The Importance of Equipment Maintenance in Manufacturing

Unexpected machine failure can interrupt your production schedule, resulting in expensive downtime and compromising your manufacturing system's success. In some cases, poor maintenance can result in catastrophic failure, which culminates in major legal suits or even exiting the market.  So, whether your manufacturing unit is new or has been in operation for some time, you need to put a lot of focus on equipment maintenance. 

This post takes a closer look at equipment maintenance to help you understand the main benefits that come with it. We will also tell you special tips for good maintenance: 

Special Benefits of Good Equipment Maintenance

Most industrial pieces of machinery installed in the manufacturing facilities are expensive, and damages can result in serious losses. For example, industrial motors, pumps, and or presses are very expensive, running into thousands of dollars or more. Instead of letting them get damaged from neglect, make sure to maintain them well to enjoy the following benefits: 

• Avoiding expensive repairs that result from negligence. 

• Helps to extend the lifespan of your motors and other equipment. 

• Regular maintenance helps to prevent unplanned downtime that can be very expensive and also interrupt the manufacturing process. 

• Good maintenance helps to ensure that the system is working well and projects are completed on time. 

• It is a great way to reduce the operating costs because your machines, from pumps to conveyor belts, operate with minimum stress. 

• You are able to identify small issues and address them before they can turn into major issues. 

• Regular maintenance helps you to cut down injuries and fatalities, making it easy to cut down costs related to penalties for fatalities and injuries. 

• Better stakeholder support, especially if your maintenance helps to enhance efficiency and reduce pollution. Consider adopting ESG sustainability reporting for more support from stakeholders.

• Helps to maximize warranty coverage by maintaining a detailed service record. 

Manufacturing Equipment: What is Involved? 

The primary objective of proper maintenance is to ensure the equipment is operating at 100% efficiency while upholding the highest production quality. With the help of the latest technologies, such as cloud computing, industrial sensors, and the Internet of Things (IoT), it is easy to identify issues and address them fast. Here are other tips for good industrial equipment maintenance: 

• Schedule equipment maintenance based on their use. 

• Make your staff accountable for maintenance. 

• Always ensure that preventive maintenance on the equipment is beneficial. 

• Always plan ahead and try to accommodate seasonality. 

• Ensure to follow the recommended manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. 

• Keep a comprehensive maintenance journal that captures details, such as time, technician, type of repairs, and adjustments. 

• Always ensure that maintenance is done using the right equipment and damaged sections replaced with top-quality parts. 

• Make vigilance and preventative maintenance part of the organization's culture. 

If you have a manufacturing facility, start by ensuring that all pieces of equipment are installed properly and then maintain them in top condition all the time. As we have demonstrated in this post, you will not only reduce the costs of operations, but it can also be a great way to strengthen your brand. With a well-maintained facility and good management, you can only expect one thing - success with your facility.