Preventative Maintenance Systems – Half of the Equation
Are you using a Preventative Maintenance System? Everyone knows how expensive equipment outages are. Lost revenue, cost of emergency repairs, and overtime labor are just some of the costs. Preventative maintenance systems can reduce the number of breakdowns as well as increase the lifespan of the equipment. These systems vary in cost and complexity, from simple spreadsheets to dedicated software solutions. This is a case where technology can have a huge payback!
Most facilities today use some sort of maintenance system. Unfortunately, the typical maintenance system just looks at scheduled lubrication, inspections, and some parts replacement. This is a good start, but only a start. A good preventative maintenance system also provides for planning and scheduling of resources for repairs. You can plan shutdowns for repairs instead of reacting to an emergency. It is much easier when you can let the lines clean out and properly shut down, perform the repairs, then start the lines back up again. Compare that process to having to shut down the manufacturing line with the legs and conveying equipment full.
The Other Half
You have a good maintenance system in place. It provides for the planning and scheduling of repairs. Now what?
Preventative maintenance is another area of “Manage what you measure”. By measuring actual repair time and costs against your plans, you can see trends in costs and downtime for the equipment. Much of the benefit comes from repairing or replacing equipment before it breaks, and doing it on your schedule, rather than having to fix or replace equipment on the busiest day of the week!
To realize these benefits you have to measure the effectiveness of your preventative maintenance program.
Are you measuring the effectiveness of your preventative maintenance program? What measures are you using? How does your facility compare with other similar facilities?
