What type of maintenance can wear monitoring be classified as?

Wear monitoring is classified as predictive maintenance because it involves assessing the condition of equipment to anticipate when maintenance should be performed. This proactive approach leverages data collected from wear monitoring tools and techniques to forecast potential failures before they occur. By identifying wear patterns and trends, maintenance teams can make informed decisions about when to intervene, thereby reducing unplanned downtimes and optimizing maintenance resources.

In predictive maintenance, the focus is on preventing failures by using real-time data to guide maintenance activities, which stands in contrast to reactive maintenance, where actions are taken only after a failure has already occurred. Preventive maintenance entails scheduled tasks performed at regular intervals, regardless of the condition of equipment, rather than based on its current wear status. Scheduled maintenance similarly involves predefined time intervals for maintenance activities, which does not incorporate the insights from continuous monitoring of wear. Thus, wear monitoring's role in predicting issues before they become critical aligns closely with the principles of predictive maintenance.