What type of maintenance is the least sophisticated and typically used on noncritical equipment?

Breakdown maintenance refers to performing repairs or maintenance only after equipment has failed. This approach is the least sophisticated because it focuses on reactive measures rather than proactive strategies. It is typically applied to noncritical equipment, where the cost or impact of downtime is minimal.

Utilizing breakdown maintenance means waiting for an issue to arise, which can lead to unexpected failures and potentially more significant problems or disruptions. In contrast, preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance involve planned actions and monitoring to prevent failures before they occur. Scheduled maintenance, while systematic, still implies some level of regular oversight and planning. Thus, breakdown maintenance is characterized by its lack of foresight, making it the simplest and least sophisticated maintenance strategy for noncritical assets.