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Generally, the enterprise’s equipment management department is responsible for preparing the annual, quarterly, and monthly equipment maintenance plans. After these plans are reviewed by the production and finance departments as well as the units that use the equipment, they are approved by the plant manager before being issued to the relevant units for implementation. The execution of these plans is evaluated alongside the production plans. 1. Preparation of the annual equipment maintenance plan (l) Basis for plan preparation ① Technical condition of the equipment. The main sources of information on the technical condition of equipment are: the data on the technical condition of equipment accumulated from daily inspections, regular checks, and records of condition monitoring and diagnosis ； Records of a comprehensive equipment condition survey conducted by the end of the third quarter each year for equipment that does not use a condition inspection system. The contents of the equipment technical condition inspection are based on the standards for equipment integrity, and depend on the structure and performance characteristics of the equipment. Enterprises should establish typical contents for the comprehensive inspection of the technical condition of classified equipment, to serve as a reference during actual inspections. The mechanical engineer in charge of the equipment uses the information available regarding the technical condition of the equipment to submit a report on that condition to the equipment management department within the specified deadline. This report must specify the types of maintenance planned for the following year, the main tasks involved in the maintenance, the desired dates for carrying out the maintenance, and the company responsible for performing it. Equipment that does not require maintenance in the following year should also be indicated in the table. ② Requirements of product manufacturing processes for equipment. Inquire with the quality management department whether the recent product quality meets the production requirements. For example, if the process capability index of a metal cutting machine drops, the rate of defective products increases. It is necessary to analyze this in comparison with the actual geometric accuracy of the equipment; if certain geometric accuracies of the equipment exceed the allowable tolerances, scheduled maintenance should be arranged. On the other hand, it is necessary to consult the product manufacturing department regarding the technical requirements for equipment in relation to the new products of the coming year. If, according to the production schedule, the precision of the equipment used for processing these new products is not sufficient to meet the requirements, planned maintenance should also be arranged. ③ Requirements for safety and environmental protection. In accordance with **standards or the regulations of the relevant authorities, as well as the safety requirements for equipment, if the gases, liquids, dusts, etc., emitted exceed the specified standards, a plan for improvement and maintenance should be established. ④ The maintenance cycle structure and maintenance intervals of the equipment. For equipment that requires regular maintenance, such as process production equipment, automated production line equipment, and continuously operating kinetic energy generation equipment, the maintenance cycle structure and intervals specified by our company also serve as the main basis for formulating maintenance plans. ⑤ The capabilities of the repair firms in the local repair market in terms of their technical skills. (2) Procedure for formulating plans: When preparing an annual equipment repair plan, it is generally carried out in four steps: collecting data, drafting a plan, balancing and reviewing it, and issuing it for implementation. ① Gather information. Before formulating a plan, it is necessary to carry out data collection and analysis, which mainly involves the following two types of information: i. Information regarding the technical condition of the equipment, such as the tables provided by the users detailing the equipment’s technical status and information on product quality; when necessary, equipment records should be consulted and on-site inspections conducted to determine which equipment needs repair and what type of repairs are required ； ii. The information required and necessary for formulating a plan includes the revised repair workload quotas for each type of equipment classified by the company, based on its complexity factors; the repair workload quotas of local repair shops or the workshops of the original equipment manufacturers; records of the equipment that needs repair; and information on spare parts inventory. ② Prepare a draft. When drafting the annual plan, the following key points should be carefully considered: i. Fully take into account the equipment requirements of production, and strive to resolve the conflict between the need for use and the time required for maintenance of essential and critical equipment ； ii. Give priority to considering the necessity and feasibility of including major and itemized equipment repairs in the plan; if there are technical or material difficulties, analyze and explore remedial measures ； iii. The minor maintenance plan for the equipment can generally be arranged according to the suggestions of the user unit, but the availability of spare parts must be taken into consideration ； iv. Based on the company’s equipment repair system (the setup and division of responsibilities within the equipment repair department), the available equipment, and the repair capabilities, it is determined through analysis which equipment should be repaired by the company itself or outsourced to another company ； v. When scheduling the progress of equipment maintenance plans, it is necessary to take into account the urgency of the maintenance tasks as well as the time required for the preparatory work, and to balance the labor force of the maintenance team in accordance with the workload requirements. Before formally submitting the annual equipment maintenance plan, the maintenance planner in the equipment management department should organize relevant personnel from the departments responsible for managing the technical condition of the equipment, maintenance techniques, spare parts management, as well as the mechanical engineers from the units that use the equipment, to discuss each item in detail. It is important to listen carefully to the valuable opinions from all parties, so as to ensure that the draft plan meets the requirements of necessity, feasibility, and technical and economic rationality. It is necessary to point out that once the draft plan for equipment maintenance for the following year is roughly prepared, the equipment management department should as soon as possible discuss with the relevant departments the plans for major and routine equipment repairs in the first quarter of the following year. After obtaining approval from the plant manager by the end of October at the latest, it should notify in writing the units that use the equipment, the production management departments, the maintenance units, as well as the relevant personnel within the departments, so as to facilitate timely preparation for the repairs. Otherwise, the major equipment and item repair plans for the first quarter of next year will struggle to be implemented smoothly. Such an arrangement is based on the experience of some companies and is worth emulating. ③ Balanced evaluation. Once the draft plan is prepared, it is distributed to various user units as well as the production management, process technology, and finance departments for review, with suggestions for modifications regarding the addition or removal of items, priorities, duration of shutdowns, and maintenance dates. After analyzing various opinions and making the necessary adjustments, the annual equipment maintenance plan and accompanying instructions were formally prepared. The description should outline the key focus of the plan, the main issues affecting its implementation, and the measures to address them. After being reviewed and approved by the production management and finance departments, it is submitted to the chief mechanical engineer for approval, and then presented to the plant manager for final approval. ④ Issue the execution. Before the early part of December each year, the company’s production planning department and equipment management department jointly formulate the equipment maintenance plan for the following year, which is then evaluated as part of the company’s overall production and operation plans. 2. Preparation of the quarterly equipment maintenance plan: The quarterly equipment maintenance plan is an implementation plan for the annual plan, and it must be formulated on the basis of determining the dates for downtime, carrying out preparatory work prior to repairs, and arranging the necessary labor force. Generally, the maintenance plan for the next quarter is prepared at the beginning of the third month of each quarter, and the preparation procedure is as follows. (1) Prepare a draft plan ① Conduct specific investigations to understand the following: i. The actual progress of the maintenance projects planned for this quarter, and compare it with the extent that the maintenance team expects to complete by the end of the quarter ； ii. Progress of the preparatory work for the major maintenance projects scheduled in the next quarter under the annual plan; if there are still a few issues, measures will be discussed with the relevant departments to ensure that the construction requirements are met. If it is truly difficult to meet the requirements, propose alternative projects from the annual plan ； iii. The load rate of production tasks for key equipment scheduled for maintenance in the next quarter, and whether the maintenance can be completed by the specified month or when it will be possible to carry out the maintenance. ② Based on the minor repair items listed in the annual plan and those proposed by the user units, the minor repair items for the next quarter are determined through consultation with those user units. ③ Through investigation and comprehensive analysis after balancing, a draft for equipment maintenance for the next quarter is prepared. (2) Discussion and approval: After the draft quarterly equipment maintenance plan is prepared, it is sent to the production management department, the units that use the equipment, the maintenance units, as well as the personnel responsible for preparing the maintenance work, for their feedback. Then, personnel from the aforementioned units are gathered to discuss and finalize it. The principles for approval are as follows: ① Except for the recent influx of a large number of urgent tasks that necessitate production on equipment scheduled for major overhauls, no items included in the major or minor overhaul plans should be reduced; on the other hand, alternative projects should be considered to replace those major or minor overhaul items due to reduced production tasks ； ② The using unit may adjust the construction schedule for minor repair projects as appropriate, but they must be completed within the months specified in the maintenance plan ； ③ Strive to reduce the number of days of downtime. The draft quarterly plan should be discussed and approved machine by machine. If there are any issues, they should be analyzed through consultation to identify remedial measures; if necessary, partial modifications can be made to the draft plan (such as appropriately advancing or delaying the start dates for major repair projects, or allowing the repair of individual components of equipment under maintenance to be completed earlier or later). After discussion and approval, the quarterly maintenance plan takes into account all aspects such as the items to be addressed, the preparations prior to maintenance, the start and end dates for the maintenance work, equipment coordination within the company, and labor allocation. Once finalized, the quarterly equipment maintenance plan is submitted, along with the records of the discussions and approvals, to the chief mechanic and power engineer for review, and to the plant manager for final approval in accordance with the established procedures. (3) Implementation – Enterprises should generally issue the equipment maintenance plan for the following quarter by the 15th day of the last month of that quarter, and this plan should be evaluated together with the workshop’s production and operation plans. Some companies stipulate that the equipment maintenance plan for the first month of each quarter should be carried out in accordance with the quarterly equipment maintenance plan, without the need to create a separate monthly maintenance plan. This approach helps reduce the workload of the maintenance planners and is worth considering. 3. Preparation of the monthly equipment maintenance plan: The monthly equipment maintenance plan is primarily a breakdown of the quarterly maintenance plan; it also includes minor repair plans requested temporarily by the user units. Generally, the equipment maintenance plan for the following month is prepared in mid-month. The following points should be noted when preparing the monthly maintenance plan. ① For major and itemized repair projects that are completed across months, the workload to be completed within the current month is specified according to the equipment maintenance plan, so as to enable phased assessment. ② Due to production tasks or delays in the progress of certain repairs, the start date for new projects can be adjusted appropriately in accordance with the quarterly plan. However, for the workload that must be completed within a quarter, measures should be taken to ensure that the repairs are finished. ③ Minor repairs must be completed within the same month. After the monthly equipment maintenance plan is prepared, it is submitted to the production management department, the user units, and the maintenance units for approval. It shall be submitted to the Chief Mechanic for approval and to the plant manager in charge for authorization in accordance with the prescribed procedures. Enterprises shall submit the equipment maintenance plan for the following month by the 20th of each month, which will be evaluated together with the monthly production plan. 4. Revision of annual major equipment maintenance and item-specific maintenance plans. The annual major equipment maintenance and item-specific maintenance plans are formulated after thorough investigation and research, as well as a comprehensive technical and economic analysis of their necessity, feasibility, and rationality; they must be implemented carefully. However, in practice, if modifications to the original major repair plan are necessary due to certain insurmountable problems, such modifications should be made in accordance with the prescribed procedures. Those who meet one of the following conditions may apply for major or routine repair plans: ① Due to equipment accidents or serious malfunctions, it is necessary to apply for major or routine repairs in order to restore its functionality and accuracy ； ② The technical condition of the equipment is deteriorating at an accelerated pace; it is necessary to apply for major or partial repairs in order to meet the requirements of the production process ； ③ According to the pre-maintenance inspection, the equipment’s defects can be resolved through minor repairs; therefore, the major repairs that were originally planned should be reduced ； ④ Despite taking measures, the maintenance techniques and spare parts available still fall short of the requirements for repairs, necessitating a delay until the major repairs in the following year. For the above two scenarios, namely ① and ②, the equipment users should promptly submit an application form for adding major and minor repair plans to the Equipment Management Section (Department). The Equipment Management Department (Office) should also promptly organize inspections, determine plans for additional major or minor repairs, and arrange emergency repairs for case No. 1. For case No. 2, after a conclusion is reached in the pre-repair inspection, a written report is prepared by the technician in charge of the pre-repair inspection, and after it is signed off by the mechanical engineer of the using unit, it is submitted to the repair planner. For case No. 4, the person responsible for pre-repair technical and material preparation shall prepare a written report and submit it to the repair planner by the end of August at the latest. Based on the approved applications for increases or decreases in major and significant maintenance tasks, the maintenance planner generally revises the annual major and significant maintenance plans by the end of September. After obtaining approval from the plant manager in charge, these plans are communicated to the relevant departments, user units, and maintenance units, serving as a basis for evaluating the annual major and significant maintenance plans.