Maintenance practices and parameters for marine mechanical systems: a review

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review maintenance practices, tools and parameters for marine mechanical systems that can be classified as plant, machinery and equipment (PME). It provides an insight for the maintenance crew on which maintenance parameters and practices are critical for a given PME systems. Design/methodology/approach The review paper characterizes the various maintenance parameters and maintenance practices used onshore and offshore for PME and identifies the possible gaps. Findings A variety of maintenance techniques are being used in the marine industry such as corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance and condition-based maintenance. As marine vehicles (MV) get older, the most important maintenance parameters become maintenance costs, reliability and safety. Maintenance models that have been developed in line with marine mechanical systems have been validated using a single system, whose outcome could be different if another PME system is used for validation. Research limitations/implications There is a limited literature on MV maintenance parameters and maintenance characterization regarding mechanical systems. The maintenance practices or strategies of marine mechanical systems should be based on maintenance parameters that suit the marine industry for a given PME. Originality/value Based on the available literature, the paper provides a variety of maintenance framework, parameters and practices for marine mechanical systems. The paper further gives an insight on what maintenance parameters, strategies and platforms are given preference in the shipping industry.