Industrial machinery repair can be expensive and mean that your business cannot operate at full capacity for a time. And, unfortunately, you can’t necessarily plan for when you’ll need to repair your machines. As a result, you may find them breaking down at the worst possible time, leaving you and your business in a tricky situation.
However, a simple way to minimize the need for repairs can be to have a planned maintenance schedule that your regularly follow. This allows you to ensure that your machines are running and working at their optimal capacity. Doing so will help manage breakdowns and delays caused by downtime required to repair machinery.
To get you started on designing your planned maintenance schedule for your industrial business, we’ve put together the following ideas and tips.
Get familiar with the owner’s manual:
Your owner’s manual for the machinery is the best place to start when it comes to planning a maintenance schedule. The manufacturers of the machinery will have put it through a series of tests in order to come up with a set of guidelines regarding how to run and maintain the machinery. Before operating the machinery, make sure you are familiar with the owner’s manual. This will ensure that you are using the machinery correctly and not causing any potential problems that may lead to repairs down the track.
Similarly, pay attention to any information provide to handling common problems with the machine. There may be advice about resetting it or checks to complete before organizing for repairs to be done. If you’re ever in doubt, check the owner’s manual first and see if there is a solution in there. And finally, make sure you follow any guidance about looking after the machine. This may include starting procedures and cleaning tips.
Keep area and machines clean:
Dirt, grime and dust can all do serious damage to your machinery if it is allowed to accumulate on the machinery. It can mean the machinery has to work harder to get the job done or may prevent it from functioning at all. Therefore, you need to make sure that your maintenance schedule includes cleaning the machines and the area around them. You should have a cleaning routine to follow every week, as well as a more thorough cleaning routine for each month.
It’s also a good idea to check the machinery for dust and dirt every time you go to operate it. This gives you the opportunity to spot a problem before it can damage your machine. If there’s a build-up of dirt, clean it up before starting the machinery.
Be proactive with repairs and maintenance:
While it can be tempting to delay maintenance and repairs to another time when it may be more convenient, this is how you end up spending lots of money on repairs. Maintenance needs to be done regularly, or you may as well not be doing it at all. Maintenance may mean pausing operation for a time, but this should be built into your work schedule. Additionally, taking the time to do regular maintenance will mean fewer delays caused by machines needing to be repaired. Further, regular maintenance can increase the operational life of your machines.
Further, minor repairs are much cheaper and easier to fix than major repairs. They also tend to result in shorter delays as well.So, if you notice that something is wrong with a machine, get it sorted as soon as possible to minimize your repair costs and delays.
Use correct operating procedures:
Operating a piece of complex industrial machinery requires a level of expertise. Training and qualifications may be required in order to minimize the chance of damaging the machine or causing harm to others. Ensure that your machinery operators are appropriately skilled and qualified to do their work. As part of their training and qualifications, they should also be able to tell well the machine is not working as it should. If they notice any problems, they should know what procedure to follow, like informing you so that repairs can be done.
Use specialist repair and maintenance services:
There may be some industrial machinery repair and maintenance work that you and your staff can do yourselves. This is a great way to save money and ensure that you are all familiar with how the machines work. However, some jobs are best left to the experts. Otherwise, you may cause more damage to the machine. Therefore, make sure you know what you are capable of fixing and what situations require a specialist. Using a specialist for repair and maintenance work can also help extend the operational life of the machine.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there are lots of ways you can help minimize the cost of repair work on your industrial machinery. It helps to understand your machinery and to keep it well maintained. If it does need repairs, make sure these are completed quickly and by a person with appropriate skill and knowledge.
