The field of Industrial Maintenance Engineering graduates professionals that develop maintenance strategies (planning, programming and control) for the industrial equipment (mainly electromechanical) of a company, in order to increase the reliability of such equipment. They also reduce costs and promote personnel safety in all the areas under their command. They design and install production systems and devise and manufacture spare parts for machinery. Maintenance Engineering is a combination of professionals from Mechanical Engineering and Electric Engineering, complemented with the Administration of Maintenance.
Relevance of Industrial Maintenance Engineering
Professionals in Industrial Maintenance Engineering are significant for the development of a company because they are in charge of the maintenance of facilities and mechanical, electrical and electromechanical equipment, thus taking full advantage of existing resources. The strong academic background in engineering allows professionals to synthesize engineering design processes; it involves ample knowledge of mathematics and science as ell as a balance in humanities and social awareness. Graduates easily handle high-tech computer tools that are helpful in solving technical problems in electromechanics and in the administration of maintenance.
Working field of Industrial Maintenance Engineering
Theoretical and practical backgrounds allow professionals to work in:
Mechanics:
- Estimation and design of general elements and mechanisms, transportation systems for solid and fluid materials and hydropneumatic systems for industrial use
- Design of mechanical plans and graphs for industrial facilities
- Plan design for consolidated facilities
- Estimation of mechanical and electrical power for industrial machinery, as well as of energy consumption and production in industrial cycles and its energetic optimization
- Estimation, selection and maintenance of turbo machines and compressed air systems, refrigeration equipment, air-conditioned and ventilation systems
- Estimation, selection, maintenance and inspection of vapor generators
Electric:
- Design and elaboration of electric plan in low tension
- Analysis of malfunctioning machinery and general electric equipment by measuring and interpreting variables and mechanical and electrical parameters
- Design automated combination and sequential systems, based on ladder diagrams and Grafcet or SFC
- Estimation and design of control and electrical protection systems
- Estimation, selection, design and assembly of electrical networks of low tension
- Maintenance of low tension electrical networks, with rational electric power usage criteria
- Maintenance and operation of medium tension networks
- Automation of industrial processes
Administration of Maintenance
- Organization, planning and control of infrastructure, machinery and electromechanical equipment maintenance, either industrial or in the area of goods and services, using modern systems and technologies for the administration of maintenance
- Management of safety standards and cost analysis in decision-making related to the design, selection, assembly and operation of machinery and equipment
- Organization and control of materials, spare parts and tools inventories
- Design, evaluation and administration of projects related to electromechanical engineering
- Organization, planning and control of machinery and electromechanical equipment maintenance
Working field of Industrial Maintenance Engineering
Professionals in Industrial Maintenance Engineering work in factories, processing industries, assembly industries, public institutions and service companies that require machinery to operate.
Resources and Facilities
The field has a fine team of professors with Master´s and Licenciatura degrees. It has electricity, electrical machinery, thermal machinery, hydraulic machinery, refrigeration and air conditioned, automated control, computer assisted design and manufacturing laboratories, among others. Graduates can continue their postgraduate studies in technical and administrative areas.