18 Machinery Component Maintenance and Repair

price increases beyond a prescribed limit, or alterations in delivery time

requirements.
Ordinarily, an inventorykatalog system produces the majority of its
reports on a weekly or monthly basis. Systems also may be run daily for
adding new materials or parts, for daily stock status reporting or for pro-
cessing receipts and issues information.
Maintenance people have long recognized the need for adequate inven-
tory control and cataloging procedures. Without such procedures, the
maintenance department runs the risk of having its work planning and
scheduling controlled by materials availability. The computerized inven-
torykatalog system, thus, offers the benefits of improved manpower uti-
lization and unit downtime reduction.
Preventive maintenance and equipment records systems not only bring
a highly organized approach to scheduling of periodic inspections and
service connected with a preventive maintenance program, but also pro-
vide a mechanism for compiling a complete equipment performance and
repair history-including costs-for equipment within a processing facil-
ity.
The well-designed preventive maintenance and equipment records sys-
tem is built around failure of equipment description data. Through this
file, equipment inspection intervals are assigned according to criticalness
or in accordance with laws or safety and environmental protection codes.
Service intervals are also assigned-sometimes according to manufactur-
er’s recommendations and sometimes on the basis of experience in exten-
sion of equipment life. Overhauls are scheduled in the same way as ser-
vice intervals. Some types of service and all overhauls must also be
backlogged for performance during equipment shutdown periods.
Most preventive maintenance systems produce a periodic listing of PM
work to be performed-including specifications, service, and overhauls
due. Jobs are entered into the plant’s regular work order planning and
scheduling system. PM jobs not performed on schedule are then re-
ported-perhaps at a higher priority-for inclusion in the next PM work
list.
The equipment records function, a natural extension of the preventive
maintenance scheduling function, usually is not limited to equipment
covered by the PM program. All equipment may be placed in this sys-
tem’s file. Through feedback cards from the field, the system can com-
pile and maintain a complete repair file on all equipment of interest. Re-
pair history and cost data may be reported in several different ways.
Repair history by specific equipment or equipment type, for example,
aids maintenance in setting or adjusting inspection, service, or overhaul
intervals for equipment. Other reports may aid maintenance in identify-
ing equipment which is costing most to maintain or has the poorest per-