Glossary · Maintenance and diagnostics
Maintenance
Also known as: Maintenance management
German: Instandhaltung
In maintenance engineering, maintenance is the combination of all technical, administrative and managerial actions during the life cycle of an item intended to retain it in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform the required function. DIN 31051 divides it into servicing, inspection, repair and improvement.
- Maintenance
In one sentence
Maintenance is the combination of all technical, administrative and managerial actions that keep an item in, or restore it to, a functional state.
Example
The plant's maintenance department combines weekly servicing, monthly inspections and planned repairs to keep the bottling line available.
How it applies
- Engineering: Machines are designed for maintenance: accessible components, isolation points, diagnostics and a spare parts concept.
- Operation: Maintenance is organized according to a Maintenance strategy and scheduled in a Maintenance plan.
- Safety: Maintenance tasks are a major source of accidents. Energy isolation, Lockout/tagout (LOTO) and qualified personnel are part of every procedure where hazards exist.
- Documentation: The Maintenance manual describes every task the user is expected to perform, with intervals, qualifications, tools, safety measures and steps. The documentation team should keep servicing, inspection and repair tasks clearly separated and reference spare part numbers.
Maintenance (Instandhaltung) vs. servicing (Wartung)
In German, "Instandhaltung" is the umbrella term, while "Wartung" means only Servicing, the measures that delay wear. In English, "maintenance" is often used loosely for both; translations should keep the distinction.