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Uptime is the currency of operation in the real world of contemporary maintenance, and most organizations have found themselves in a death spiral of reactive maintenance. It causes tremendous demands on the parts of the machine and reduces the overall life of the equipment considerably to repair them after they have failed.
The transition out of this cycle starts with Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) where you start to think not about fixing the breakdowns but about how reliable a system is. This tactical plan changes maintenance into a cost center or value driver because it intercepts problems and prevents failure.
Although the strategy is essential, there is always a risk of mistakes when these metrics are calculated manually, which is replaced by Cryotos CMMS. It is automated by our software that transforms raw data into something actionable with no painful spreadsheet work.
Simply, the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) is the mean period between natural failures of a repairable mechanism when it is in normal operation. It is the pumping of your asset reliability.
To apply it successfully, you should be aware of two essential differences and failures of science.
Equipment breakdown is mostly in the form of Bathtub Curve, which is divided into three stages:
Note: MTBF is of utmost importance in the period of Normal Life. This tracking will assist you in understanding when an asset starts to degrade in this case so that you can intervene before it reaches the stage of wear-out.
The calculation of MTBF does not involve a lot of mathematics, although it involves some order to follow to achieve accurate results. The following will be the procedure through which you will locate your number.
The Formula: MTBF = MTBF = Total Operational Time - Total Downtime / Number of Failures
Let’s walk through this using a CNC machine scheduled to run 24/7 for a full year as our example.
First, identify the total time the asset was expected to run.
Add up all the hours the machine was down due to unexpected breakages.
Subtract the downtime from the total scheduled time. This gives you the actual hours the machine was productive.
Identify how many separate breakdown incidents occurred during that period.
Finally, divide the Actual Operational Time (Step 3) by the Number of Failures (Step 4).
The Result: On average, this CNC machine runs 1,742 hours before encountering a failure.
Crucial Note: Do not be biased in your data. Please do not calculate Planned Maintenance (PM) as part of your Total Downtime or Number of Failures. Routine checks and lubrication are also included in maintaining a healthy machine; MTBF is being purely used to measure sudden failures.
After you have your number, then you no longer need to guess around, and you can go ahead and maximize.
Just-in-time is a technique that will allow you to use the MTBF to estimate the probability of a part failing and then order spares to come when you need them as opposed to sitting on a shelf.
Example: There were 5 cases when a machine failed, and the total length of time spent on its repair was 50 hours.
It is important to calculate your MTBF; however, that figure is merely a diagnostic tool, like a thermometer. It informs you that your equipment is ill, but not why or where to make it well again. You have to go beyond the metrics to increase your lifespan.
The symptoms of a chronically low MTBF will tend to be a sign of a more profound problem. The number will never be better unless you take a moment to question what exactly is wrong with the machine and restart the clock.
MTBF doesn't exist in a vacuum. A combination of MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) is necessary to obtain the complete picture of the health of your plant.
This mix is the "holy grail" of maintenance culture, by which even in instances of failures, they become only a blip but not a disaster.
Requesting the finance to purchase new equipment is known to be one of the most difficult aspects of maintenance management. Your best negotiating point on these deals is MTFB.
While the theory is sound, manual execution is difficult. Cryotos CMMS supercharges your reliability strategy by automating the heavy lifting.
MTBF is more than just a KPI report to show management; it is a fundamental tool for risk management, resource allocation, and capital planning. It bridges the gap between the maintenance floor and the boardroom.
Stop guessing. Start measuring.
Transform your raw data into actionable reliability insights. Book a demo with Cryotos CMMS today to see how automated MTBF tracking can extend your equipment's life and stop the death spiral of reactive maintenance.
