Today's successful manufacturing organisations require a significant competitive advantage, hence the need to implement and develop a Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) strategy. This research paper addresses the impact of TPM on manufacturing performance at the Colt production facility (DCSA). A literature survey was undertaken into the elements and benefits of TPM. Questionaires were also sent to all levels of people at the Colt production facility for their views on TPM and the impact, they believe, it has had on manufacturing performance. In conclusion, this research paper has also led to the development of recommendations to improve TPM activities at the Colt production facility. From the research, it was shown that top management support for TPM activities is needed and that training is an essential factor for TPM's success in improving manufacturing performance.

M.Ing. / Companies are seeking innovative ways of enhancing their competitiveness in their markets. Currently, one of the ways used to improve competitiveness by companies in a process environment is to implement an Enterprise Resource Planning system. An Enterprise Resource Planning system is a software system that automates and integrates data and information captured in an organisation. An analysis of the impact of implementing a maintenance management system depends on a number of factors that may include capabilities of chosen system, effective application and ownership of the system by those who use it. Central to implementation of a maintenance system is the maintenance philosophy adopted by an organisation, information system in place, availability of skilled maintenance personnel and execution of developed maintenance program. The implementation process itself also has a bearing on acceptance of the system by those who are supposed to use it. A review of literature on these important factors and on development of an Enterprise Resource Planning system was conducted to show influence each factor has in making maintenance activities effective. To determine the impact of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning system in a process environment a case study on a company that has recently implemented such a system was conducted. From this case study recommendations on a number of issues were made.

M.Phil. / The implementation of a maintenance strategy without taking the uniqueness of the specific business into account, will not necessarily result in a high level of performance. The maintenance function should be developed specifically to support the particular business processes and technology in use. There is presently a large gap between the results obtained through the implementation of the maintenance strategy at a major coal-mining complex and the desired targets to be met. To close the gap, this dissertation suggests that support systems should be implemented to sustain growth and stability. The dissertation specifically proposes the creation of a Central Support Function to support the maintenance strategy, which has been implemented together with the Enterprise Management System (EMS) with the System Application Product (SAP) as an enabler.

M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering) / Considering the high cost of maintenance, effective maintenance management have the potential to contribute to the profit of a petrochemical business. The complexity of the maintenance domain in the petrochemical business demands the use of information systems for the management of maintenance. The availability of correct, easily interpretable information about maintenance can therefore contribute to the profit of a petrochemical business. Management decisions are based on available information. The quality (accuracy and timeliness) of the information create more room for creative decisions in the maintenance department. A computerized information management system is a tool employed in the optimization of maintenance cost and a requirement for world class maintenance. This system depends on information of a high quality. It should be kept in mind that this systems is an aid to maintenance management and would never be able to replace the maintenance manager. The role played by high quality information in the success of a computerized maintenance management system point towards the importance of the personnel that maintain the system and those that provide input to the system. These personnel need to be highlytrained and should have the most recent technology available. Continuing development of the computerized maintenance management system within a company is necessary for the system to succeed.

M.Phil. (Mechanical Engineering) / The coal mining industry plays a major role in the global economy. Coal is required for the provision of primary energy needs, generation of electricity and production of steel. Hence, there is a high demand of coal worldwide. For the continuous supply of coal, mining equipment should be in good working conditions and the maintenance teams should be highly equipped and motivated to perform their maintenance activities ...

This treatise investigates the underlying factors that are hindering the improvement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness at the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. In January of 2008 the Ford Motor Company announced plans to invest more than R1.5 billion to expand operations for the production of Ford's next-generation compact pickup truck and the PUMA diesel engine. Ford will use the investment to expand operations both in Silverton for the production of 75 000 units of a new bakkie and in Port Elizabeth for 220 000 units of its new-generation PUMA diesel engines (http://www.autoblog.com /2008/01/31/ford-to-invest-209m-in-south-africa-for-new-ranger-pickup/). Only five Ford plants globally will be producing the PUMA engine (Turkey, UK, Thailand, Argentina and South Africa – Ford Struandale Engine Plant). The Ford Struandale Engine Plant will be the only plant which will have the I4 assembly, I5 assembly and 3C (Crank, Cylinder Block, and Cylinder Head) machining and the expectations of operating in a lean environment is high. The management team at the Ford Struandale Engine Plant needs to understand what the underlying factors that are hindering the improvement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness of the plant or, in other words, they need to be informed of the total benefits of TPM. A literature review was conducted to determine what the theory reveals about Overall Equipment Effectiveness, the three factors of OEE (Availability, Performance Efficiency, and Quality), the influence of Six Big Losses on each of the factors and the role of Total Productive Maintenance in improving OEE by eliminating these Six Big Losses. A Ford literature study was conducted to reveal the current literature being applied at Ford. This was then followed by an empirical survey conducted within the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. In addition, a task team formed to analyse the current maintenance operating strategy. Finally, the findings from discussions with the task team, the empirical survey, Ford Struandale Engine Plant literature survey and a general literature survey were amalgamated to draw conclusions relating to the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. These conclusions indicate what the underlying factors are that are hindering the improvement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant facilities and equipment. Then recommendations are made as to how the Ford Struandale Engine Plant can improve the Overall Equipment Effectiveness of its facilities and equipment.

The methodology and the processes that are followed in the maintenance of government-operated district hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa are outlined while the strategies that are employed to roll-out the maintenance plan have been investigated. The challenges in managing hospital maintenance are identified so that it can be improved and advice be given on the strategies currently being used. The objectives of the research were to determine the effectiveness of machinery maintenance in government-operated district hospitals. The study has been carried out by investigating 50 district hospitals within the Eastern Cape Province, with the aim of obtaining knowledge of practices in relation to the strategic plans and best practices in the maintenance industry. The following factors identified by the maintenance staff were found to be most important in maintenance management practices; realistic budgets, adherence to occupational health and safety regulations, engagement of qualified and skilled maintenance staff, good record management in relation to the equipment under maintenance, availability of tools and materials and keeping abreast with the latest technologies and trends of machinery advancement. The study also revealed that the majority of the hospitals use a combination of in-house and outsourced personnel during maintenance, the outsourced part being under contract from the National Department of Public Works Repair and Maintenance Plan (RAMP) projects. Service kits and recommended replacement parts for machinery are rarely stocked on the hospital premises while only minor spare parts that include replacement bulbs, electrical fittings, plumbing fittings and paint are readily available. In addition, the maintenance staff members have little or no input in maintenance budgeting, this aspect is controlled by hospital management. For maintenance to be effective, strategic planning that takes into account carefully thought-out maintenance management systems is the first step in the direction of setting out definite tangible objectives and goals. The real challenge lies in the implementation and sustainability of the maintenance management system and the monitoring thereof.

Shutdown projects are known as strategic components used for maximizing production throughput and increasing the reliability of the plant. Research has shown that project managers are faced with a number of challenges when implementing shutdown projects. This research examined how shutdown project success is perceived based on the views of those engaged in these projects in South Africa, studied the factors that can contribute towards improving the project outcome, and developed a conceptual model for examining the significance of these factors on project success. An extensive evaluation of existing literature was conducted, from which this study extracted a set of success criteria used to assess the outcome of shutdown projects and success variables in shutdown projects. A conceptual model was developed, which examines the association between the critical success factors and project success. The research design of this study was guided by the positivist research philosophy. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken to collect data from participants involved in shutdown projects in South Africa. The sample was selected using purposive sampling. The investigation resulted in a sample of 246 valid responses being received. The hypothesised association between project success and the critical success factors was analysed using structural equation modelling. In this research study, success is regarded as a multi-dimensional construct characterised by project efficiency and organisational success. The study established that success in shutdown projects is accomplished when the project is concluded according to the project costs, time, commissioning incidences,health safety and environmental (SHE) specifications; according to the needs of stakeholders and the profitability of the business. Further, the following categories of success factors critical for shutdown project success were established: project management actions, competence of the project manager, organisational success, competence of the project team and project characteristics. Of these critical success factors, the overall success of shutdown projects was significantly affected by organisational factors. Although project characteristics were found to be significant for the project efficiency dimension of project success, project management actions and competence of the project team were found to be significant for the organisational success dimension of project success. The findings of this research therefore provide a holistic view of the measures used to evaluate the outcome of shutdown projects and guide project managers to the critical success factors that can be considered when improving the success of their shutdown projects. / School of Computing / D. Phil.

A project report submitted to the faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of Science in Engineering. Heidelberg Transvaal, 1993. / The obiective of this research is to propose a model by which maintene may be managed in the prepared foods industry. Various companies in this industry have implemented modules of a maintenance administration system. Nowhere, for this industry, does a structured programme which will provide tha maintenance manager with the elements of an administration system, their sequence of implementation and their interrelationships exist. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / AC2017

Thesis (D.Tech. - Electrical Engineering, Dept. of Process Control and Computer Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Technology)--Vaal University of Technology. / In recent years, industrial plant maintenance has changed dramatically. These changes are due to a considerable increase in the number and variety of physical plant assets, increased design complexity, new maintenance techniques and changing perspectives regarding on how to perform maintenance effectively. Managers at modern process plants are becoming increasingly aware of the extent to which equipment failure affects safety and the environment. Process plant personnel are limited in their ability to accurately and consistently evaluate the health of plant assets. Due to poor record keeping, maintenance staff often has little defence against aging equipment and asset failures. As a result companies have undertaken to implement planned equipment maintenance schedules and install new technology to allow for efficient tracking and analysing of equipment health across the board. The introduction of an integrated asset management solution is presented in this thesis. The integrated asset management solution will assist maintenance staff to cost-effectively predict the probability of asset failure prior to the occurrence of any actual plant incidents. The integrated solution documented in this thesis will be implemented at the Sasol Solvents site to enhance plant availability, maximum up time for all plant assets and plant safety. Strategic Asset Management Inc. (SAMI) uses the Operational Reliability Maturity Continuum model to improve profitability, efficiency and equipment reliability. The SAMI empirical model employs various stages to address improved performance and asset management and was used as a guideline to develop an integrated solution to optimise plant performance and profits. The integrated asset management solution, documented in this thesis, was developed with the intended function of bringing information from diverse plant based systems and field equipment to the maintenance personnel in an understandable interface so that the information can be used to improve the reliability and availability of all plant assets.