ABSTRACT
The post-maintenance era serves as an extension of the pre-maintenance and maintenance era in equipment management historical timeline. Almost a decade passing, we are moving further away from the maintenance era and advancing deeper into the post-maintenance era. The original single phase for post-maintenance era is now updated into three phases: Phase 6 Robotic Automation, Phase 7 Smart Machine, and Phase 8 Smart Factory. The new business environment in the high-tech industries, especially in semiconductor manufacturing, is far different from the traditional manufacturing environment in which the maintenance function originated. The operational changes are phenomenal in the semiconductor industry. The semiconductor industry is generally considered the backbone of other high-tech industries. The operational changes mentioned affect equipment characteristics significantly. The objectives of the maintenance units are also in contradiction with the overall objectives of the factory. The reactive maintenance practices were no longer effective in responding to such dynamic changing environment.
