Preventive and Corrective Maintenance

Preventive maintenance refers to the scheduled periodic inspection of equipment, with replacement of worn parts if necessary, in order to avoid breakdowns. These maintenance operations help limit the additional costs associated with equipment failure, production losses, and are often essential when unplanned downtime is not acceptable. Although preventive maintenance has a cost, it is generally lower than corrective maintenance.

Corrective maintenance refers to the repair of equipment, systems, or machines when they are out of service. It is referred to as curative or palliative maintenance depending on whether the repair is permanent or temporary.