Planned Downtime
Planned downtime is an approved period when equipment is intentionally unavailable for maintenance, inspection, setup, modification, cleaning, or other scheduled work.
What this term means in maintenance
Planned downtime is an approved period when equipment is intentionally unavailable for maintenance, inspection, setup, modification, cleaning, or other scheduled work.
Examples of planned downtime
Planned downtime may include:
- Preventive maintenance
- Inspection
- Calibration
- Cleaning
- Changeover
- Equipment modification
- Statutory examination
- Shutdown work
- Planned replacement
Practical example
A production line is stopped for six hours to replace wear components, inspect guarding, calibrate sensors, and complete approved corrective work.
Planning requirements
A planned stop should define:
- Work scope
- Start and finish time
- Required labor
- Parts and tools
- Safety and isolation
- Production coordination
- Testing and release
- Contingency
- Responsible owner
Planned downtime and availability
Whether planned downtime is included in an availability calculation depends on the selected definition. The rule should be documented.
Common mistake
A stop may be scheduled but still poorly planned. Missing parts, unclear scope, and late access can cause planned downtime to overrun.
Related concepts
Related maintenance terms
Keep exploring connected CMMS, reliability, and maintenance planning terms.
Equipment Downtime
Equipment downtime is the period when an asset is required or scheduled to operate but is unavailable or unable to perform its intended function.
Planned Maintenance
Planned maintenance is work whose scope, labor, parts, tools, safety requirements, and execution method are prepared before the job begins.
Maintenance Scheduling
Maintenance scheduling is the process of assigning ready maintenance work to specific dates, shifts, teams, or technicians based on priority, labor, access, and production availability.
Planned Downtime FAQs
- What is planned downtime?
It is an approved period when equipment is intentionally unavailable for scheduled work or activity.
- Does planned downtime reduce availability?
It depends on the selected availability definition and denominator.
- Why does planned downtime overrun?
Common causes include unclear scope, missing parts, poor access, unexpected findings, and weak coordination.