Introduction to Maintenance Engineering Modeling, Optimization, and Management

Abstract

The Metal Age, which started around 3000 BC, saw the appearance of metal tools and the evolution of civilizations in different regions of the world. This led to the development of tools for warfare and farming, and the building of roads, boats, houses, and so on. The Industrial Revolution created new mechanical devices and machines. This, in turn, led to the development of the electrical, hydraulic, and other devices and equipment that are used nowadays in nearly all sectors – farming, processing, mining, manufacturing, transport, communication, and so on, all with specific needs for maintenance. The construction of infrastructures (such as electricity, water, gas and sewage networks, dams, roads, railways, bridges, etc.) resulted in new maintenance challenges in order to keep them operational.