Anticipating equipment failure before it causes a production shutdown is the goal of predictive maintenance. In Quebec, this approach is gradually gaining ground.
According to the 17th edition of STIQ’s Baromètre industriel québécois, 32% of surveyed manufacturing SMEs had integrated predictive maintenance in 2025, compared with 27% in 2019. This five-percentage-point increase was also covered in MCI magazine’s August–September 2026 feature on predictive maintenance in Quebec factories.
The findings are encouraging, although adoption remains below the halfway mark. For manufacturers looking to improve equipment reliability, they raise a practical question: how can maintenance teams better anticipate service needs and prevent unexpected breakdowns?
What Is Predictive Maintenance?
Predictive maintenance uses equipment data to identify signs of deterioration and anticipate maintenance needs. Depending on the machinery and the failure modes being monitored, this data may include vibration, temperature, pressure or changes in component behaviour.
The goal is to detect abnormal trends early enough to schedule an intervention. MCI’s feature highlights applications where sensors and analytical tools help monitor equipment and identify deterioration before a failure occurs.
This approach complements preventive maintenance, which generally involves scheduled work based on time intervals, operating hours or manufacturer recommendations. A predictive maintenance program therefore does not eliminate the need for required inspections and routine servicing.
Steady, Gradual Progress
The increase from 27% to 32% occurred between 2019 and 2025. It represents progress over six years, rather than a jump in a single year. STIQ notes that the adoption of several digital technologies changed little during that period, while predictive maintenance showed some improvement.
These findings come from a survey of 500 Quebec manufacturing SMEs with 10 to 500 employees, conducted in early 2026 about their activities in 2025. They reflect that manufacturing population, rather than all Quebec businesses across every sector.
Where Should a Factory Start?
For a manufacturer exploring predictive maintenance, an initial project can focus on a piece of equipment whose downtime significantly disrupts production.
The first steps are to identify the failures worth anticipating, assess the available data and determine how findings will lead to maintenance action. An alert is only useful if the team knows how to interpret it and what to do next.
In a robotic cell, this assessment can also cover peripheral equipment, including conveyors, pneumatic systems, positioning devices and process equipment. The availability of the cell depends on all its components.
Plan Maintenance for Your Robotic Equipment
Predictive maintenance is part of a broader approach to equipment reliability. Understanding equipment condition, keeping maintenance records and following a structured service program provide a useful foundation for improving maintenance practices.
At Revtech Systems, we support manufacturers with robotic equipment maintenance and repair. Are you looking to better plan service work or identify equipment that requires closer attention?
Contact our team to discuss your maintenance needs and assess the next steps for your factory.
Sources: STIQ, Baromètre industriel québécois, 17th edition; MCI magazine, August–September 2026, “Légère progression en 2025 dans les usines du Québec.”