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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Maintenance and Reliability

Preventive maintenance

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

nounCore term

In mechanical engineering, preventive maintenance means: Maintenance done at planned intervals, such as lubricating, inspecting and replacing worn parts, to stop equipment from breaking down unexpectedly.

In Turkish: önleyici bakım, koruyucu bakım, periyodik bakım, planlı bakım

How it is used

Used by maintenance teams and plant managers, often shortened to PM. A PM schedule lists tasks by operating hours or by calendar. It is contrasted with corrective maintenance (after a failure) and predictive maintenance (based on condition data).

Example sentences

  1. Preventive maintenance on the compressors is done every 2,000 operating hours.

  2. Since we started a preventive maintenance program, unplanned downtime has dropped by half.

Common collocations

  • preventive maintenance schedule
  • PM program
  • scheduled maintenance
  • carry out preventive maintenance
  • condition monitoringRegularly measuring signs of a machine's health, such as vibration, temperature or oil quality, to spot problems early and plan repairs before a breakdown.
  • downtimeThe time when a machine or production line is not working because of a breakdown, maintenance, a changeover or a lack of material.
  • lubricationPutting oil or grease between moving surfaces, for example in bearings, gears and chains, to reduce friction, wear and heat.
  • overhaulA complete inspection and repair of a machine in which it is taken apart, cleaned and checked, and worn parts are replaced, so that it works almost like new.
  • spare partA replacement part kept in stock so that a worn or broken part can be changed quickly, for example a bearing, seal, belt or motor.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Maintenance and Reliability

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