Give Your Mechanical System A Physical (November 1999)
The replacement of a mechanical system is a complicated process that takes planning, time, money, and the right people for the job. Unfortunately, some of us need to make this type of decision in a hurry, simply because a piece of equipment or system has failed or is ready to fail. It is a hard lesson to learn, but a valuable one that raises the question, "How can I prevent this kind of disaster in the future?"
The correct approach and the answer to this question involves looking into planned, preventive, and predictive maintenance - of not only the mechanical equipment, but of the much overlooked distribution system that serves this equipment. As facility engineers/managers, we should be cognizant of the different methods and applications to apply in establishing the most effective health plan for maximum mechanical system life.