Prompting for Maintenance Optimization
Unplanned downtime kills manufacturing efficiency. AI can help you move from reactive to predictive maintenance.
Scenario: Developing Preventive Maintenance Schedules
Good prompt: "I need to develop a preventive maintenance program for our packaging line, which includes 3 conveyors, 2 filling machines, 1 capping machine, 1 labeling machine, and 1 palletizer. Currently we do reactive maintenance only, which results in approximately 12 unplanned downtime events per month averaging 3 hours each. Equipment ranges from 2-10 years old. I have limited maintenance staff (2 technicians). Design a preventive maintenance program that balances preventing failures against maintenance resource constraints. Include recommended PM frequencies for each equipment type, estimated time per PM, and a schedule that distributes maintenance across the month to avoid overloading staff."
Scenario: Troubleshooting Equipment Failures
Good prompt: "Our hydraulic press is experiencing intermittent pressure loss. Symptoms: pressure drops from normal 2000 PSI to 1400-1600 PSI randomly during operation, cycle time increases from 45 seconds to 70+ seconds, no obvious external leaks visible, happens 3-5 times per shift with no clear pattern. Equipment is 7 years old, last major service was 18 months ago. Walk me through systematic troubleshooting: what to check first, second, third, etc., with explanation of what each check tells us and what findings would indicate specific failure modes."
AI can provide structured troubleshooting sequences that prevent the costly trial-and-error approach most maintenance teams use.
Follow-up prompting:
- "I checked items 1-4 from your troubleshooting sequence. Findings: hydraulic fluid level is correct, no visible leaks, fluid temperature is normal at 130°F, but I noticed the fluid looks darker than usual and has a burnt smell. What does this tell us about the problem and what should I check next?"
- "Based on these findings suggesting degraded hydraulic fluid and potential pump wear, what's the most cost-effective repair approach? Should I replace fluid first and see if that resolves it, or is pump replacement inevitable?"
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