Preventive & Predictive Maintenance Flashcards

Oil analysis of a chiller compressor shows rising levels of copper and tin. What component wear does this most likely indicate?

Answer: Bronze bearings or bushings

Copper and tin are the main constituents of bronze, commonly used in bearings and bushings.

Which predictive technique is most effective for locating compressed air leaks in a noisy mechanical room?

Answer: Airborne ultrasound detection

Leaks generate high-frequency turbulence that ultrasonic detectors pick up even over loud background noise.

Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) begins by asking which question about an asset?

Answer: What are its functions and performance standards in its present operating context?

RCM starts by defining the asset's functions and desired performance in its operating context before analyzing failures.

In a FMEA, the Risk Priority Number (RPN) is calculated by multiplying which three factors?

Answer: Severity, occurrence, and detection

RPN equals severity times occurrence times detection ratings, used to rank failure modes.

Which type of maintenance is triggered by a meter reading such as run hours, starts, or cycles rather than calendar time?

Answer: Usage-based preventive maintenance

Usage-based PM schedules tasks on actual equipment operation, matching wear more closely than calendar intervals.

A cooling tower fan gearbox shows increasing vibration but still operates normally. What is the best next step?

Answer: Plan and schedule a repair before failure, increasing monitoring frequency meanwhile

Predictive data provides lead time to plan repairs on your schedule while trending the condition closely.

Why is establishing a baseline reading important when starting a predictive maintenance program?

Answer: It provides a reference to detect changes and trends in equipment condition

Trending against a known-good baseline reveals deterioration that a single reading could not show.