Maintenance, Service and Repair Careers

Use of machinery is widespread in all the industries. No company can function without depending upon mechanical devices. In such a scenario, every company has a troubleshooter, a technical person who ensures, on a day-to-day basis, the smooth running of all the machines.

In heavy machinery industries like production assembly or manufacturing plants, most of the work is mechanical with the workers only operating the machines with the click of a button. In such places a dedicated team is required to ensure Maintenance, repair and operations (MRO). This process involves maintenance, repairing and modification/ up-gradations of machinery or electrical devices and restoring them to their working state.

This entire process involves various stages:

Regular Maintenance- There are two types of maintenance involved here: Preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance. Preventive maintenance is conducted at regular time periods to avoid any sudden machine failure or hick-ups. This is most useful in avoiding the machine age-related issues and ensures that all the cogs and pistons are working smoothly. Corrective maintenance is conducted after the machinery has broken down. Any faulty or damaged parts are replaced and thus this is an expensive affair.

In terms of a factory setting, maintenance stage involves conducting regular checks of all the machinery and parts for any defects or service requirements. During this process, the maintenance personnel usually checks the mechanical equipment for its fluid levels, clean filters, grease bearing, etc. They also check the production belts for any defects. The other detailed tasks involve inspecting the waste disposal filters, checking on the toxic levels in industrial waste, inspecting boilers, noting down the pre-set readings on machines and if necessary re-calibrating them with the standard recorded readings.

Other kinds of repairs may include repairing doors, windows, locks, checking and ensuring building maintenance and safety measures are in place, checking for the proper functioning of all the fire alarms and sprinklers.

Repair- This stage involves referring to the list of defective items made in the maintenance stage and working on their repair. This involves repairing electrical circuits and wires, electrical equipment, replacing faulty switches. Aircraft engine components wear out with time and so the entire assembly needs to be thoroughly checked and repaired at regular intervals. Overhauling needs time and new parts may take a while to arrive.

Therefore, prior to the overhaul process, we try to conduct a repair. MRO process ensures that multiple tasks like replacing oil, repairing mechanical parts, documentation, etc go hand in hand. All these things coupled with an up-to-date paperwork are essential in order to ensure a smooth overall MRO process. MRO managers are therefore required to be diligent with paperwork as it reduces the turnaround time, improves repair and make the whole process more effective. A standard aircraft repair process will involve:

• Outer and inner paint
• Upholstery repair
• Checking control panels and radios
• Exit doors and parachutes, ejection mechanism and seat cartridges
• Rewiring the faulty areas

Overhaul/ replacements- Overhaul (replacements, renovations and up-gradations) is a necessary procedure which ensures that your equipment doesn't become obsolete. In every industry, regular overhauls at regular periods are necessary to ensure greater productivity of the plant. With every technological up-gradation, the machine's output efficiency increases, which is necessary to sustain in this extremely dynamic market competition.

Qualifications required for such job responsibilities

• High school diploma with a graduation degree in engineering
• At least one year experience in mechanical equipment handling and maintenance or an equivalent work experience
• Good mathematical and analytical skills.
• Good common sense and ability to apply it in usual situations. Efficient in dealing with daily mechanical discrepancies and to solve them.
• Physically, the person should be able to perform all the involved tasks without facing any physical set-backs.

Below are the career options for MRO professionals.

Administrative and Clerical Careers
Alternative Therapies Careers
Animals, Plants and Land Careers
Arts, Crafts and Design Careers
Catering Services Careers
Construction Careers
Education and Training Careers
Environmental Sciences Careers
Financial Services Careers
General and Personal Services Careers
IT Careers
Legal Services Careers
Maintenance, Service and Repair Careers
Management And Planning Careers
Manufacturing And Engineering Careers
Marketing Sales And Advertising Careers
Medical Technology Careers
Medicine And Nursing Careers
Performing Arts Broadcast And Media Careers
Publishing And Journalism Careers
Retail Sales And Customer Service Careers
Science And Research Careers
Security And Uniformed Services Careers
Social Services Careers
Sport Leisure And Tourism Careers
Storage Dispatching And Delivery Careers
Transport Careers