Some equipment needs maintenance on a time-based schedule: inspect every 30 days. Other equipment needs maintenance based on usage: service every 1,000 operating hours or 10,000 gallons pumped. Some need both, whichever threshold gets hit first. Work template intervals in Antero handle all three scenarios, so your preventive maintenance schedule matches how equipment actually wears out.
Why use interval-based scheduling?
Calendar-only schedules ignore usage patterns. A pump that runs 24/7 wears faster than one that runs 4 hours per day, yet calendar scheduling treats them the same. A vehicle that drives 10 miles per day doesn’t need oil changes as often as one that drives 200 miles per day, yet a monthly schedule would maintain both identically. Work template intervalsbased on instrument readings align maintenance with actual wear, preventing both under-maintenance (which causes failures) and over-maintenance (which wastes time and parts).
How to set up days in service intervals
Create or edit a work template in Antero. In the Schedule section at the bottom, select Days in Service from the dropdown. Enter the interval: 30 days, 90 days, 365 days, whatever fits the equipment’s needs. Antero generates a new work order 30 days (or whatever interval you set) after the last work order was completed. This works for equipment where time is the primary wear factor: HVAC filters that accumulate dust over time, fire extinguisher inspections required by regulation, or chemical feed pumps that degrade from exposure regardless of how much they pump.
How to set up instrument reading intervals
For usage-based maintenance, set up instrument readings on the equipment first. Go to the equipment record and add meters or instruments: “Engine Hours,” “Odometer Miles,” “Gallons Pumped,” “Cycles Run,” etc. Then create a work template and select Instrument Reading from the schedule dropdown. Choose the instrument and set the interval: every 1,000 hours, every 5,000 miles, every 100,000 gallons. Antero compares the current meter reading (updated on work orders) to the last maintenance reading and generates a new work order when the interval is reached.
Combine days and readings: Whichever comes first
Many work template intervals use a hybrid approach: 30 days OR 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. This is the “oil change model.” Set the work template to use Days in Service with a 30-day interval, but also select an Instrument Reading with a 3,000-mile interval. Antero monitors both conditions. If 30 days pass before the vehicle hits 3,000 miles, Antero generates the work order. If the vehicle hits 3,000 miles in 20 days, Antero generates the work order early. This prevents over-maintaining low-use equipment while catching high-use equipment before it fails.
Update meter readings on work orders
For work template intervals based on instrument readings to work, operators must update meters when completing work orders. Each work order has an Instruments section where operators enter the current reading: “Odometer: 45,320 miles,” “Engine Hours: 1,250 hours,” etc. Antero stores this reading and uses it to calculate when the next interval threshold is reached. If operators don’t update meters, the system can’t trigger usage-based maintenance.
Forecast upcoming work based on usage trends
Antero’s work forecast feature (covered in other blog posts) shows upcoming work orders including those triggered by work template intervals. If a pump is at 8,500 operating hours and the next PM is due at 10,000 hours, Antero estimates when that threshold will be reached based on recent usage trends and shows the forecasted work order. This lets supervisors plan parts purchases, schedule downtime, and coordinate with production before the interval hits.
Common interval examples
Vehicle oil changes: 90 days or 5,000 miles. Motor inspections: 180 days or 2,000 runtime hours. Pump bearing replacements: 365 days or 10,000 cycles. Filter changes: 30 days or 500,000 gallons processed. Lift inspections: 30 days or 100 lifts completed. Each of these aligns maintenance with actual equipment wear instead of arbitrary calendar dates.
Avoid over-maintaining idle equipment
Calendar-only schedules waste resources on idle equipment. If a backup generator only runs for monthly tests, a 30-day PM schedule might trigger maintenance every month even though the generator accumulated only 4 hours of runtime. Work template intervals based on engine hours would trigger maintenance every 100 hours, which might be once per year for that low-use generator. You save labor and parts while still maintaining the equipment before it accumulates enough wear to fail.
Set realistic intervals
Work with equipment manufacturers’ recommendations and historical failure data to set work template intervals. Don’t guess. If the manufacturer says “service every 5,000 hours or annually,” set both intervals in Antero. If your plant’s data shows bearings fail around 8,000 hours, set a 7,500-hour interval to catch them before failure. Over time, adjust intervals based on actual maintenance history tracked in Antero—if you’re replacing parts that still have 50% life left, extend the interval; if you’re seeing failures before intervals, shorten it.
Why this approach reduces failures and costs
Work template intervals based on actual wear prevent the two most expensive maintenance mistakes: waiting too long (leading to failures and emergency repairs) and acting too early (wasting labor and parts). By aligning PM schedules with time, usage, or both, you maintain equipment exactly when it needs it.
Next Steps: Set up interval-based preventive maintenance in Antero →
