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 Enugu plant.

1.2    Statement of the Problems

The inability of an organization to effectively maintain its plant and equipment result in poor product quality, reduction in production speed, or affect other factors that limit overall plant performance. This subsequently leads to production failure in the market and could lead the collapse of an organization. It is against this, that researcher sees the subject matter, the impact of plant and equipment on quality production as an empirical problem worthy of investigation. Hence the researcher intends to study plant and equipment maintenance and their impact on quality production in Nigeria breweries P.L.C with search light on enugu plant and in particular their maintenance Department.

1.3    Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of the study is to examine the impact of maintenance of plant and equipment on quality production in Nigeria breweries enugu. The specific objective is to:

• Examine how maintenance of plant and equipment affect standard of production in Nigeria Breweries enugu.
• Find out how maintenance of plant and equipment affect efficiency and speed of production in Nigeria Breweries enugu.
• Identify the effect of plant and equipment maintenance on quality production in Nigeria Breweries enugu.
• Identify the problems militating against effective plant and equipment maintenance in Nigeria Breweries enugu.
• Proper possible solutions to the identified problems.

1.4    Significance of the Study

This study will contribute to policy formulation as regard plant and equipment in organization. As such Nigeria Breweries enugu will find the result of the research useful especially as they utilize the finding to enhance the maintenance of their plant and equipment.

The study will also contribute to existing body of knowledge on the subject matter.

It is worthy to know that the research will be a good reference material to incoming students who may wish to use the research as reference material or a springboard for further research.

1.5     Research Questions

1.      How does plant equipment maintenance affect the standard of production in Nigeria Breweries Enugu?

2.      How does plant and equipment maintenance affect efficiency and speed of production in Nigeria Breweries Enugu?

3.      What is the effect of plant and equipment on quality production in Nigeria Breweries Enugu?

4.      What are the problems militating against plant and equipment maintenance in Nigeria Breweries Enugu?

1.6    Scope of the Study

This study covers the empirical examination of the impact of maintenance on quality control to this end; empirical data will be collected from Nigeria breweries Enugu. The study will equally cover an evaluation of how plant and equipment maintenance affect standard of production as well as well as its effect on efficiency and speed of production. The study equally identifies the problems militating against Nigeria breweries plc Enugu. Data and information will be for a period of 5 years that is 2006-2010.

1.7        Definition of Terms

Plant: A factory where production process falls place (ponal, 2003).

Maintenance: The act of keeping plant machineries and equipment in good condition by checking or repairing it regularly (Paula, 2006).

Quality production: The degree to which production meet a require specification or standard (obodoeeh, 2006).

Quality control: This is a process determining whether the quality of a product or service meets the desire quality level (Lawal, 2003).

TQM: Acronym for total quality management (Eghe, 2006).

TPM: Acronym for total productive maintenance (okoh, 2003).

Productivity: The rate at which a firm produces good and the amount produced compare to how much time, labour and capital used in producing them (Donald, 2003).