Mean Time Between Failures
MTBFThe predicted average time between equipment breakdowns during normal operation. MTBF is used to assess equipment reliability, plan preventive maintenance schedules, and make decisions about equipment replacement or upgrades.
RELATED TERMS
Mean Time to Repair
The average time required to diagnose and fix a failed piece of equipment and return it to operational status. MTTR is a key maintenance metric that helps organizations evaluate maintenance team effectiveness and plan for equipment downtime in production schedules.
Total Productive Maintenance
A holistic approach to equipment maintenance that aims to achieve perfect production with no breakdowns, no defects, and no accidents. TPM involves operators in routine maintenance tasks and focuses on proactive and preventive maintenance to maximize equipment effectiveness throughout its lifecycle.
Predictive Maintenance
A maintenance strategy that uses sensor data, analytics, and machine learning to predict when equipment is likely to fail, enabling repairs before breakdowns occur. Predictive maintenance reduces unplanned downtime and maintenance costs compared to reactive or time-based maintenance approaches.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness
A metric that measures manufacturing productivity by multiplying three factors: Availability (uptime), Performance (speed), and Quality (good units produced). An OEE score of 85% is considered world-class, while most manufacturers operate between 60-70%. OEE identifies losses and improvement opportunities in equipment utilization.