Agree with the Preventive Maintenance approach vs. run to failure.?Plus now, Predictive Maintenance is becoming much more commonplace.? A vast amount of failure analysis and routine monitoring data is being shared among a number of institutions, especially when process and personal safety is involved.? I remember reading that jet engine manufacturers share their fan blade data.
Online rotating equipment monitoring was in its infancy in the early 90's and is now quite sophisticated.? Plus fixed equipment monitoring using drone technology has caught on.? I suppose by now, AI is being adopted as an aid to the failure analysis process.
As far as our hobby band saws go, I finally decided to open up my 4X6 HFT gear box after 12 years of use, only to find pretty clean oil, and plenty of it.? But I still added my Lexan view window.? Just because.
Bill Buckalew