What is the primary purpose of interval-based maintenance?

The primary purpose of interval-based maintenance is to address age-related faults on components. This approach focuses on performing maintenance activities at predetermined intervals, typically based on time or usage metrics, to ensure that any wear and tear or degradation occurring due to age is managed effectively. By regularly maintaining equipment and components, organizations can prevent age-related failures, which are common as equipment approaches the end of its predicted useful life. This strategy is essential in maintaining operational reliability and prolonging the lifespan of assets.

Interval-based maintenance provides a systematic way to assess and remediate issues that arise from the aging of components before they lead to significant failures or downtime. This is different from managing costs, minimizing idle time, or optimizing spare parts usage, which, while important, do not directly focus on the age-related deterioration of equipment. The focus on regularly scheduled maintenance helps mitigate risks associated with unexpected equipment failure considered symptomatic of aging.