Industrial maintenance

The different types of maintenance in the process industry

1. Corrective maintenance: taking action after a breakdown

Corrective maintenance involves taking action once the equipment has failed. It can be:

• palliative, to ensure temporary restoration of operation;
• curative, for permanent repair.

While this approach remains unavoidable, it has significant limitations: unplanned shutdowns, high costs, impacts on production, and increased risks to plant safety.

👉 Today, it is more often endured than chosen.

2. Preventive maintenance: prevention according to a schedule

Preventive maintenance aims to reduce the likelihood of breakdowns by performing regular maintenance at intervals determined according to:

• time (calendar maintenance),
• the number of cycles,
• or the level of equipment usage.

This approach has made many industrial processes more reliable. However, it has one limitation: some interventions are carried out while the equipment is still in perfect condition.

👉 It has long been the industry standard.

3. Conditional maintenance: intervening based on actual condition

Conditional maintenance marks a key step in the evolution of practices. It is based on continuous or periodic monitoring of physical parameters such as:

• vibrations,
• the temperature,
• pressure,
• wear or corrosion.

Intervention decisions are made when thresholds are reached, reflecting the actual condition of the equipment.

👉 Maintenance then becomes driven by field data.

4. Predictive maintenance: anticipating failure

With predictive maintenance, the goal is no longer just to detect a problem, but to anticipate a failure before it occurs. It relies onobserving how machinesactually operate and on tools capable of anticipating breakdowns.

There are many benefits:

• reduction in unplanned downtime,
• optimization of interventions,
• improvement in the availability of facilities,
• enhancing security.

👉 We intervene at the right time, neither too early nor too late.

5. Prescriptive maintenance: recommending the best decision

The latest development, prescriptive maintenance, goes even further. It no longer simply anticipates a breakdown: it helps choose the best course of action by taking into account:

• production constraints,
• actually available resources,
• costs associated with the intervention,
• safety requirements.

It transforms maintenance into a genuine decision-making tool.

👉 Maintenance is becoming an integral part of industrial strategy.

New technologies for maintenance

The evolution of maintenance strategies is inseparable from technological advances. Today, manufacturers rely in particular on:

• smart, connected sensors,
• industrial data management platforms,
• advanced analysis and decision support tools,
• next-generation CMMS systems,
• solutions to assist with field operations.

These technologies make processes more reliable, secure critical facilities, and sustainably improve industrial performance.

Maintenance, a key factor in overall performance

In the process industry, maintenance is no longer limited to a cost-based approach. It contributes directly to:

• production continuity,
• the safety of people and facilities,
• energy consumption control,
• the durability of equipment.

It is now at the heart of industrial strategies.

AMEG Group support

Beyond technological choices, the success of a maintenance strategy depends above all on its adoption by field teams.

AMEG Group supports manufacturers by translating maintenance challenges into concrete, operational solutions: audits of existing practices, analysis of equipment and failure modes, definition of strategies tailored to each type of maintenance.
The teams also design clear, structured, and secure support materials for machine operators, operators, and maintenance experts. These materials are tailored to each individual's level of authorization, ensuring that everyone has the information and instructions relevant to their scope of action. This differentiated approach makes interventions more reliable, standardizes practices, and secures installations, while transforming maintenance into a real lever for sustainable performance.