This paper addresses the topic of machinery management by describing what it is, how it is performed, and what benefits those who employ machinery management practices can expect to derive. The practice has evolved since its inception in the 1960s, and a historical perspective is provided showing the roots of machinery management practices, its growth to currently adopted practices, and the limitations of such current practices. A new method of machinery management is presented, using currently available off-the-shelf products, and the advantages of this new method are shown. Machinery management is also placed within the broader context of Plant Asset Management, an emerging focus in the process industries to obtain competitive advantage through an integration of condition monitoring, maintenance management, and reliability management practices applied to all plant production assets, not just machinery.
