Class notes by Lect.

Lovepreet Singh

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 5
Repair and Maintenance

Q1. Fill in the blanks:

i) The basic principal involved in preventive maintenance is “prevention is better than cure”.
ii) Predictive maintenance makes the use of sensor and gauges.
iii) Overhauling is a maintenance of preventive nature.

Q2. Define maintenance. What are its objectives? May’19

Ans. Definition: Maintenance may be defined as the combination of action carried out to replace, repair or
modify the components in a plant so that it will continue to operate for a specified time.
When any machine stops working, the downtime becomes very much expensive. For this reason, it’s
very important that the plant machinery must be properly maintained so that the production never stops and
machinery can be effectively utilized.
Objectives of maintenance: Following are the objectives of the plant maintenance:
i) To achieve minimum plant breakdown.
ii) To keep the plant in good working conditions at the lowest possible cost.
iii) To minimize the repair time and cost.
iv) To minimize the lost due to production stoppage.
v) To make effective and efficient use of machinery.
vi) To minimize the accidents and ensure safe use of plant.
vii) To enhance the life of the machinery.
viii)To keep the machinery noise free.
ix) To increase the productivity of the machinery.
Q3. What are the types of maintenance? Discuss each type in detail. May’18
Ans. following are the various types of maintenance system:
i) Corrective or breakdown maintenance.
ii) Scheduled maintenance.
iii) Preventive maintenance.
iv) Predictive maintenance.
Detailed discussion of each type: Each type is explained in detail as below:
i) Corrective or breakdown maintenance:
The corrective maintenance occurs when there is a work stoppage because of machine breakdown. In this
sense, the maintenance becomes repair work. The maintenance department inspects the equipment, locate
the fault and make the necessary repair. After removing the fault, the maintenance engineer doesn’t attend
the machine until another fault occurs. Following are the causes of corrective or breakdown maintenance:
 Failure to replace worn-out parts.
 Lack of lubrication.
 Neglected cooling system.
 External factors such as high voltage or electric power etc.
Objectives: The corrective maintenance has following objectives:
 To bring the equipment back into operation as quick as possible.
 To perform the appropriate amount of repair.
 To control the cost of repair.
Disadvantages: The corrective maintenance has following disadvantages:
 The random nature of this breakdown affects the production plan.
 This type of breakdown reduces the output.
 It causes fast plant deterioration.
 It increases chances of accident.

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 It causes direct loss of profit.

 Repair is always costly than the preventive or periodic maintenance.
ii) Scheduled Maintenance:
This is also called periodic maintenance. Scheduled maintenance can be done by inspection, lubrication,
repair or overhauling of certain equipment at periodic time period. The frequency of maintenance job is
predetermined and the schedule of the maintenance work is also made in advance.
Advantages: Following are the advantages of schedule maintenance:
 Scheduled maintenance can be done when the machine is free. So it utilizes the idle time of the
machine.
 Because the scheduled maintenance is done before the breakdown of the machine, so it minimizes
all the losses that may occur due to breakdown.
 By doing this type of maintenance, the machine runs at higher efficiency.
iii) Preventive Maintenance:
The basic principle of this kind of maintenance is “prevention is better than cure”. The machinery is taken
care before the major breakdown to occur. This is done by regular inspection of the equipment and by doing
any minor repair if required. It locates weak spots in all equipment, provides them regular inspection and
minor repair. Thereby reducing the danger of unexpected breakdown.
It is defined as any action performed to keep a machine in a working condition by means of inspection,
detection and prevention of beginning of the repair.
Elements of prevention maintenance: a well performed preventive maintenance must contain
following elements:
i) Inspection iii) Lubrication
ii) Overhauling iv) Analysis.
i) Inspection: Inspection is done on regular basis to locate the weak spots or worn out parts which may
cause any breakdown.
ii) Overhauling: The overhauling of machine means cleaning, rectifying the defects and replacing the
worn out parts.
iii)Lubrication: To reduce the wear and tear, all the mechanical parts of the machinery is lubricated and
it ensures long life to the machinery.
iv)Analysis: It is always very important to analyze the reasons for vibrations if any, rate of wear and
tear and breakdown if occurs.
Objectives of preventive maintenance: Following are the objectives of preventive maintenance:
i) To minimize the possibility of any major breakdown by locating weak spots.
ii) To make plant equipment always available and ready for use.
iii) To maintain the value of equipment.
iv) To enhance the life of equipment.
v) To maintain the efficiency of the plant equipment.
vi) To attain the maximum production at minimum repair cost.
iv) Predictive Maintenance:
This type of maintenance make use of human senses or the other sensitive instruments such as:
i) Audio gauges.
ii) Vibration analyzers.
iii) Amplitude meter.
iv) Pressure, temperature and resistance strain gauges etc.
Any trouble can be predicted by using any of these sensor before the equipment fails.
Advantages of predictive maintenance:
i) The system availability can be increased.
ii) The plant operations are improved.
iii) More safety to worker and machine.

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Q4. Describe the objective of maintenance and their advantages. May’16

Ans. Objective of maintenance: See Q2.
Advantages of maintenance: Following are the advantages of Maintenance:
i) Maintenance of plant reduces the plant breakdown.
ii) It helps to keep the plant in good working conditions at the lowest possible cost.
iii) It minimize the repair time and cost.
iv) It minimize the lost due to production stoppage.
v) It make effective and efficient use of machinery.
vi) It minimize the accidents and ensure safe use of plant.
vii) It enhance the life of the machinery.
viii) It keep the machinery noise free.
ix) It increase the productivity of the machinery.
Q5. (a) What is the need of maintenance? May’19
(b) Explain the procedure of preventive maintenance.
Ans.
a) Need of maintenance: Maintenance is needed in any plant due:
i) To achieve minimum plant breakdown.
ii) To keep the plant in good working conditions at the lowest possible cost.
iii) To minimize the repair time and cost.
iv) To minimize the lost due to production stoppage.
v) To make effective and efficient use of machinery.
vi) To minimize the accidents and ensure safe use of plant.
vii) To enhance the life of the machinery.
viii) To keep the machinery noise free.
ix) To increase the productivity of the machinery.
b) Procedure of preventive maintenance: Following procedure is adopted for the preventive maintenance
work:
i) Train the maintenance staff in accordance with the plant equipment.
ii) Study the service manual, maintenance hand book maintenance sheet thoroughly.
iii) Identify the parts of the machine which worn out very frequently.
iv) Prepare the list of such parts priority wise.
v) Prepare the history card.
vi) Analyze the reason behind excessive wear and tear.
vii) Prepare the schedule of inspection.
viii) Ensure the periodic lubrication of the mechanical parts.
ix) Prepare the maintenance action report.
x) Ensure the sufficient inventory for spare parts in store and keep tie up with the suppliers.
xi) If any minor weak spot is identified, rectify it immediately.
xii) Take the corrective and control action.
Q6. What is the purpose of preventive maintenance? How it is carried out effectively? May’18
Ans. Purpose of preventive maintenance: Following is the purpose of preventive maintenance:
i) To minimize the possibility of any major breakdown by locating weak spots.
ii) To make plant equipment always available and ready for use.
iii) To maintain the value of equipment.
iv) To enhance the life of equipment.
v) To maintain the efficiency of the plant equipment.
vi) To attain the maximum production at minimum repair cost.
How to carry out preventive maintenance effectively: Following procedure is adopted for the
preventive maintenance work:
i) Train the maintenance staff in accordance with the plant equipment.

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ii) Study the service manual, maintenance hand book maintenance sheet thoroughly.
iii) Identify the parts of the machine which worn out very frequently.
iv) Prepare the list of such parts priority wise.
v) Prepare the history card.
vi) Analyze the reason behind excessive wear and tear.
vii) Prepare the schedule of inspection.
viii) Ensure the periodic lubrication of the mechanical parts.
ix) Prepare the maintenance action report.
x) Ensure the sufficient inventory for spare parts in store and keep tie up with the suppliers.
xi) If any minor weak spot is identified, rectify it immediately.
xii) Take the corrective and control action.

Q7. Explain briefly the nature of maintenance problem. Nov’16

Ans. Nature of maintenance problem: The maintenance problem may have any one kind of nature from
bellow mentioned:
i) Mechanical problem: These are because of following reasons:
a) Misalignment of shaft.
b) Excessive vibrations.
c) More friction between parts.
d) Wear and tear between parts.
e) Lack of lubrication.
ii) Thermal problem: These are because of following reasons:
a) The main reason to occur this kind of problem is high temperature.
b) Excessive heating of components.
c) Insulation failure.
d) Stoppage of cooling system.
iii) Chemical problem: These are because of following reasons:
a) Rusting of various parts.
b) When protective lining fails because of high pressure of fluid.
c) When highly corrosive chemical reacts with parts.
iv) Short run maintenance problem: when maintenance work is done for short duration of time, the
problems are known as short run maintenance problem. This short run may be hourly, daily, weekly
or monthly. For example:
a) Lubrication of machine.
b) Cooling of system.
c) Cleanliness of machine.
d) Checking the various level of oil and pressure.
e) Making the alignment of shaft.
f) Tightening of loose parts.
v) Long run maintenance problem: When maintenance work is done after long period of time, the
problems are known as long run maintenance problem. For example:
a) Painting of various parts or surfaces.
b) Overhauling of machines or its components.
c) Breakage due to operator if he is not handling the machine properly.

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Q8. What is the range of maintenance problems? May’18

Ans. The maintenance problem may be either of short range or of long range type:
Maintenance problem

Short range type Long range type

i) Short run maintenance problem: when maintenance work is done for short duration of time, the
problems are known as short run maintenance problem. This short run may be hourly, daily, weekly or
monthly. For example:
a) Lubrication of machine.
b) Cooling of system.
c) Cleanliness of machine.
d) Checking the various level of oil and pressure.
e) Making the alignment of shaft.
f) Tightening of loose parts.
ii) Long run maintenance problem: When maintenance work is done after long period of time, the
problems are known as long run maintenance problem. For example:
a) Painting of various parts or surfaces.
b) Overhauling of machines or its components.
c) Breakage due to operator if he is not handling the machine properly.

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