Maintenance tools used in industrial environments enable technicians to inspect equipment and carry out servicing, repairs or replacements. What tools are required, and how can companies ensure they are always available to maintenance managers?
Measuring instruments: diagnosing faults before maintenance work
Before replacing or repairing a component, maintenance teams must inspect the equipment and identify the source of the fault. The supplies used at this stage vary according to the type of installation:
- multimeters, clamp meters and testers for electrical measurements;
- callipers or micrometers for dimensional measurements;
- thermal imaging, vibration analysis or industrial endoscopy equipment for certain diagnostic procedures.
The maintenance team also needs standard mechanical and electrical tools, which may be adapted to the requirements of the working environment.
Essential maintenance consumables
Consumables such as oils, greases and cleaning products are required for many maintenance operations in industry. Depending on their needs, teams must have lubricants, degreasers, descaling agents or stripping agents readily available. These are supplemented by consumables used for particular operations, such as filler wires, electrodes or welding rods.
Wear and spare parts for component replacement
Spare parts are used to replace defective or damaged components in operating equipment. The principle is straightforward, but not all replacements follow the same approach.
Parts subject to predictable wear are replaced regularly and can be incorporated into the procurement plan without difficulty. This plan must also include replacement parts needed to address unexpected failures. Where operating history is available, it helps teams anticipate these failures more effectively and keep all the parts required to resolve them in stock.
The challenge lies in striking the right balance. Stock levels must be low enough to avoid tying up capital unnecessarily, yet sufficient to meet all known and unforeseen maintenance requirements.
Equipment that protects industrial maintenance technicians
Industrial maintenance supplies also include equipment designed to protect personnel during maintenance operations. The selection of personal protective equipment (PPE) depends on the risks to which technicians are exposed. Essential equipment includes gloves, safety glasses or face protection, safety footwear, suitable protective clothing and respiratory protective equipment (RPE). A wide selection of this equipment and these supplies is available on the websites of GIFEC members.