Article
Article
Maintenance, industrial and production
Article By:
Klutke, Georgia-Ann Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757588
The actions taken to preserve the operation of devices, particularly of electromechanical equipment, to ensure that the devices can safely and reliably perform their intended functions when needed. Maintenance activities encompass testing, repair, and replacement of production assets, managing spare-parts inventories and specialized personnel, and maintaining databases relating to equipment health. Traditionally, the focus of maintenance activities has been on improving equipment availability—the ratio of operating time less downtime to total available time, as well as reducing repair costs. Modern maintenance practices focus on increasing equipment effectiveness; that is, making sure that the equipment is both available and capable of producing superior-quality products. See also: Systems engineering
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