Troubleshooting is the systematic process of identifying, analyzing, and resolving faults in an asset or system. Methodically isolating and addressing each potential issue helps technicians uncover the root causes of failures and enables smooth operation while minimizing downtime.
Even with the best preventive maintenance, every asset will fail at some point. When failure doesn’t have a clear cause, it may require further investigation, such as gathering information from sensors, reviewing past maintenance history, observing the asset in action, or taking other steps to help identify the cause.
Effective troubleshooting reduces repair time and helps prevent recurring issues, ultimately enhancing system performance. In this article, we’ll discuss when and how to troubleshoot and why a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) can help simplify the process.
How Do You Troubleshoot?
Troubleshooting problems require gathering data and using that information to develop a solution. In maintenance, troubleshooting may involve some trial and error to find the root cause of the problem. It also involves gathering data from the people who use the assets, sensors on the asset, or even historical data about the machine itself to help identify the cause of the failure.
When Should You Troubleshoot?
You will need to troubleshoot when a machine has failed completely and the cause of failure isn’t clear. You may also need to troubleshoot when the machine is still operational but isn’t working as expected. If it’s not operating as quickly as it should, or if it’s producing materials that are outside of specifications, troubleshooting can help identify and correct the cause.
You can also troubleshoot when the machine is operating as it should but has some anomalies. For example, an employee may notice an unusual noise coming from a machine, or a temperature sensor may send an alarm that the temperature is exceeding normal parameters.
Even though the machine may appear to be operating correctly, strange noises or temperature changes can indicate future problems. In both of these cases, troubleshooting can help address the problem before it leads to complete asset failure.
Why Should You Troubleshoot?
Sometimes, the reason for asset failure or maloperation is clearly identifiable. But in other cases, the reason isn’t so clear. When issues remain elusive, you’ll need to troubleshoot to identify and correct the source of the failure.
Troubleshooting is key to keeping assets in proper working condition. Instead of replacing the entire asset, finding the source of the failure and replacing parts or making other tweaks to the asset can extend its longevity and result in major savings over the machine’s lifespan.
Benefits of Troubleshooting?
Troubleshooting has a lot of benefits that can be felt across the entire organization. These are:
Reduced Costs
Repairing an asset is often less costly than replacing it. Troubleshooting helps you identify and correct the root cause of the problem without needing costly asset replacement.
Improved Maintenance Practices
Troubleshooting can help identify patterns in breakdowns and help maintenance teams identify areas where they could implement preventive maintenance to reduce the number of breakdowns that occur.
Reduced Downtime
We all know that downtime is expensive. While avoiding it isn’t always possible, troubleshooting issues that are developing can help correct problems before they lead to unexpected or prolonged outages. Even if assets are still operating correctly, troubleshooting assets that are overheating, making strange noises, emitting odd odors, or having other issues can correct developing problems before they turn into something more severe.
Steps for Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting steps may vary based on the type of equipment you are analyzing, but these general steps can help guide you.
- Define the problem: Start by gathering information about the problem. Check error codes, alarms, and abnormal symptoms (such as noise, heat, or vibration). If available, check the maintenance and usage history of the asset as well as its manual to help identify where the problem area could be.
- Understand the asset’s normal operating conditions: Compare data about the asset’s typical performance to its current performance for parameters such as temperature, pressure, or speed. This can help narrow down the issue.
- Check the basics: Verify the asset has the correct power supply and connections. Check for obvious issues like loose wires, broken connectors, or worn components.
- Isolate the problem area: Use tools like a digital multimeter (DMM) or oscilloscope to test components. If available, gather information from condition-monitoring tools like vibration or temperature sensors.
- Analyze your data: Look at all the information you’ve gathered from various sources and analyze what could be causing the problem.
- Implement your solution: After identifying the problem, craft a solution. If more than one issue exists, begin with the simplest fixes before moving on to more complicated repairs.
- Monitor the results: Continue monitoring the results over time to make sure the problem doesn’t reoccur. Document your solution and any insights so future technicians can access them.
Using a CMMS for Troubleshooting
Proper troubleshooting involves gathering and analyzing information from many sources. The asset’s manual, maintenance history, standard operating procedures, and past troubleshooting attempts can all shed light on the ultimate cause of failure. That information can be hard to track down unless you have it stored in a central information hub like a CMMS.
A CMMS stores all the information you need to troubleshoot and make repairs. Instead of tracking down multiple sources, all the information is stored in the cloud and easily accessible to any technician working on the asset.
Using a CMMS for troubleshooting is the best way to get assets working properly, saving valuable time and minimizing costly outages. And as a single source of truth for your organization, the maintenance information stored in a CMMS can help justify asset repair or replacement decisions.
Request a demo of eMaint to see how a CMMS can help technicians solve troubleshooting problems even faster.