When I started in this industry, I worked at my father's small motor repair shop in a small town north of Toronto. To Gain the Advantage over larger motor shops in the city, we provided exceptional customer service, delivered high-quality repairs and recognized early on that plant maintenance practices were very much reactive. So, we developed a service to offer our clients. 
In its infancy, our services included on-site surge testing during plant shutdowns and off-site motor management in our warehouse. Fast forward to today, and the type of plant maintenance options available to end-users are vast, ever-evolving and more user-friendly.

When faced with an ailing or failed motor, plant operators typically consider whether to repair or replace it. According to a 2014 study conducted by Plant Engineering magazine for the Electrical Apparatus and Service Association (EASA), just more than one-half of plants have a policy of automatically replacing failed electric motors below a certain horsepower rating. While that horsepower rating varied depending upon the plant’s installed motor population, the average rating was 30 hp.

While such policies address a portion of the motors used at most plants, they do not cover what occurs with those motors. That question was addressed in a more recent research project commissioned by EASA that focused on the disposition of electric motors considered for repair.

How do most plant maintenance personnel characterize their overall maintenance strategy for the electric motors operating in their facility? EASA posed this question in the 2014 end-user customer research project. The most common response (42%) was “reactive maintenance.” Another 30% described their strategy as “preventive maintenance” defined as “performed primarily following a prescribed program.” Another 20% characterized theirs as a “predictive maintenance” strategy that is one “performed pursuant to a monitored/condition-based criterion.” EASAns may assist customers in following any of these strategies. However, some important insights came from a series of follow-up questions that tried to identify future trends in these strategies and any corresponding outsourcing opportunities.