A computer simulation study of the maintenance craft utilization in the process industry

Abstract

In the process industry, in maintenance work, it is often difficult to realize the full advantage of highly specialized maintenance labor under strict craft lines or work rules in the performance of maintenance tasks. This is largely attributed to the nature of the maintenance tasks. Frequently, they are of different tasks and skills. Consequently, from a scheduling standpoint, it is difficult to keep a worker busy a high percentage of the time. At an earlier time, very little could be done about the craft assignment problem. The design of the equipment was such that it requires highly specialized crafts to maintain it. However, because of technological changes in maintenance equipment and procedures, technical maintenance jobs no longer necessarily require as highly specialized skills. This is largely true because the technician's major responsibility is finding and remedying interruptions in the overall operation of automated equipment. The modular construction of this equipment and the established procedures for detecting and correcting trouble have largely obviated the requirement for a substantial amount of electronic or mechanical expertise. Consequently, it now appears technically feasible in many cases to have a worker perform a more generalized portion of a maintenance task. ...