Industrial and process plants typically utilize two types of maintenance management:

(1) Run-to-failure, or (2) Preventive maintenance.

Run-to-Failure Management
The logic of run-to-failure management is simple and straightforward. When a machine breaks, fix it. This ‘‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’’ method of maintaining plant machinery has been a major part of plant maintenance operations since the first manufacturing plant was built, and on the surface sounds reasonable. A plant using run-to-failure management does not spend any money on maintenance until a machine or system fails to operate. Run-to-failure is a reactive
management technique that waits for machine or equipment failure before any maintenance action is taken. It is in truth a no-maintenance approach of management. It is also the most expensive method of maintenance management.

Few plants use a true run-to-failure management philosophy. In almost all instances, plants perform basic preventive tasks (i.e., lubrication, machine adjustments, and other adjustments) even in a run-to-failure environment. However,
in this type of management, machines and other plant equipment are not rebuilt nor are any major repairs made until the equipment fails to operate. The major expenses associated with this type of maintenance management are:

(1) high spare parts inventory cost
(2) high overtime labor costs
(3) high machine downtime and
(4) low production availability.

Since there is no attempt to anticipate maintenance requirements, a plant that uses true run-to-failure management
must be able to react to all possible failures within the plant. This reactive method of management forces the maintenance department to maintain extensive spare parts inventories that include spare machine