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What Is Maintenance Engineering?

Cassie L. Damewood
Cassie L. Damewood

Maintenance engineering is the occupation that uses engineering theories and practices to plan and implement routine maintenance of equipment and machinery. This must be done in conjunction with optimizing operating procedures and budgets to attain and sustain the highest levels of reliability and profit. The onslaught of high-tech machinery, multiple infrastructures and systems, and intricate computerized manufacturing and production systems over the past few decades has elevated these jobs to new levels of responsibility and qualification requirements. Maintenance engineers are often required to have knowledge of many types of equipment and machinery.

A person working in this field must have in-depth knowledge of or experience in basic equipment operation, logistics, probability, and statistics. Experience in the operation and maintenance of machinery specific to a company's particular business is also frequently required. Since the position normally requires oral and written communications with various levels of personnel, excellent interpersonal communication and participatory management skills are also desirable.

Maintenance engineers may be responsible for monitoring electrical systems in an industrial setting.
Maintenance engineers may be responsible for monitoring electrical systems in an industrial setting.

Maintenance engineering positions require planning and implementing routine and preventive maintenance programs. In addition, regular monitoring of equipment is required to visually detect faults and impending equipment or production failures before they occur. These positions may also require observing and overseeing repairs and maintenance performed by outside vendors and contractors.

Arc welding may be performed during industrial maintenance.
Arc welding may be performed during industrial maintenance.

In a production or manufacturing environment, good maintenance is necessary for smooth and safe daily plant operations. Maintenance engineers not only monitor the existing systems and equipment, they also recommend improved systems and help decide when systems are outdated and in need of replacement. Such a position often involves exchanging ideas and information with other maintenance engineers, production managers, and manufacturing systems engineers.

In some cases, a maintenance engineer may play a key role in designing and equipping a facility before it is opened.
In some cases, a maintenance engineer may play a key role in designing and equipping a facility before it is opened.

Maintenance engineering not only requires engineers to monitor large production machine operations and heavy duty equipment, but also often requires involvement with computer operations. Maintenance engineers may have to deal with everything from PCs, routers, servers, and software to more complex issues like local and off-site networks, configuration systems, end user support, and scheduled upgrades. Supervision of technical personnel may also be required.

A maintenance engineer must regularly check to ensure all systems are operating properly.
A maintenance engineer must regularly check to ensure all systems are operating properly.

Good maintenance engineering is vital to the success of any manufacturing or processing operation, regardless of size. The maintenance engineer is responsible for the efficiency of daily operations and for discovering and solving any operational problems in the plant. A company's success may depend on a quality maintenance department that can be depended upon to discover systematic flaws and recommend solid, practical solutions.

Positions in this field often require a college education in a related field. Although most schools do not offer degrees in maintenance engineering, degrees in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or related subjects are preferred.

Discussion Comments

anon133313

I have bachelor degree in maintenance engineering, and I wish to know whether there is masters in maintenance engineering? If yes, how many years.

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    • Maintenance engineers may be responsible for monitoring electrical systems in an industrial setting.
      By: Kadmy
      Maintenance engineers may be responsible for monitoring electrical systems in an industrial setting.
    • Arc welding may be performed during industrial maintenance.
      By: uwimages
      Arc welding may be performed during industrial maintenance.
    • In some cases, a maintenance engineer may play a key role in designing and equipping a facility before it is opened.
      By: Kadmy
      In some cases, a maintenance engineer may play a key role in designing and equipping a facility before it is opened.
    • A maintenance engineer must regularly check to ensure all systems are operating properly.
      By: uwimages
      A maintenance engineer must regularly check to ensure all systems are operating properly.
    • A maintenance engineer may perform routine tests on equipment in order to prevent emergency breakdowns.
      By: Kadmy
      A maintenance engineer may perform routine tests on equipment in order to prevent emergency breakdowns.
    • Maintenance engineers may be tasked with servicing and troubleshooting industrial machinery that relies on computer numerical control.
      By: Maurizio Targhetta
      Maintenance engineers may be tasked with servicing and troubleshooting industrial machinery that relies on computer numerical control.