In the maintenance office cupboard there is a binder labelled \u201cMaintenance plan\u201d. It was carefully put together years ago, with tables for every machine. Since then, hardly anyone has opened it. Maintenance still gets done \u2013 based on experience, on request and mostly when something is noticed.<\/p>\n
The problem is rarely a missing plan. It\u2019s a plan that doesn\u2019t fit day-to-day reality: too extensive, too vague or without clear responsibility. A good maintenance plan is short enough to be used and precise enough to actually prevent failures.<\/p>\n
In this guide, you will create a maintenance plan for your machines in eight steps. At the end you will find a template in table form that you can adopt straight away.<\/p>\n
A maintenance plan defines which<\/strong> task is carried out on which<\/strong> equipment, when<\/strong>, how<\/strong> and by whom<\/strong> . It is the central tool of preventive maintenance: tasks are planned before damage occurs, instead of repairing only afterwards.<\/p>\n The German standard DIN 31051 divides maintenance into four basic activities: servicing, inspection, repair and improvement. A maintenance plan usually covers the first two \u2013 i.e. tasks that slow down the depletion of the wear reserve (such as lubricating, cleaning, readjusting) and tasks that determine the actual condition (such as visual checks, measurements, functional tests). Maintenance terminology as a whole is defined in EN 13306.<\/p>\n Before you plan tasks, it is worth taking a quick look at the strategy. Not every machine has to be treated the same way:<\/p>\n In practice, almost every maintenance plan is a mix. What matters is choosing the strategy deliberately rather than leaving it to chance.<\/p>\n Start with a complete list of all equipment and important assemblies. For each machine, include:<\/p>\n This list is more than a formality. Later on, it is the basis for every spare parts enquiry and for analysing faults.<\/p>\n Not every machine deserves the same effort. Assess each one using simple criteria:<\/p>\n Then divide the equipment into three classes, for example A (critical), B (important) and C (non-critical). For A equipment you plan in detail; for C equipment, a few basic tasks are often enough. If you want to go deeper, use an FMEA for A equipment.<\/p>\n The manufacturer\u2019s operating manual is the first source of maintenance tasks and intervals. Add statutory and accident-insurance inspection obligations, for example from the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV) or the German accident prevention regulation for electrical installations and equipment (DGUV Vorschrift 3). These inspections have their own deadlines and documentation requirements, so they absolutely belong in the plan.<\/p>\n Note: work on electrical installations may only be carried out by qualified electricians or by electrically instructed persons under their supervision. Manufacturer instructions take precedence over general recommendations.<\/p>\n \u201cCheck pump\u201d is not a maintenance task. A good description answers four questions:<\/p>\n The more precisely a task is described, the less the result depends on who carries it out.<\/p>\n For each task, you define when it is due. Three types of interval have proven themselves:<\/p>\n Start with the manufacturer\u2019s figures and adjust the intervals based on your experience. If an inspection shows no findings over a long period, the interval can be extended. If failures occur between two maintenance visits, it is too long.<\/p>\n Every task needs an owner \u2013 a person or a clearly named role. Operators can take on many simple tasks such as visual checks or cleaning. This takes the load off maintenance and sharpens their eye for changes on the machine.<\/p>\n Just as important: which materials are needed? Lubricants, filters, seals, V-belts or other wear parts should be ready for the maintenance date. A maintenance plan that falls down because a filter is missing is quickly abandoned.<\/p>\n Whether paper, spreadsheet or maintenance software \u2013 the best format is the one that actually gets used on your site.<\/p>\n Introduce the plan step by step, ideally starting with the A equipment. Talk to those involved about effort and benefit. Evaluate regularly:<\/p>\n A maintenance plan is never finished. After modifications, new equipment or recurring faults, it needs to be reviewed.<\/p>\n A company introduces a new maintenance plan. The first version contains more than a hundred tasks, many of them weekly. After a month only some have been done; the rest get postponed. In the second round, maintenance sits down with shift supervisors and operators. Together they remove duplicates, combine visual checks into one short inspection round and hand simple tasks over to the operators. The plan gets shorter \u2013 and is completed in full for the first time.<\/p>\n The following template shows the structure with a few example rows. The intervals are illustrative \u2013 the manufacturer\u2019s instructions and your own experience are what count.<\/p>\n A maintenance plan only works if filters, seals, bearings and other wear parts are available in time. With older machines or equipment from foreign manufacturers, this is often precisely the weak point.<\/p>\n KTB Europe is a family business from Hamburg and has been sourcing spare parts and MRO materials of all brands worldwide since 1976. Send us part numbers, nameplate photos or descriptions, including as a list for an entire maintenance shutdown. If a part has been discontinued, we look for suitable alternatives. Find out more on our pages about MRO procurement<\/a> and spare parts management<\/a>. Related reading: how to identify critical failures with an FMEA in maintenance<\/a> and how to measure the effect of your plan with MTBF and MTTR<\/a> .<\/p>\nWhich maintenance strategy suits which equipment?<\/h2>\n
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Step 1: record your equipment<\/h2>\n
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Step 2: assess criticality<\/h2>\n
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Step 3: gather manufacturer information and inspection obligations<\/h2>\n
Step 4: describe tasks precisely<\/h2>\n
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Step 5: set intervals<\/h2>\n
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\n \nInterval<\/th>\n Trigger<\/th>\n Suitable for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n time-based<\/td>\n daily, weekly, monthly, annually<\/td>\n visual checks, statutory inspections, cleaning<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n usage-based<\/td>\n operating hours, switching cycles, units produced<\/td>\n oil changes, filter changes, wear parts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n condition-based<\/td>\n reading exceeds a limit value<\/td>\n bearings, gearboxes, drives with condition monitoring<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Step 6: assign responsibility and materials<\/h2>\n
Step 7: choose the right format<\/h2>\n
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Step 8: introduce, evaluate, improve<\/h2>\n
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Typical scenario: getting the team on board<\/h3>\n
Maintenance plan template<\/h2>\n
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\n \nEquipment \/ assembly<\/th>\n Action<\/th>\n Type<\/th>\n Interval<\/th>\n Criterion \/ limit<\/th>\n Material<\/th>\n Responsible<\/th>\n Done on \/ by<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Compressor K1<\/td>\n Check condensate drain for correct function<\/td>\n inspection<\/td>\n weekly<\/td>\n drain opens audibly, no water in the network<\/td>\n \u2013<\/td>\n Operators<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Compressor K1<\/td>\n Replace intake filter<\/td>\n Servicing<\/td>\n as per manufacturer, operating hours<\/td>\n \u2013<\/td>\n Filter element<\/td>\n Maintenance<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Conveyor belt F3<\/td>\n Check belt tracking and tension<\/td>\n inspection<\/td>\n weekly<\/td>\n belt runs centrally, no slip<\/td>\n \u2013<\/td>\n Operators<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Gearbox F3<\/td>\n Check oil level and for leaks<\/td>\n inspection<\/td>\n monthly<\/td>\n oil level visible in sight glass, no leakage<\/td>\n Gear oil as per manufacturer<\/td>\n Maintenance<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Centrifugal pump P2<\/td>\n Check bearing temperature and noise<\/td>\n inspection<\/td>\n monthly<\/td>\n limit as per manufacturer<\/td>\n \u2013<\/td>\n Maintenance<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Control cabinet S1<\/td>\n Clean or replace fan filter<\/td>\n Servicing<\/td>\n quarterly<\/td>\n filter visibly clean<\/td>\n Filter mat<\/td>\n Qualified electrician<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Electrical installation<\/td>\n Periodic inspection<\/td>\n inspection<\/td>\n according to risk assessment<\/td>\n as per inspection specification<\/td>\n \u2013<\/td>\n Qualified electrician<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Typical maintenance plan mistakes<\/h2>\n
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Securing spare parts for the maintenance plan<\/h2>\n