Periodic table

Corrosion engineering consultant

Corrosion Doctors site map

Alphabetical index of the Corrosion Doctors Web site

The maintenance revolution

Corrosion maintenance costs represent a significant portion of operating budgets in most industrial sectors, particularly where aging structures/plant is involved. Modern approaches to maintenance management (sometimes referred to as profit centered maintenance) are designed to minimize these costs and to improve reliability and availability of plant and equipment. In this context, maintenance activities are treated as an investment and not as an organizational liability.

However, as part of overall rationalization, the maintenance function often has to be accomplished with shrinking technical and financial resources, making focus on the most critical items a logical development. In many cases, "old" corrective maintenance and time-based preventive maintenance practices are inadequate to meet modern demands. The consequences of poor maintenance practices and/or inadequate investment in the maintenance function are the following: