Failure warning signs poster (P-F curve)

Many failures give warning. The P-F curve, from reliability-centred maintenance, shows the time between the point a failure can first be detected (P) and the point it fails (F). Instruments catch the earliest signs, such as a change in vibration or wear metal in the oil; people notice the later ones, such as noise, heat and smoke. This poster lists the signs in their typical order, so the team knows that the earlier a sign is caught, the more time there is to plan the repair.

Download the poster

The PNG is free to download now. The print-ready vector PDFs open after a short form, once.

Download PNG (300 dpi)2550 x 3300 px, prints at 8.5 x 11 in · 329 KB · no form

Free to print and share with your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

Failure warning signs poster — 24 x 36 in18 x 24 inA2A3LetterA4PNG 300 dpi

The words on the poster

Catch it before it fails

Many failures give warning. Report anything new: noise, heat, smell or vibration.

Warning signs, earliest first

Vibration changes Found by vibration analysis, long before anyone hears it.
Wear metal in the oil Found by oil analysis.
Hot spot Found by a thermal camera or thermometer.
Noise you can hear A hum, squeal, knock or rattle that is new.
Smoke, then failure Damage is far along. Stop and report it.

After the P-F curve in John Moubray, RCM II (1997). Typical order; it varies by failure mode.

On the floor

How to use it

Putting the Failure warning signs poster (P-F curve) poster to work

1
Hang it by the condition monitoring route and in the maintenance office.
2
Use it to explain why operators report a new noise or smell straight away: it is already late on the curve.
3
Mark which signs your plant measures today and on which machines.
4
Pair it with the free condition monitoring route sheet.

Where the poster goes and how to teach with it, in the order to try them.

Which size to print

24 x 36 in or A2: a main wall or team board, read from a few metres away.
18 x 24 in or A3: a station or notice board. The A3 file also fits 11 x 17 in paper.
Letter or A4: a clipboard, binder or handout, on any office printer.

Every PDF is vector, so it stays sharp at full size. Nothing runs to the edge of the page, so no bleed is needed.

Sources and notes

The order of the signs is the one usually drawn on a P-F curve for rotating equipment. It varies by failure mode: some failures give no warning a person can see, and some skip a stage.