MAINTENANCE AND ITS APPLICATION IN EQUIPMENT PROTECTION

Maintenance is considered as a production function in its own right. In order to produce, it is necessary to satisfy the four imperatives: supply raw materials, transform them into finished products, ensure quality and maintain the production tool in working order. Industrial maintenance is a strategic function in companies, deeply linked to the incessant technological development, to the appearance of new management methods whose necessity is to reduce production costs and increase production and productivity. Today, the role of maintenance is no longer limited to repairing work tools, but also to anticipating and avoiding malfunctions, in order to ensure the proper functioning of production and service tools. A maintenance department may also be required to participate in studies to improve the industrial process, and must, like other departments in the company, take into consideration numerous constraints such as safety, total quality, the environment, and also cost control.