Monitoring (CBM)
- Planning: In the planning stage, the maintenance goals are defined, and the critical equipment that requires maintenance is identified. We later establish the baseline performance data and select suitable condition parameters to track. For example, vibration, temperature, pressure, etc.
- Implementation: After planning, sensors and monitoring systems are installed on the selected equipment. A trained personnel member integrates the monitoring tools like SCADA, PLC, or CMMS with the existing maintenance systems.
- Monitoring: During the monitoring stage, the real-time or periodic data from the equipment is collected. The personnel continuously monitor the performance parameters to detect any abnormal conditions.
- Analysis: The data collected is analysed to identify trends, deviations, or early faulty signs. This data is compared with the baseline values to determine the equipment health.
- Improvement: Based on the analysis results and operational feedback, the maintenance practices can be updated. Continuously refine the monitoring limits and the maintenance strategies to improve equipment reliability.
Goals and Benefits of Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
The main goals of condition-based maintenance (CBM):
- To detect equipment problems before failure occurs
- To improve asset reliability and operational efficiency
- To reduce maintenance overhead and operating costs
- To extend equipment service life
- To ensure continuous and safe production operations
Benefits of CBM are:
- Early failure detection
- Reduce maintenance cost
- Minimise downtime
- Improved workplace safety
- Higher equipment reliability
- Better production and performance
- Optimised asset performance
Condition-Based Maintenance in Oman with OceanMe
OceanMe provides professional Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) services in Oman to help industries monitor equipment health and prevent unexpected failures. Using advanced techniques such as vibration analysis, thermography, ultrasound testing, laser alignment, and machinery diagnostics, OceanMe enables early fault detection and improved asset reliability.
Their data-driven maintenance approach helps organizations reduce downtime, optimize maintenance costs, and extend equipment life across critical industrial operations.
Improve equipment reliability and minimize operational risks with expert condition monitoring and machinery diagnostic services from OceanMe.
Contact OceanMe today to implement smarter, condition-based maintenance for your facility.
FAQs
Which is an example of condition-based maintenance?
An example of condition-based maintenance is monitoring motor vibration levels of equipment using sensors. Here, we perform maintenance only when abnormal vibration indicates bearing wear or misalignment. Maintenance is triggered by equipment condition rather than a fixed schedule.
What is the condition-based maintenance process?
The condition-based maintenance (CBM) process involves planning, implementation, monitoring, analysis, and improvement. Equipment condition is monitored using sensors, data is analysed to detect early faults, and maintenance actions are performed only when performance deterioration is identified.
What are the 4 types of maintenance?
The four main maintenance strategies are:
- Reactive Maintenance
- Preventive Maintenance (PM)
- Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
- Predictive Maintenance (PdM)
What is the principle of CBM?
The principle of CBM is to monitor the actual health and performance of equipment and perform maintenance only when condition indicators show signs of degradation. This helps prevent failures while avoiding unnecessary maintenance activities.