The shipping industry uses many vehicles, equipment, and machines to do daily transportation activities with more efficiency and agility. All these resources must be well maintained and repaired to efficiently utilise the time and money. The industry has two types of maintenance procedures based on the needs of the industry to keep a check on all resources. This blog highlights the difference between predictive and preventive maintenance, which helps in tracking the proper functioning of the resources in the shipping industry.

Purpose of maintenance in the shipping industry 

The shipping industry carries on many operations to keep the supply chain running. All the tasks, including the transportation of resources and the journey from raw material to finished goods distribution, are managed by the logistics and transportation sectors that form a part of the global shipping industry. The industry uses several machines, vehicles and equipment to transport goods and facilitate cargo handling during shipping. Maintenance helps the shipping industry by-

• Assisting in maintaining the lifespan of vehicles, equipment and using them to their fullest.
• It increases efficiency, saves time and is cost-effective.
• It helps maintain the quality of transportation and avoids cargo damage.
• Countering disruptions and maintaining productivity speed.
• Avoiding unnecessary stoppages and uncertain breakdowns that cost time and money.

Since the demand for national and international shipping never ceases, the shipping industry needs to have a proper supply of resources at all times. It helps to avoid disruptions in the supply chain caused due to malfunction or breakdown of any equipment, vehicle or machinery. Therefore, knowing if the resources are fully functional and productive is crucial or requires maintenance. Shipping companies must check these before every shipping activity to minimise the risks of last-minute failures.

Role of AI in maintenance 

Engineers and workers focus on the productivity of the machines to analyse their efficiency, where sometimes unwanted noises can also act as a warning; otherwise, in most cases, the maintenance goes unnoticed until the machine stops abruptly, disrupting the transport loop. It means that humans can predict the need for maintenance only to an extent, and that is why humans now rely on machine learning and artificial intelligence to perform this task for them. With the help of technology, it has become easier to know if the vehicle or machinery is not working correctly or has issues that may cause problems in the future. It is a e way through which even the minutest malfunctions are highlighted and errors get resolved. 

• AI analyses the massive amounts of incoming data related to the working and productivity of resources to find and predict loopholes or faults.
• It can predict equipment failures even before they happen, preventing costly machines from stopping untimely and becoming totally inoperative.
• In most cases, AI also assists the maintenance process by tailoring routines for the equipment or vehicle parts according to their specific needs.

What is predictive maintenance?

AI-powered predictive maintenance is a procedure that is based on condition-monitoring of the assets to predict their health and working. It is carried out by monitoring the performance of the vehicles and machines and the condition of the equipment. When the health of resources is predicted to cross a certain threshold, a repair is scheduled. The need for these repairs is forecasted with the help of AI, which helps warn the staff of potential breakdowns and failures that can disrupt the shipping operations and, therefore, must be repaired in time.

What is preventive maintenance ?

Preventive maintenance is regularly inspecting and maintaining the physical assets such as vehicles, equipment and machines used in the shipping industry to prevent any future breakdowns or emergency repairs. It is performed while the resources are still in working condition to avoid any future malfunctions and keep the machines running. Regular inspections help preserve the assets in healthy condition, increase their average lifespan, and ensure productivity and rising efficiency. 

Types of preventive maintenance

Companies must schedule three types of preventive maintenance depending on every physical asset to improve and maintain its working.

1. Preventive maintenance on regular intervals– The maintenance task is scheduled timely at intervals of 10 days, at the end of every month, or twice a month, depending upon the asset’s requirement.
2. Preventive maintenance based on usage– The maintenance and repairs are scheduled when the machines or equipment reach a certain working threshold. For example- Companies may schedule vehicle maintenance after crossing a limit of 10,000 km.
3. Preventive maintenance based on condition– Sometimes, the resources are scheduled for maintenance only when they show signs of decreasing performance. The assets are monitored for proactive maintenance to track what sort of repairs are needed if necessary.

Types of predictive maintenance 

1. Vibration analysis– A cornerstone is set for the vibrations produced during the machine at work in its normal state. AI monitors and measures these vibrations to alert the authorities of any deviations in the regular levels of vibrations.
2. Acoustic analysis– AI has acquired manual qualities where it can identify disruptions in a machine based on the sound it emits. AI is capable of predicting repairs by listening to the inner parts during working of the machine
3. Infrared analysis- The machine temperature is equally helpful in identifying if any repairs are needed. Any hotspots in the internal temperature of the machine can be spotted to pinpoint faults and issues.

Advantages of Predictive and Preventive Maintenance 

1. The breakdown of major equipment or vehicles can cost a lot. Predictive maintenance helps predict any upcoming or potential failures and assists its maintenance.
2. It also allows the elimination of unnecessary maintenance and repairs that are scheduled occasionally, thereby saving time and investment.
3. Increases the lifespan of equipment due to timely repairs prompted by AI.
4. Minimises risks of uncertain dangers caused due to failure of vehicles or equipment. Therefore, it increases workplace safety.
5. When all the assets are in well-to-do condition, the chances of interruptions during working decrease. 

Difference between predictive and preventive maintenance 

Both types of maintenance in the shipping industry help in preventing any major breakdowns that may hold back the proper functioning of the industry for a significant time. But there a few differences between predictive and preventive maintenance as well.

1. While preventive maintenance is scheduled for regularly checking the health of vehicles, equipment and machines, predictive maintenance is scheduled only when repairs are required.
2. Due to this, predictive maintenance helps minimise the investment made in labourers and materials to replace and repair.  Predictive maintenance helps save money so that companies can avoid heft maintenance issues. However, when done, preventive maintenance requires a significant investment.
3. Predictive maintenance is about real-time monitoring of resources to predict failures. Preventive maintenance manually monitors the resources while performing daily inspections and repairs.
4. While predictive maintenance requires a firm hold on data analysis, preventive maintenance requires skilled and experienced technicians to judge the health of the resources.

These are a few points of difference between predictive and preventive maintenance based on their utility in the shipping industry. Both are equally essential to minimise damage to the machines and equipment.

LOTUS Containers is a leading provider of shipping container solutions that offers different types of shipping containers based on the client’s needs. We provide container services across the globe.