condition-based maintenance
**Condition-based maintenance** is the **maintenance policy that triggers service actions when measured equipment condition exceeds predefined thresholds** - it replaces purely time-driven servicing with real equipment-state signals.
**What Is Condition-based maintenance?**
- **Definition**: Rule-based maintenance activation from live sensor readings and diagnostic indicators.
- **Trigger Logic**: Examples include vibration limits, pressure drift, temperature rise, or particle count alarms.
- **Difference from Predictive**: CBM uses threshold rules, while predictive methods estimate future failure probability.
- **Deployment Need**: Requires reliable instrumentation and clear response procedures.
**Why Condition-based maintenance Matters**
- **Targeted Intervention**: Service occurs when evidence of degradation appears, reducing unnecessary work.
- **Failure Risk Control**: Early threshold breaches provide warning before severe breakdown.
- **Operational Simplicity**: Rule-based logic is easier to deploy and audit than advanced forecasting models.
- **Cost Balance**: Often delivers better economics than strict calendar maintenance.
- **Process Protection**: Rapid response to condition shifts helps prevent quality excursions.
**How It Is Used in Practice**
- **Threshold Design**: Set alarm and action limits from engineering specs plus historical behavior.
- **Monitoring Infrastructure**: Integrate sensor data with dashboards and automated work-order triggers.
- **Threshold Review**: Periodically recalibrate limits to reduce false alarms and missed detections.
Condition-based maintenance is **a practical bridge between preventive and predictive approaches** - condition triggers improve maintenance timing with manageable implementation complexity.