Distinguish preventive maintenance from predictive maintenance.

• A. Preventive maintenance relies on data analytics to predict failures; predictive maintenance is time-based.
• B. Preventive maintenance is time-based or usage-based; predictive maintenance uses data analytics (vibration, oil analysis, thermal imaging) to predict failures.
• C. Predictive maintenance uses fixed schedules.
• D. They are the same.

Answer: (B)

Preventive maintenance plans work on fixed schedules or usage-based intervals, replacing or servicing components at set times or after a certain amount of running hours regardless of current condition. Predictive maintenance relies on condition monitoring and data analytics—things like vibration measurements, oil analysis, and thermal imaging—to assess health and forecast when a part will fail, so maintenance happens just before it’s likely to fail. This data-driven approach aims to optimize uptime and avoid unnecessary work, rather than simply following a calendar or usage count.

That’s why the statement describing preventive maintenance as time-based or usage-based and predictive maintenance as data-analytic, condition-based forecasting is the best fit. The other options mix up the concepts (predictive isn’t fixed on a schedule; preventive isn’t based on predictive data; they’re not the same).