Maintenance of plant, building, machinery and equipment plays an important part in determining the life expectancy of physical assets. The actual service lives may be lengthened considerably by a good maintenance programme.
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The purpose of plant maintenance is usually secondary, however to the need for keeping industrial building and their equipment and good working order. Therefore, the objectives of maintenance are twofold:
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(a) To keep the plant in working conditions.
(b) To arrest depreciation and forestall obsolescence.
“Maintenance in the industrial plant is the upkeep, repair, renewal and replacement of worn, damaged or obsolete parts of building, machinery and equipments.”
Maintenance may be preventive or corrective in character. Preventive maintenance implies frequent inspection to detect minor faults and the early correction of them, supplemented by periodic overhauling in accordance with a plan so that the possibility of a major breakdown is almost entirely eliminated. Corrective maintenance implies that action is taken only when the need for it becomes obvious and, therefore, gives no assurance that a major breakdown will not occur.
Most plants use both types of maintenance, where a major defect in one of the building, or in a vital machine, would be seriously reduced or completely stop production, or preventive maintenance program is indicated.
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Machines or equipments that are not so vital to production, often receive attention only when they are to be repaired. The trend is towards increased use of preventive maintenance in order to minimize interruption in operation and keep equipment in condition for the most efficient performance.
Objectives of Plant Maintenance:
1. Machines and other facilities should, be kept in such a condition which permits them to be used as their optimum (profit making) capacity without any interruption or hindrance.
2. The objective of plant maintenance is to achieve minimum breakdown and to keep the plant in good working condition at the lowest possible cost.
3. Maintenance division of the factory ensures the availability of the machines, buildings and services required by other sections of the factory for the performance of their functions at optimum return on investment whether this investment be in material, machinery or personnel.
Importance of Plant Maintenance:
Importance of plant maintenance can be understood by the following points:
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(i) Equipment breakdown leads to an enviable loss of production. If a piece of equipment goes out of order in a flow production factory, the whole line will soon come to a halt. Other production lines may also stop unless the initial fault is cleared. This results in an immediate loss in productivity and a diminution of several thousand rupees per hour of output.
(ii) The importance of plant maintenance varies with the type of plant and its production.
(iii) An un-properly maintained or neglected plant will sooner or later require expensive and frequent repairs. With the passage of time all machines or other facilities (such as transportation facilities, buildings etc.) wear out and need to be maintained to function properly.
(iv) A properly maintained equipments will reduce the loss in production time & spoiled materials (because sudden stoppage of process damages in-process materials).
Losses Due to Poor Maintenance:
Following types of losses may be incurred due to the poor maintenance:
(a) Destruction of equipment
(b) Poor product quality
(c) Distinguished loss
(d) Induced loss
(e) Lower productivity
(f) Higher costs
(g) Poor employee morale
(h) Poor customer relations.
(a) Destruction of equipment:
If the equipment is used without maintenance, there is the destruction of equipment which deteriorates beyond repair. Overuse and careless use of machines cause premature replacement of capital assets. Very often the need of maintenance is not felt until the machine actually breaks down. Cost of maintenance is considered as unnecessary expense rather than an investment.
(b) Poor product quality:
Untimely, undetected and uncontrolled wear and tear of machinery results in deterioration of product quality.
(c) Distinguished loss:
When a machine breaks down, the plan switches over to an idle equipment to avoid disruption in production. In an industry where the installed capacity is underutilized, this may give the impression that excess is being utilised.
(d) Induced loss:
Production loss in one plant leads to negative consequences for both the customers and suppliers. Frequent breakdowns result in irregular deliveries. In order to ensure uninterrupted production in the face of unstable supplies, the firm has to keep high stocks of intermediate components and spare parts. This is an unnecessary locking up of scarce capital and waste of resources.
(e) Lower productivity:
Deterioration of plant and equipment results in frequent interruptions or breakdowns which in turn lead to production loss. Such loss is very high in capital intensive and continuous process industries.
(f) Higher costs:
Higher interruption in production means cost of idle equipment and wages of idle labour. There is greater wastage of materials and parts. Incompetent and inadequate maintenance results in increase in unit cost of manufacturing.
(g) Poor employee morale:
Employees lose enthusiusm and interest in work, when the machine or equipment frequently breaks down.
(h) Poor customer relations:
When the quality of product is poor and delivery schedule is not maintained, relations with customers will deteriorate. This will lead to a permanent fall in sales turnover and loss of market.