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In this hurry to Industry 4.0, maintenance teams are repeatedly informed that all failures are a result of not planning. We are obsessed with predictive sensors, artificial intelligence analysis and zero unplanned downtime. However, this is what the truth really is: attempting to be proactive to save every single asset in your facility is not worth it.
Not all maintenance strategies require complex prevention. Sometimes, the smartest operational move is simply letting equipment run until it stops.
This approach is called Run-to-Failure (RTF) maintenance. It is vital to understand that this isn’t negligence or "lazy" maintenance—it is a calculated financial strategy. When applied correctly, it frees up your skilled technicians to focus on the high-value equipment that truly drives production.
In this guide, we will cut through the noise to define exactly what RTF is and how it differs from accidental breakdowns. You will learn how to identify which assets are safe to let fail, the risks involved, and how a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) supports this strategy by turning a "breakdown" into a controlled, automated workflow.
What Is Run-to-Failure Maintenance?
The run-to-failure (RTF) maintenance is a premeditated approach to maintenance where you put an asset to work, and you let it break down without any preventive maintenance or inspection prior to failure.
It is frequently mixed up with unplanned reactive maintenance, although there is a very important difference that is the intent.
Reactive maintenance is an emergency; you had planned to continue running the machine, however, it went out of the blue. Run-to-failure is a strategy; you have examined the asset and do not find it cost-effective to maintain it. It is "planned failure."
To understand where RTF fits, compare it to the other main strategies:
- Preventive Maintenance (PM): You maintain equipment according to a calendar (e.g., after every 3 months), to avoid failure.
- Predictive Maintenance (PdM): With sensors and live data in place, you only remedy machinery when it indicates that it is ailing.
- Run-to-Failure (RTF): You will not do anything until the asset breaks down.
How the Run-to-Failure Process Works:
Implementing RTF is not as simple as ignoring equipment. It requires a disciplined workflow to ensure that "letting it break" doesn't turn into "stopping the plant."
- Identify and Categorize: The first step you should take is to find non-critical assets that are equipment that does not influence the safety or immediate production objectives. You label these assets using a CMMS in such a way that technicians understand that they do not have to be checked on a regular basis.
- Plan the Response: Since you aren't preventing the failure, you must be ready to fix it. This means ensuring spare parts are always in stock. If you plan to let a motor burn out, you must have a replacement motor on the shelf.
- Run and Monitor Costs: Have the equipment running. This time, your CMMS is monitoring the history of the asset. Although you are not maintaining it, you are monitoring its frequency of failure to make sure the strategy is cost-effective.
- Immediate Correction: In case the breakdown occurs, the action should be quick. The triggering of the Work Order as per the prediction of the failure should be instant.
Advantages of Run-to-Failure Maintenance
Why would a plant head or maintenance manager choose to let things break? It isn't about cutting corners; it is about ruthless resource optimization. When applied to the right assets, Run-to-Failure (RTF) offers distinct operational advantages that can significantly improve your bottom line.
1. Zero Upfront Maintenance Costs
The first advantage is the eradication of unnecessary expenditure, which is the most immediate one. Preventive maintenance is costly- it needs man-hours, supplies (lubricants, filters, seals) and time during which machines are out of production inspecting.
In the case of RTF, you do not pay a single cent of the maintenance until it breaks down. You are not hiring technicians to check a fan that is functioning and you are not changing parts that have 20% left of its useful life in it. You get as much value out of the asset as possible by utilizing it to exhaust its consumable value.
2. Reduced Administrative Burden
Maintenance scheduling is time consuming. To manage the calendars of each and every light bulb, door hinge or non-critical pump, in the case of a facility with thousands of assets, it is a logistical nightmare.
RTF makes it easy to plan. You can prevent non-critical equipment off your preventive maintenance calendar by labeling it as a run-to-fail equipment. This clears your time schedule and maintenance planners can work on the high-priority work orders that require more complex work instead of arranging to check on trivial checks.
3. Better Utilization of Skilled Technicians
Your maintenance team is likely your most valuable—and scarce—resource. Every hour a senior technician spends checking a disposable component is an hour they aren't optimizing your critical production machinery.
RTF allows you to allocate your skilled workforce where they make the biggest impact. While the non-critical assets run themselves into the ground, your team can focus on Predictive Maintenance (PdM) tasks, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and optimizing the equipment that drives revenue.
4. Simplified Management via CMMS
While RTF minimizes hands-on work, managing it manually can still be messy. This is where a CMMS turns a "hands-off" strategy into a competitive advantage.
- Automated Worksolows: Once an RTF asset has finally failed, a CMMS facilitates the response. All it takes is a scan of a QR code by an operator to provide an immediate work order and alert the appropriate team member, without any phone calls and trail of paperwork.
- Inventory Readiness: You cannot inspect the part hence you are depending on having the spare part on hand. A CMMS will make sure that your stock on hand is checked automatically, and hence the spare part will be ready whenever the unavoidable breakdown happens.
Disadvantages and Risks
Although the Run-to-Failure has cost advantages, it is not a universal solution. It is a two sided sword in that once it touches the wrong equipment the gains under the guise of savings can be erased in a short time through costly emergency repairs.
The following are the key risks that you should take into account:
- Random Unpredictability in Downtime: The greatest disadvantage is that there is no control. It is impossible to plan a breakdown. Probability of a failure occurring is equal in a peak production run compared to the slow shift. When a non-critical asset goes out at a critical time, it can be able to interfere with workflow and lead to missed deadlines.
- Risk of Collateral Damage: A minor portion which fails is hardly a singular occurrence. This can be referred to as the Domino Effect. As an example, a brake pad left to wear out may result in rotor scratches, or may even scratch the caliper in some cases, converting a cheap replacement part, like a brake pad, into an expensive maintenance expense, such as a brake caliper.
- Increased Inventory expenses: Since you do not know when the failure will take place, then you have to be ready all the time. This dictates that you have to maintain a greater stock of spares when you are in need. The high inventory amounts are also a capital-tying tie and consume warehouse space that can compensate the maintenance labor savings.
- Safety Hazards: This is the risk that cannot be compromised. Letting equipment wear out may at times lead to unsafe conditions- leaks and electrical shorts, or loose parts that become dangerous to the workers before the machine has even stopped operating.
- Higher Repair Charges: When it comes to emergency repair, it is nearly always more costly than scheduled work. You may be required to pay out time to keep technicians late, or repay, express delivery to purchase a part that was not in stock.
When Should You Use Run-to-Failure Maintenance?
Success with Run-to-Failure isn't about luck; it is about selection. The difference between a strategic decision and a maintenance disaster usually comes down to knowing which assets are suitable for this approach and which are not.
You should view RTF as a specific tool in your belt, not a blanket policy. Use the following "Green Light" and "Red Light" scenarios to guide your decisions.
The "Green Light" Scenarios (When to Use It):
You should confidently apply RTF when an asset meets these criteria:
- Non-Critical Assets: Non-critical assets include an asset in which failure has no effect on production output. Typically this would be general facility lighting or a bathroom exhaust fan or an office air conditioner. When they are broken that is inconvenience, not a disaster.
- Disposable or Low-Cost Components: In the case where the replacement item actually costs less than the labor cost needed to examine it; use RTF. It is not good business to spend 50 dollars of labor in order to check a 20 dollars filter.
- Assets that exhibit Random Failure Patterns: There are random mortality in some electronics and small type of motors. They do not wear out gradually; they run well till one day they no longer run. No one can guess when the failure will happen hence, there is no other option but RTF.
- Redundancy is by Design: With a primary pump and a backup pump in parallel with each other, in many cases you can just allow a failure in the primary pump. The backup will automatically activate, so that things will not stop and you can book the repair.
The "Red Light" Scenarios (When to Avoid It):
Never apply RTF in these situations. The risk is simply too high.
- Safety Critical Equipment: That is the rule of gold. RTF should not be applied on fire alarms, emergency stop buttons, safety guards, and pressure relief valves. This cost of failure is not financial, it is human lives and law suits.
- Production Bottlenecks: When the entire factory floor is halted by a certain conveyor belt, it is a crucial asset. They need Preventive or Predictive maintenance, and it may be as new or as reliable as it appears.
- Regulated Assets: In such industry as pharma or food processing, some equipment is to be validated and checked accordingly to the compliance standards. These assets may result in the failure of the audits and fines.
How CMMS Supports Run-to-Failure Maintenance
There is a misconception that RTF means you don't need software. The opposite is true. Because RTF is unpredictable, your reaction speed needs to be lightning-fast.
- Smart Asset Categorization: You can’t manage what you don’t measure. It allows you to tag assets based on criticality. You can filter your asset list to see exactly which machines are flagged for RTF and which require Preventive Maintenance. This ensures a junior technician doesn’t accidentally waste time inspecting a "run-to-failure" fan.
- Rapid Work Order Creation: When an RTF asset finally dies, you need to fix it immediately. It utilizes Generative AI to speed this up. A technician or operator can simply take a photo of the broken part or use voice commands to create a Work Order instantly. No typing out long descriptions while production waits. The system instantly notifies the maintenance team via WhatsApp or mobile push notifications.
- Inventory Visibility: The backbone of RTF is spare parts. If you let a motor burn out, you better have a replacement on the shelf. The Inventory Management tracks stock levels in real-time. If you hit your minimum quantity on spare bulbs or belts, the system sends a critical stock notification so you can reorder before you’re left empty-handed.
- Failure Analysis: You still require data. It follows the history of break downs. When you realize that you are changing a part you consider cheap every two days, this tendency will be mentioned on the reporting dashboard. It may also turn out that the component is not as inexpensive as you thought, and you will have to switch to a more superior component or a change of strategy.
Best Practices for Implementing Run-to-Failure Strategy
Implementing Run-to-Failure (RTF) isn't just about stopping maintenance; it’s about shifting your focus from "prevention" to "readiness." To execute this without disrupting operations, follow these core practices:
The introduction of Run-to-Failure (RTF) is not only a matter of avoiding maintenance, but also a matter of changing your mindset of trying to prevent something and accomplishing it but being prepared. In order to implement this without derailing activities, consider the following main practices:
- Begin with a Pilot Program: It is not necessary to turn the switch to the entire plant at once. First, test the strategy with a small target of non-critical assets (such as general lighting) to optimize your working process.
- Lock Down Inventory: You are not checking, as such you need to be prepared to change. Always have the spare parts ready and charted in your warehouse so that the simple repairs will not turn into a long delay.
- Monitor Cost Data: Regularly review breakdown costs. If a specific asset starts failing too frequently, the data will tell you when it’s cheaper to move it back to a preventive schedule.
- Re-evaluate Criticality: Operational needs change. Review your asset list every 6 months to ensure that a "run-to-failure" asset hasn't quietly become critical to your production line.
Conclusion
Run-to-failure maintenance often gets a bad reputation, but as we’ve seen, it isn’t about being lazy. It is about being efficient. By consciously deciding to let non-critical assets run their course, you stop wasting valuable technician hours on equipment that doesn't impact your bottom line. You trade the illusion of total control for the reality of optimized resources.
However, the secret to success lies in balance. A world-class maintenance operation doesn't stick to just one strategy; it mixes Preventive, Predictive, and Run-to-Failure methods where they make the most sense. It ties them all together with a robust CMMS to ensure that "unplanned" never means "unprepared."
Don't be afraid to let things break—just make sure you have the data, the inventory, and the strategy to handle it when they do.
