Plant maintenance consists of all activities needed to keep the plant machinery tools and equipment services including building and fittings in standards working condition. In other words maintenance ensures that all production facilities are in serviceable conditions at all times causing no production hold up interruptions or loss of their individual standard efficiency of operations. Maintenance is an important function in modern production management. Production facilities consists of machines plants building and services.
By and large maintenance is a neglected area in India. In fact preventive maintenance is conspicuous by its absence in most of the Indian industries excepting the defence service. Maintenance management must address itself to the followings questions on what where and who viz.
1. What is to be maintained?
2. How is the maintenance to be done?
3. Where is the maintenance?
4. Who does that maintenance?