equipmentmaintenance

Equipment maintenance is the systematic set of activities used to preserve and restore equipment functionality, reliability, and safety. The goal is to prevent unexpected downtime, extend asset life, meet regulatory requirements, and control operating costs. Maintenance activities can be categorized into preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, corrective maintenance, and routine calibration and inspection. Preventive maintenance involves planned tasks at fixed intervals; predictive maintenance uses condition monitoring and data analysis to determine when maintenance is needed; corrective maintenance is performed after a fault is detected; calibration and lubrication, cleaning, and part replacement are common ancillary tasks.

Effective maintenance requires accurate asset information, clear procedures, and documented records. A maintenance program typically starts with an asset register, maintenance policy, and risk assessment, followed by the creation of work orders, scheduling, and spares management. Modern organizations rely on computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) or asset management software to plan, track, and analyze activities, store manuals, and generate performance reports.

Key performance indicators include mean time between failures (MTBF), mean time to repair (MTTR), overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and maintenance cost as a share of asset value. Benefits include reduced downtime, improved safety, consistent product quality, and compliance with standards. Common approaches include reliability-centered maintenance and total productive maintenance, which emphasize data-driven decisions and operator involvement.

Challenges include data quality, integration with production planning, skill shortages, and balancing maintenance with production schedules. Best practices include performing root cause analysis after failures, keeping up-to-date documentation, calibrating instruments, and training staff. Standards such as ISO 55001 (asset management) and industry-specific regulations guide risk management and safety.