Everyone wants to avoid trouble. We don’t want things to break down, and we don’t want to lose time and money. But sometimes, it’s the actions you can take before something goes wrong that will help you the most. That’s why a preventative maintenance program is important for every plant.
First and foremost, a preventative maintenance program saves you money! Spending ten dollars today can save you thousands later. You’ll save money on parts, on labor, and on missed opportunities. And it will help ensure your employees’ safety.
The added benefit of a preventative maintenance program is that it gives you another way to monitor and evaluate your plant, production, and productivity. Standardizing a program allows you to do several things, including: identify, track and analyze your assets; monitor and control inventories; ensure the right parts are ordered and track delivery; and see results in labor productivity, inventory costs, equipment availability, and warranty cost recovery.
Taking the First Step
So what’s the most important first step? Management must believe in and fully support the program. The company needs to develop a program that fits its circumstances, either by purchasing or building its own tracking tools, and then everyone must follow that program. You have to schedule the maintenance checks, keep maintenance logs, and follow through on all work that needs to be done.
As you develop your preventative maintenance program, actually start with your equipments’ operator and maintenance manuals. It may sound obvious, but it’s worth stating. Even when you “know” how the machine works, it doesn’t hurt to see what the experts had to say about it when they wrote the manuals.
Your maintenance logs should document everything. List all items to be checked, and how often to check them. Track your parts, and include pertinent details such as what you replace, how much it costs, and when replacements are ordered. Be sure to record all repairs, not just preventative maintenance. And be sure to record the labor time needed for the maintenance and/or repair.
The Importance of the People Involved
So what’s the best way to ensure that the program is followed and maintenance checks are getting done? Have one person take ownership of the process. Duties of this person can include: communicating the maintenance schedule; reporting issues and following up on their resolution; verifying the maintenance schedule is followed; and setting up and maintaining a spare parts inventory. Responsibilities of the machinery operators and maintenance staff should be clearly defined. Weekly interaction with the operators will also help identify nagging issues before they become breakdowns. Five to ten minute weekly reviews should be held on each machine to identify problems and schedule repairs.
When it comes to hiring maintenance personnel, there are a few things to keep in mind. They should be comfortable with computers, understand electricity and electrical troubleshooting, and understand PLC controllers and their operation. In locating candidates, consider technical schools with an industrial technology program, former military personnel, and individuals with previous maintenance experience.
Developing Your Program
So if you don’t have a preventative maintenance program yet, now is a good time to start one. If you already have one in place, now is a good time to review it. Consider these two sample programs for linear and component saws [See PDF of View in Full Issue]. Then you can “schedule your breakdowns” when they are convenient for you.