KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND PRODUCTION ENGINEERING

YEAR 4

RELIABILITY AND MAINTENANCE ASSIGNMENT

NAME REGISTRATION SIGN

NUMBER
MUKASA FESTO 17/U/8773/EME/PE

NKANGI FRANK 17/U/8778/EME/PE

OJALA ERIC 18/U/EME/ 17644/PE

MUKASA MOSES 17/U/8774/EME/PE
MAGWA CRISPUS 18/U/EME/17652/PE
KYEBENE GODFREY 17/U/16355/EME/PE
KATIMBO ABDULLAH 17/U/16339/EME/PE
MAINTENANCE

Maintenance is the routine and recurring process of keeping a particular machine or asset in its
normal operating conditions so that it can deliver the expected performance or service without any
loss or damage.

Maintenance engineering is typically defined as a staff function whose prime responsibility is to

ensure that maintenance techniques are effective, equipment is designed and modified to improve
maintainability, ongoing maintenance technical problems are investigated, and appropriate
corrective and improvement actions are taken. Maintenance engineering is the occupation that uses
engineering theories and practices to plan and implement routine maintenance of equipment and
machinery.

Maintenance principles

In order to keep maintenance program on track and yield the best results from the plant, the
following six principles will help to succeed.

1. Plan, rather than react.

Focus resources on preventing downtime, not on reacting to downtime you should have prevented.
When there’s a failure, determine the cause and figure out how to prevent that cause going forward.
For example, motors in the finishing area fail frequently. The cause is a solvent that gets into the
windings through the motor vents so capture and exhaust the solvent, or use totally enclosed
motors.

2. Be equipped to do the job.

Thinking you can do the best job without the best test equipment, tools, and training is wishful
thinking. Thinking you can do any job safely while skimping on safety training, PPE, and an
(almost) obsessive safety culture is dangerous thinking.

3. Follow the plan.

A plan is won't work if you don’t follow it. Sure, you may need to adjust it and make an occasional
exception as exceptional circumstances (and common sense!) may dictate. But don’t stray from
the plan just because someone in operations or management yells loudly enough. Always explain
the plan, and if someone wants an exception, have them make a logical case for it. For example,
all the maintenance for Line 3 is in the CMMS and scheduled for two months from now. But one
month from now, this line is being tapped to fill huge orders and operations wants you to do all
the PM work now instead of when runtime is so critical. There is only one correct answer and
“we’re sticking to the plan” is not it.

4. Actively seek feedback and advice.

This is a tough job, and you can’t know everything! Yes, of course get feedback from operators
and maintenance people, but go well beyond your immediate surroundings. Good sources include
industry publications, industry forums, industry standards, seminars, workshops, classroom
training, reference guides, and peers that you network with through industry organizations.

5. Adjust as needed.

Getting all that feedback and advice is pointless if you don’t use it when it may make a difference.

6. Keep others in the loop.

Don’t just change something “in the back office.” Communicate changes and special activities to
those who may be affected. For example, you could email the relevant department heads and
supervisors that you’re conducting both a thermographic survey and a power analysis on Area X
next Thursday, instead of just the usual voltage checks. Then share with them your findings (just
be succinct). They will appreciate being kept in the loop, and you’re showcasing how maintenance
is staying on top of things.

Reasons for plant maintenances

To save considerable amount of money in the long run.

It can be frustrating when equipment has to go in for regular check-ups and maintenance, especially
when it comes back with a clean bill of health, yet you’re still out of pocket! But, in doing these
regular checks, you can have peace of mind that when on site and working, this piece of equipment
is going to perform exactly how it should. Causing no delays and no big bills, as you would
otherwise receive if you needed an emergency breakdown repair service.
To promote safety in the plant

Without proper checks, you run the risk of machine parts breaking and potentially falling off or
snapping mid-work, the piece of equipment could lose grip of heavy objects or lose control entirely
depending on what is being handled and moved, carrying out regular services on big pieces of
machinery and site plant services means that you’re ensuring that everything is doing what it
should be and working perfectly without any issues. So, there’s less worry about it breaking, and
most certainly less worry about it injuring someone.

To save time

Having broken equipment off-site and away from your project for a lengthy amount of time costs
you time and hence, money. Booking in, and scheduling maintenance means you can plan ahead,
scheduling work and jobs around appointments so that no project is held up and no team is left
idle.

To increase equipment efficiency.

Regularly checking for wear and tear and then fixing and replacing as you encounter any problems,
helps to keep all parts of the machine working correctly and running much more
efficiently. Equipment that works as it should also offer greater efficiency to job sites and projects
too.

To keep records

For some insurance companies (actually, most of them that we’re aware of), you must be able to
show that the equipment you have, and are using, is regularly maintained and serviced. This is
important for any claims you might make. As a claim could be considered invalid if the machinery
has not been well looked after or serviced regularly. This type of record keeping can also be
necessary when you come to sell, or trade in any machinery where an updated service log might
be required. It’s also important to check your warranty. As under the conditions of some
warranties, it might only be valid on the condition that regular checks are carried out.
To increase the life span of equipments

Correct and proper maintenance leads to increased life span of the machine parts and equipments
which in the long run saves plant in terms of reducing on the costs such as acquiring new
equipment.

Functions and responsibilities

Maintenance is directly responsible for repair and upkeep of all district buildings. Specifically,
Maintenance is responsible for the operation and repair of all heating, air conditioning, ventilating,
plumbing, central steam and chilled water plants, and their associated distribution systems. The
Maintenance Department performs certain maintenance and repair functions according to staff
requests, a regular schedule or as needed per regular or special inspections conducted by site
Administrators and/or Maintenance Department personnel.

Functions/duties of plant maintenance department

Functions or duties of maintenance department can be divided into primary and secondary
functions.

Primary functions

Maintenance of Existing Plant Equipment;

This activity represents the physical reason for the existence of the maintenance professional.
Responsibility here is simply to make necessary repairs to production machinery quickly and
economically and to anticipate these repairs and employ preventive maintenance where possible
to prevent them. For this, a staff of skilled engineers, planners and technicians who are capable of
performing the work must be trained, motivated, and constantly retained to assure that adequate
skills are available to perform effective maintenance.

Maintenance of Existing Plant Buildings and Grounds;

The repairs to buildings and to the external property of any plant roads, railroad tracks, in-plant
sewer systems, and water supply facilities are among the duties generally assigned to the
maintenance engineering group. Additional aspects of buildings and grounds maintenance may be
included in this area of responsibility. Repairs and minor alterations to buildings roofing, painting,
glass replacement or the unique craft skills required to service electrical or plumbing systems or
the like are most logically the purview of maintenance engineering personnel. Road repairs and
the maintenance of tracks and switches, fences, or outlying structures may also be so assigned.

Equipment Inspection and Lubrication.

Traditionally, all equipment inspections and lubrication are assigned to the maintenance
organization or function. While inspections that require special tools or partial disassembly of
equipment must be retained within the maintenance function, the use of trained operators or
production personnel in this critical task will provide more effective use of plant personnel. The
same is true of lubrication.

Utilities Generation and Distribution.

In any plant generating its own electricity and providing its own process steam, the powerhouse
assumes the functions of a small public utilities company and may justify an operating department
of its own. However, this activity logically falls within the realm of maintenance engineering. It
can be administered either as a separate function or as part of some other function, depending on
management’s requirements.

Alterations and New Installations.

Three factors generally determine to what extent this area involves the maintenance department:
plant size, multi plant company size and company policy. In a small plant of a one-plant company,
this type of work may be handled by outside contractors. But its administration and that of the
maintenance force should be under the same management. In a small plant within a multi plant
company, the majority of new installations and major alterations may be performed by a company-
wide central engineering department. In a large plant a separate organization should handle the
major portion of this work. Where installations and alterations are handled outside the maintenance
engineering department, the company must allow flexibility between corporate and plant
engineering groups. It would be self-defeating for all new work to be handled by an agency
separated from maintenance policies and management.
Repair faulty components

Maintenance department carries out corrective repair to alleviate (less) unsatisfactory conditions
found during preventive maintenance inspection. Such a repair is an unscheduled work obtained
of an emergency nature, & is necessary to correct breakdown and it include trouble calls.

Secondary functions

Stores keeping.

In most plants it is essential to differentiate between mechanical stores and general stores. The
administration of mechanical stores normally falls within the maintenance engineering group’s
area because of the close relationship of this activity with other maintenance operations.

Salvage.

If a large part of plant activity concerns off-grade products, a special salvage unit should be set up.
But if salvage involves mechanical equipment, such as scrap lumber, paper, containers, and so on,
it should be assigned to maintenance department.

Whatever responsibilities are assigned to the maintenance engineering department, it is important

that they be clearly defined and that the limits of authority and responsibility be established and
agreed upon by all concerned.

Responsibilities of plant maintenance department

➢ Based on authorized requests for maintenance service, define and execute the required
work in a timely fashion, with quality workmanship; knowing what is to be done and when
and how to do it best. Then do it right, the first time.
➢ Assist operations in establishing a practical level of maintenance so that long- and short-
term operating plans can be met and repairs can be anticipated, planned, and scheduled.
➢ Maintain facilities at specified levels of operating condition, at lowest possible cost
consistent with the goals of producing a quality product as economically as possible.
➢ Actively participate with production to create and implement a comprehensive preventive
maintenance program.
➢ Convert emergency work to planned work by anticipating it.
 ➢ Make repairs and replacements at intervals required for optimal operating efficiency and
in a manner creating as little production loss as possible.
➢ Constantly strive to improve maintenance work methods, completeness, and neatness with
the goal of quality work at minimal cost.
➢ •Effectively plan, schedule, and coordinate maintenance work with production, far enough
in advance to permit them to plan for out-of-service equipment and to minimize
nonproductive time and production shortages.
➢ Prior to execution, thoroughly review all shutdown work with key production personnel so
their intimate knowledge can be fully utilized.
➢ Prior to start up, review the repairs made and any circumstances of note with the operations
personnel in the area.
➢ Provide regular feedback regarding status of work requests and completion promises.
➢ Advise production personnel as to the levels of risk and the potential costs related to
operating equipment believed to be close to failure.
➢ Develop techniques for predicting failure of critical facilities with reasonable accuracy.
➢ Inform operating personnel of facilities requiring excessive maintenance and take
appropriate action to reduce it.
➢ Account for the level of cost incurred in the performance of requested maintenance
(standard vs. actual performance variance).
➢ Sponsor and participate in repetitive failure analysis sessions, with the goal of eliminating
repetitive failures and isolating the behavioral or mechanical causes of these failures.

Organization structure of maintenance department

In any company, small or big, it is essential that some part of the main organization should be
responsible for maintaining the important assets. The section or department which preserves and
looks after the upkeep of equipment, building etc., is called maintenance department. To work
satisfactorily, the maintenance department has an organization structure.
Figure 1: Organization Structure of Maintenance Department.
The basic organization structure of maintenance department depends upon the following;
Types of maintenance activities to be looked after:
The wider the maintenance field to be covered, the bigger is the organization.
The size of the maintenance force
The structure of maintenance organization depends upon whether it is a four, five or six working
days week and whether the plant runs in one, two or three shifts.
Size of the plant
The organisation structure of the maintenance department varies with the size of plant. The larger
the plant the more the number of persons in the maintenance force.
Compact or dispersed plant:
A plant spread in a wider area needs decentralization and may require several parallel maintenance
organisations. A compact plant may need only one such Organisation.
Nature of industry
i.e., whether it is primarily an electrical, electronics, chemical or a mechanical industry.
State of training and reliability of work force.
In establishing a maintenance organisation, it is essential to recognize that:

➢ The plant is to be maintained at a level consistent with low cost and high productivity;
➢ Supervisors should be appointed according to the duties and responsibilities involved
➢ Modern age indicates greater need of newer engineering techniques and skills.