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The key management method is one of the modern scientific management methods. Enterprises possess a large number of equipment, and the roles they play in production as well as their importance vary, so they cannot be treated alike. Equipment that holds an important position and plays a key role in production, as well as those on the production line that often threaten balanced production, product quality, and environmental safety, thereby having a significant impact on production, should be classified as key equipment for the enterprise. Special attention should be paid to such equipment in order to ensure the successful achievement of the enterprise’s production and operational goals. The classification of key equipment should be adjusted annually by the equipment management department in light of the production plan and changes in critical processes. 01 Criteria for Classification: Based on the extent of the impact on production, quality, costs, safety, delivery times, etc., as well as the magnitude of the losses incurred when the main production equipment fails or needs to be shut down for repair, the equipment is classified into three categories: A, B, and C. Category A consists of critical equipment that requires focused management and maintenance; preventive maintenance must be implemented strictly for such equipment. Category B also includes important equipment, for which preventive maintenance is necessary as well ； Class C refers to general equipment that can be repaired after the fact. The criteria for identifying key equipment can be referred to in the following points; enterprises should apply them flexibly based on their own actual circumstances. (1) In terms of production: single critical equipment in key processes, production-specific equipment with high load, equipment whose failures have a significant impact on production, equipment that fails frequently and thus disrupts production, and equipment with high load that has a major effect on maintaining balanced production. (2) Quality aspect: There are no alternative equipment for critical quality processes; it involves precision machining equipment, as well as equipment whose factors cause the process capability index CP value to be unstable and very low. (3) Cost aspect: Equipment with a high value per machine hour, equipment that consumes a large amount of energy, and equipment whose repair and downtime have a significant impact on production volume and output value. (4) Safety aspects: Equipment that poses a serious threat to human safety in the event of failure or damage, as well as equipment that has a significant impact on environmental protection and operations. (5) Maintainability: Equipment with a high complexity factor for repair, equipment with difficult access to spare parts, and equipment that is prone to failures and difficult to repair when they occur. 02 Methods of classification: The common methods for identifying key equipment are the empirical judgment method and the item-based scoring method. (1) Experience-based determination method: The equipment management and maintenance department, based on the experience gained from daily maintenance activities, initially identifies those devices whose failures have a significant impact on balanced production, product quality, as well as safety and environmental protection. This includes most of the precision, large-scale, rare, and critical devices specified by the industry authorities. After consulting with the production workshops and process departments, a list of key devices is prepared and submitted to the plant manager (or chief engineer) in charge of these devices for approval. When carrying out key management tasks, adjustments and additions can be made as needed. (2) Itemized scoring method: Based on the five criteria for classification, factors affecting performance, scores, and scoring standards are established to evaluate each major production equipment; approximately 10% of the equipment with the highest scores are selected as key equipment. Each enterprise can formulate its own equipment evaluation criteria based on its actual circumstances. 03 Management of key equipment: In addition to managing key equipment in accordance with the requirements for managing main equipment, the following measures should also be taken. (1) Key equipment should have obvious markings (such as symbol A). (2) For routine maintenance, the following tasks should be given priority: 1) Operators must carry out routine and periodic maintenance properly ； 2) Designate dedicated maintenance personnel to carry out regular inspections for each unit ； 3) Maintenance technicians should organize proper fault analysis and management ； 4) The spare parts team ensures the manufacturing and stocking of spare parts ； 5) The production and maintenance departments work together to ensure the implementation of the preventive maintenance plan ； 6) Start with technical upgrades to improve the reliability of the equipment. (3) The renovation and upgrading plans for key equipment should be given priority and implemented thoroughly. (4) The equipment management department shall, on an annual basis, and in light of the specific conditions of production and equipment, seek the opinions of relevant departments to revise the “List of Key Equipment”.