CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

Plant maintenance is the comprehensive management of machineries and fool in a factory. This could take the form of preventing of breakdown through extensive lubrication of machine, detection of fault carryout minor repairs and replacement of obsolete spare parts at interval to enhance efficient production and consequently enhance quality and productivity (Edward, 2007).

Maintenance of plant and equipment use in production lead to the production of high quality product, increase speed of production and enhance the overall plant performance. The maximum utilization of maintenance resources enhance cost reduction or controls a substantial part of the total operating budget in most plants as well as reduction in total labour cost through increase speed of production and efficiency. The impact of maintenance of plant cannot be overemphasized sequel to it importance in enhancing the quality of production.

In recent years, a firm has given more attention to the quality of the product or services they produce. The act of monitoring and improving the quality of product and services produce is commonly referred to as total quality management. Which gives emphasis on production efficiency the ability to produce products at a low cost? This will consequently give a firm competitive advantage.

It is against this that most firms embark on plant maintenance in order manufacture high quality product efficiently to reduce cost and make high sales.

However, most firms use the wrong technique of maintenance sequel to cost reduction but incur such cost when breakdown interacts with production leading great loss.

It is against this background that the researcher sees the subject matter, the impact of plant and equipment maintenance on quality production as an issue worthy of being investigated. Putting a searchlight on Nigeria breweries Kaduna plant.