Machinery Maintenance Best Practices for Your Factory

release date: 02/10/2016

Proper machinery maintenance is crucial to the successful operation of your manufacturing factory. The smallest amount of downtime can dramatically impact production and delivery rates, and also your bottom line.

With that being said, many manufacturers still do not implement lean machinery maintenance practices. Plant Engineering has calculated that up to 90 percent of maintenance performed by factories is reactive rather than proactive. Meaning, unscheduled downtime is occurring far too often because managers are not scheduling planned downtime for maintenance.

Read on to learn machinery maintenance best practices you should be implementing in your factory in order to benefit your production and reduce your costs.

Clean Machinery Regularly & Maintain its Environment

There are many different parts of machinery in place to help keep it clean so it can run longer. For example, filters should be changed regularly and breathers should be kept clean.

While these steps might seem minuscule in the big picture, the consequences of not cleaning machinery regularly are huge! If breathers aren’t cleaned, it could create a vacuum effect and suck contaminants into the cab. If filters are not changed, they could be allowing contaminants in.

It’s also important to take the location of the machinery into consideration. For instance, if it’s used outside, it should be stored indoors at night if possible to ensure it doesn’t rust or rot due to the elements.

Inspect Machinery for Wear & Tear

Over time, your machinery will inevitably experience wear and tear from vibration, shock, extreme temperatures, friction, and just age itself.

Inspect your machinery regularly so you can spot any upcoming problems. If you notice gears or belts are out of alignment, put it on record. If seals are cracking, make a note. If bolts are missing or are bent out of place, jot it down. Include these parts on the list of tune-ups for your next planned downtime.

Inspect Lubricants

Lubricants are crucial to the lifespan of your machinery as they reduce friction on moving parts. Inspect your machinery for signs of excess oil, grease build-up or leaks around seals. If you’re noticing your lubricants are failing, it’s time to add more… just ensure it’s the specific kind of oil or grease needed for the specific part. Manufacturers can recommend lubricants on a per product basis.

Conduct Routine Operator Training Sessions

Operator training is not a “one and you’re done” process. Training should be extensive and ongoing. Employees come and go and operational skills can become poor as the job shifts through hands.

Regular training workshops will help ensure everyone on your team is up to date with proper operation and maintenance methods for all machinery and parts.

It’s also helpful to create shorter versions of operator manuals that your staff can have on hand during their shift should any questions arise. Checklists of startup, in between shift and post-shift tasks can help ensure all cleaning, testing, and inspection is done regularly and that any issues are notated.

Create a Maintenance & Repair Process

Last, but not least, nothing quite compares to having a working maintenance and repair process in place. A maintenance process is important to ensure your factory is having that regularly planned downtime to inspect all parts, fix any lingering issues and conduct a detailed cleaning.

A repair process is important to ensure if unscheduled downtime does occur, you can quickly order and receive the part you need. By establishing a relationship with a reputable supplier, like Protech International, you’ll be able to get the high-quality parts you need as fast as possible at the lowest possible prices.

Download The Foolproof Guide to Improving OEE in Your Manufacturing Plant!

Now that you have an arsenal of best practices for machinery maintenance, put them in place and start improving your operation!

However, keep in mind that routine maintenance is not the only thing that impacts your overall equipment effectiveness. And in order to run your factory as efficiently as possible to increase your overall production, you have to improve your OEE.

Download the eBook, The Foolproof Guide to Improving OEE in Your Manufacturing Plant, to learn the tricks of the trade for analyzing your current OEE and improving your plant’s performance!