Maintenance testing is that testing which is performed to either identify equipment problems, diagnose equipment problems or to confirm that repair measures have been effective. It can be performed at either the system level (e.g., the HVAC

HVAC

HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...

 system), the equipment level (e.g., the blower in a HVAC line), or the component level (e.g., a control chip in the control box for the blower in the HVAC line).

Technical basis for testing

Maintenance testing uses system performance requirements as the basis for identifying the appropriate

In-service inspection and testing

One level of maintenance testing is the in-service inspection

Inspection

An inspection is, most generally, an organized examination or formal evaluation exercise. In engineering activities inspection involves the measurements, tests, and gauges applied to certain characteristics in regard to an object or activity...

 or inspection, which typically is a test or series of tests performed on a frequency established by the manufacturer based on prior experience with the system/equipment/component or upon engineering analysis of the probable failure rate for the equipment.

Typical examples of inspections and tests include:

• Periodic vehicle inspection
  Vehicle inspection
  Vehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. Inspection can be required at various times, e.g., periodically or on transfer of...
  
  s mandated by regulatory authorities for features important to environmental protection
  Environmental protection
  Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
  
   (e.g., exhaust emissions) or for safety
  Safety
  Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
  
   (e.g., brake and signal lights).
• Periodic inspections of nuclear power plant
  Nuclear power plant
  A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
  
   equipment important to the safe operation of the facility. Such inspections include a range of tests such as
  • Leak-rate tests for containment structures (the reactor boundary, the containment vessel, etc.).
  • Calibration tests to assure shutdown systems will activate on over-power or over-temperature conditions.
• The medical physical examination
  Physical examination
  Physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a doctor investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease. It generally follows the taking of the medical history — an account of the symptoms as experienced by the patient...
  
   or clinical examination can be considered diagnostic testing of in-service inspection for the human body
• Performance tests such as turbine shaft vibration tests to identify wear and plan maintenance are a form of diagnostic testing.

Evaluation and trending of test results

A good testing program will maintain a record of test results and maintenance actions taken. These data will be evaluated for trends and serve as the basis for decisions on appropriate testing frequency, need to replace or upgrade equipment and performance improvement opportunities.

Types of maintenance for which testing can be used

Maintenance falls into the following four categories:

• Preventive maintenance
  Preventive maintenance
  Preventive maintenance has the following meanings:#The care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in satisfactory operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or...
  
   — Changes to the existing system so as to reduce the risk of failure while operating.
• Corrective maintenance
  Corrective maintenance
  Corrective maintenance can be defined as a maintenance task performed to identify, isolate, and rectify a fault so that the failed equipment, machine, or system can be restored to an operational condition within the tolerances or limits established for in-service operations...
  
   — Correcting problems that arise while using the system.
• Perfective maintenance — Enhancements (modifications) to improve the safety, reliability, efficiency or cost-effectiveness of operation.
• Adaptive maintenance — Adaptations to address requirements that crop up due to changes in the environment or new regulations.

See also

• User Reengineering (products)
• auto mechanic
  Auto mechanic
  An auto mechanic is a mechanic with a variety of car makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of car. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly...
  
  
• engine repair
• Preventive maintenance
  Preventive maintenance
  Preventive maintenance has the following meanings:#The care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in satisfactory operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or...
  
  
• reliability engineering
  Reliability engineering
  Reliability engineering is an engineering field, that deals with the study, evaluation, and life-cycle management of reliability: the ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time. It is often measured as a probability of...
  
  
• Product Lifecycle Management
  Product lifecycle management
  In industry, product lifecycle management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal...