Today, in the modern industries, it is very important to keep the machines and equipment always ready to use. So that there is no interruption occurs during the production.

 

The maintenance division of the factory ensures the availability of machines and equipment to perform their function at optimum conditions. 

 

What you are going to learn?

What is Maintenance?

Industrial maintenance is a process of maintaining machines and equipment in a factory. With the development of special-purpose machine and equipment, it cost a lot more money so their idle time and downtime becoming a lot more expensive day by day. Therefore, it is important that plant machinery and equipment should be properly maintained.

 

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Objective of plant maintenance :

 

• The maintenance division of the factory ensures the availability of machines and equipment to perform their function at optimum conditions.

• The objective of plant maintenance division is to achieve minimum breakdown and to keep the plant in excellent condition at the lowest possible cost.

• Kept the plant in such condition that, it should run without any interruption.

 

 

Importance of maintenance department :

 

 

• Depending upon the size of the maintenance department and type of production, it has a wide variety of duties.

• The maintenance department plays an important role in production because plant breakdown creates problems such as time loss, Rescheduling of production, temporary work shortages, need for overtime, inefficient productivity, etc.

• If a piece of equipment goes out of service in a flow production plant, the whole line soon comes in a halt. It results in a loss of productivity.

• The maintenance engineer inspects the plant, determines necessary changes to be made, and reports to the plant manager.

• The maintenance department involves alterations and improvement in existing equipment and building to minimize breakdown.

 

Types of Maintenance

Maintenance can be classified into 4 categories –

 

1. Correctiveor breakdown maintenance,
2. Scheduled maintenance,
3. Preventive maintenance,
4. Predictive maintenance.

 

1. Corrective or Breakdown maintenance :

In Corrective or Breakdown maintenance repairs are made after the equipment is out of order and it can not perform its normal function. 

In that case, the maintenance department comes into action and makes necessary repairs after checking. They do not attend the equipment until another breakdown occurs.

 

Breakdown leads to poor maintenance, excessive delays in production, more spoilt material, and profit loss.

This type of maintenance is justified for small plants, where they do not feel financial justification for scheduled techniques Corrective or Breakdown maintenance needs few records and a small staff.

 

2. Scheduled maintenance :

 Breakdown maintenance can’t be applied in the maintenance of cranes, lifts, hoists, and pressure vassals. Scheduled maintenance must be applied in such a condition. 

The scheduled maintenance department inspects equipment early and makes necessary changes to avoid breakdown. Scheduled maintenance incorporates, inspection, lubrication, and repair of certain equipment.

 

 

3. Preventive maintenance :

In preventive maintenance locates weak spots like bearing, part under excessive vibration, pressure vessel, etc which needs regular inspection and minimal repair thereby reducing the danger of breakdown.

 

Preventive maintenance involves periodic inspection of components and corrects them in such conditions while they are still in the minor stage. To make plant equipment always ready for use and achieve maximum production.

 

4. Predictive maintenance :

 It is newer maintenance technique uses human senses or sensing instrument such as Audio gauge to sense machine sound, Vibration analyzer for checking vibration, Amplitude meter, thermometer, pressure gauge, etc, to predict trouble before breakdown.

 

In predictive maintenance, equipment conditions are measured periodically to take timely action such as equipment adjustment, repair, or overhaul.

Predictive maintenance increases the lifetime of the equipment.

 

Recommended Books for learning Maintenance

1. Maintenance Planning and Scheduling by Richard (Doc) Palmer. (Check on Amazon Click Here) (From India? Click Here)

This is a great book to learn maintenance, it provides proven planning and scheduling strategies that will make any maintenance of an organization to the next level of performance. This book covers the accuracy of time estimates, the level of detail in job plans, creating schedules, utilizing a CMMS, etc all designed for increasing your workforce without hiring.

2. Practical Reliability Engineering by Patrick P. O’Connor (Author), Andre Kleyner (Author). (Check on Amazon Click here)

With emphasis on practical aspects of engineering, this bestseller has gained worldwide recognition through progressive editions as the essential reliability textbook. This fifth edition retains the unique balanced mixture of reliability theory and applications, thoroughly updated with the latest industry best practices.

3. Practical Plant Failure Analysis: A Guide to Understanding Machinery Deterioration and Improving Equipment Reliability by Neville W Sachs P.E. (Author) (Check on Amazon Click Here) (From India? Click Here)

This is a practical guide for those who do the work of maintaining and improving the reliability of mechanical machinery. It is for engineers and skilled trades personnel who want to understand how failures happen and how the physical causes of the great majority can be readily diagnosed in the field. It explains the four major failure mechanisms, wear, corrosion, overload, and fatigue and, using easy-to-read charts, how they can be diagnosed at the site of the failure. Then, knowing the physical failure mechanics involved, the reader can accurately solve the human causes.