This document discusses the importance of maintenance for companies. It defines maintenance as any activity carried out to keep facilities in good working condition. The goals of maintenance are to minimize breakdowns, keep equipment operating at optimal capacity, and ensure availability. Without proper maintenance, equipment will break down more often and quality and output will suffer. The document outlines the primary and secondary functions of maintenance engineering and stresses that maintenance should be effectively managed throughout the entire lifecycle of equipment from design to replacement.

1. Mulugeta D Abera 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The overall and overarching goal of any company’s establishment is long time survival
and the ability to produce useful outputs and provide satisfactory service to its customers. But
due to the
- Equipment parts wear our and corrosion
- Atmospheric conditions that destroy equipment parts and materials
- Aging affects materials and their behavior
- Improper handling affects equipment and materials
The functionality of equipment’s is affected. If proper actions against those mention
above causes of failures, there would be breakdown in the service providing, and materials
deteriorate unduly resulting in loss or total stoppage of service it provides. Hence there is a
permanent necessity that all means of production be:-
- Used
- Checked
- Serviced
- Tended
In order to give the full function which they are designed for, the last three necessities
constitute what is called maintenance, whereas the former is operational.
For the engineering viewpoint, the management of the means of production has two elements to
it. First, it must be maintained, and second, from time to time it may also need to be modified.
To achieve the primary objective of satisfying a demand, it is very important that
equipment’s are giving the right quantity and quality services at the right time and right cost. For
these requirements to be met, equipment need to be maintained in the most efficient and
economic manner. The machines and equipment must operate efficiently and effectively at the
required level of service it provides. There must be very few or no stoppages on service lines
which require effective planning, scheduling and good administration of maintenance activities.
Maintenance requirements have an impact on service scheduling and other functions
performed to satisfying demand. Time lost due to maintenance may interfere with schedules
from the organization. Therefore, maintenance requirements should be considered in choosing

2. Mulugeta D Abera 2
machines or equipment for replacement or increasing the capacity of installed machines and
equipment.
The maintenance department in any organization is saddled with the responsibility of the
maintenance of facilities, equipment, and machines.
1.1 DEFINITION OF MAINTENANCE
Maintenance is any activity that is carried out on any facility either to restore to or to
retain the facility in a good and acceptable working conditions. Maintenance involves all
technical and other procedures performed in order to retain the satisfactory working condition of
a machine or part or restoring it to an acceptable working condition so that the set tasks can be
performed at the scheduled time and under given conditions.
Maintenance is often not given the priority it deserves in the overall operating strategy of
a facility. Maintenance programs are managed and funded by people, and human nature seems to
abide by the old tenet, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Compared to other departments,
maintenance departments have no real “product” and - as such - produce no real income. Many
managers view money spent on maintenance as money thrown down a black hole. In spite of any
life-cycle “proofs” to the contrary, managers look for ways to cut maintenance budgets first
when any other need arises. It has been stated below that the maintenance functions stem at
supporting role to keep equipment;
(i) To operate effectively;
(ii) To maintain quality standard at all times;
(iii)To maintain the quantitative and cost standards of output.
The objectives of plant maintenance have been enumerated to include the following;
o To achieve minimum breakdown and to keep the plant in good working condition at the
lowest possible cost;
o To keep the machines and other facilities in operational level, and used act optimum (profit
making) capacity.
o To ensure the availability of the machines; buildings and services required by other section,
buildings and services required by other section of the factory for efficient performance.
The most important responsibility of plant engineering is that of maintaining the plant
facilities and equipment.

3. Mulugeta D Abera 3
It is only when the equipment is adequately maintained that it can be expected to operate
and perform properly, and thereby yielding a high quality product at a reasonable cost.
1.2 NEED FOR MAINTENANCE
One of the factors that can ensure availability of installed facilities for efficient use is an
effective and efficient maintenance engineering system. Gone were the days when maintenance
was not given adequate attention. For any company with mechanized and automated systems,
more attention is now given to maintenance function. Therefore, the need for maintenance
increases with technological advancement in production/service providing facilities. Other
factors which seem to emphasize the need for effective maintenance system are:
(i) Strong competition
(ii) Tight production/service schedules
(iii) Increased machine utilization
(iv) Increased production/service level
Inadequate or lack of effective and efficient maintenance system especially in a
manufacturing enterprise/service providing sector gives rise to several undesirable consequences.
These consequences include:
(i) Excessive machine/equipment breakdown
(ii) Frequent emergency maintenance work
(iii) Shortened life-span of the facility
(iv) Poor use of maintenance staff
(v) Loss in production output/service provide
(vi) Inability to meet delivery dates
(vii) Excessive overtime
(viii) Loss of lives
1.3 FUNCTIONS OF MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING
The function of maintenance engineering can be divided into primary and secondary. The
primary functions of maintenance are:
(i) Maintenance of existing machines and equipment

4. Mulugeta D Abera 4
(ii) Maintenance of existing buildings
(iii) Inspection and lubrication of machine and equipment
(iv) Generation and distribution of utilities e.g. clean and dry air, anesthesia, hot water etc.
(v) Installation of new machines and equipment
(vi) Modifications of existing machines, equipment and buildings
The secondary functions include the following:
(i) Sanitation
(ii) Disposal of used items
(iii) Storekeeping
(iv) Fire protection
(v) Janitorial service
1.4 MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT
Maintenance is related to profitability through equipment output and equipment running
cost; also through time taken for maintenance purposes. With increasing industrialization and
complexity of equipment, the importance of maintenance increase as downtime and costs related
to downtime become increasingly prohibitive.
To understand maintenance and its various characteristics features, it is imperative to
know what an equipment life-cycle comprises and the factors at the various stages as they relate
to maintenance. An equipment is considered as passing through a number of stages, the first
being design and the last one replacement. The level of maintenance activity required and
maintenance management involved at the equipment operation stage is affected by factors at
other stages through which the equipment passes. These stages are briefly discussed below
indicating how maintenance is affected by the actions undertaken at the respective stages.
Design stage
The most important features of maintenance, particularly reliability and maintainability should
be considered properly in relation to performance of equipment, capital and running costs right at
the design stage. Good maintainability and reliability characteristics are incorporated in the
system at this stage

5. Mulugeta D Abera 5
Installation stage
Maintainability is an important factor to be considered during installation, for it is here that
maintenance problems become clear.
Commissioning stage
This is a stage of technical performance testing and also a stage of where primary design faults
are located and designed out. During commissioning, maintenance effectiveness can be analyzed
and changes can be effected in the system.
Operational stage
Operational stage is a stage of continued learning where maintenance plays an important role. In
this stage, mal-operation should be avoided and maintenance activities are optimized so as to
exploit the system reliability and maintainability characteristics.
Repair/Replacement stage