When you run a business with machines constantly performing tasks, it is common to do maintenance operations on this equipment, whether preventive maintenance or for any purpose. You must ensure that every piece of equipment runs as expected and performs perfectly to guarantee your company's best results.

When you have a more significant number of machines, it can become harder for maintenance technicians to remember which equipment already received preventive maintenance and which ones did not. Most business owners create tools called equipment maintenance logs to help with these and many other aspects of your machines.

They can have numerous benefits and help you in all aspects of your maintenance tasks. But to achieve the desired results, your template must be well structured.

In this article, we will show you how to create the perfect equipment maintenance log template. Make sure to follow all the steps, and you’ll end up with the perfect tool to help in your maintenance work.

An equipment maintenance log is a document responsible for registering all activities regarding the maintenance of your company's assets. Whether registering an activity done or scheduling maintenance work that must be completed, these maintenance logs are a perfect tool for keeping track of all essential details.

These machinery maintenance logs also help you keep track of multiple maintenance schedules you must make to ensure everything works properly. When working at a company that relies on automated processes for most of its production, a single problem with one piece of equipment can cost hours of work and profit.

Maintenance schedule logs prevent this type of issue by registering all necessary equipment work and any routine maintenance required to ensure all operations run smoothly.

There are several reasons why creating equipment maintenance schedules can be a game changer for your company. First, these documents are not only responsible for reminding the employees about necessary maintenance but also for preventing malfunction which can lead to poor performance.

Also, by having your own maintenance log, you can keep track of which equipment already received the necessary maintenance. If you run a business with a high number of machines, tracking this information can take time and effort. 

Moreover, the equipment maintenance form is also responsible for helping business owners to save money. By running all the necessary maintenance, you ensure that this equipment won’t generate bigger problems for the production or company itself, avoiding money waste.

There are different types of equipment maintenance logs, each with its own objective. By knowing these differences, you can better decide which document best fits your needs and the type of maintenance you do.

Make sure to take a look at each one to understand these details better. Here are the main types of maintenance logs you can have:

Maintenance Schedule Logs

One of the most common types of documents is the schedule log. As the name suggests, these templates gather information about scheduled maintenance activities, whether for equipment or any other kind.

These documents are usually related to preventative maintenance and are scheduled activities that must be done by the deadline or on a specific date. These maintenance activities performed have the objective of ensuring everything works as expected and preventing equipment failure.

Machinery Maintenance Logs

This type of log is used to register information regarding maintenance activities related to malfunctioning equipment and other actions of this kind. It is usually created by equipment operators to take note of any equipment failures and problems that need to be solved to ensure that production goes back to normal.

It can also be combined with the schedule log to ensure every piece of equipment runs smoothly and without any problems for the company. The machinery maintenance doc also features fields for repair costs and a description of the repair process.

Project Logs

Project logs are used to track all the current projects of a company. It helps mainly to track ongoing work, what still needs to be done, and until which due date.

The project logs can also feature maintenance schedules since they are important activities on every project. Featuring them in this template also helps the maintenance team prepare for all assigned tasks. This way, each step of the project gets more efficient and optimized.

Now that you know the main types of maintenance records, it is time to see the most important categories you should feature in your template for equipment maintenance.

Make sure to include all of them for the best results. Here are the primary ones:

Equipment Name and Manufacturer

Identification is important, especially when you have multiple machines used in your business. By including the name and manufacturer, the operator or person reading the log can quickly identify which equipment it regards.

Person Responsible for the Equipment Maintenance

Next, you need to identify the person responsible for the equipment maintenance. This helps determine the responsibilities of each team member and generate a more organized workflow.

Moreover, you can also add a brief maintenance description for the worker to understand what needs to be done. You can leave this field blank if you don’t know the problem.

Date of Purchase and Date Put Into Service

Inserting these two pieces of information into your maintenance log can also show you valuable data regarding your equipment. If you notice that the machine is not working correctly shortly after its purchase, you can contact the manufacturer to discuss the issue and see possible solutions.

Date of the Maintenance

Whether scheduled maintenance or an action to fix an unexpected problem, all of your maintenance activities should have a date identified on the maintenance log. It helps the team to see when each machine was maintained and decide when to schedule the following action.

Working equipment requires frequent maintenance, and knowing the last time it was checked helps organize the operator's tasks. It should be clearly identified next to the equipment name.

Date of Validation and Person Responsible

Your maintenance activities should also be validated, and it is essential to include the person responsible in the equipment maintenance log. Once the maintenance is done and the issue is solved, in case there is one, one person should look at the work done and validate the maintenance.

This person will be responsible for testing the equipment and ensuring everything works properly. At the end of the inspection, the person who validated the maintenance will also include their name and the date the activity was done on the log.

When it comes to creating your own equipment maintenance logs, there are several options. From known software to specialized programs, each one has its own tools and features to help you make the perfect document.

Among all the options available, we highly recommend using Microsoft Excel for this task. It has the best tools set on the market and is an industry standard, meaning you won’t need extra programs to perform your work tasks.

If you don’t have a Microsoft Office activation key, you can find one at RoyalCDKeys. This way, you get access to everything you need and still save money.

If you don’t want to create your maintenance logs from scratch, don’t worry. Here are some free templates you can download and edit using Excel:

Template #1

Simple equipment schedule template. A document that can be used for scheduling maintenance for multiple pieces of equipment simultaneously.

Get this template

Template #2

Machine maintenance template. Log used for registering information about malfunctioning machines and their repair details.

Get this template

Template #3

Minimalistic equipment maintenance log. Template featuring a simple layout and all the essential categories for quality maintenance logs.

Get this template

There are several details a business owner needs to consider, and if your company relies on equipment and machinery, maintenance is one of them. Running preventative maintenance and scheduled operations helps you not only to run at full capacity and efficiency but also to save money by avoiding unnecessary equipment problems.

Now that you know the importance of these documents, it is time to start creating your own template. To achieve these results, your equipment maintenance logs must be well-structured and aligned with your objectives. With this, you’ll be able to create quality logs that positively impact numerous aspects of your business.