Preventive maintenance is a process carried out in factories/plants to inspect equipment for potential problems. Equipment maintenance is critical in order to ensure smooth functioning of factory operations.
This article focuses on the maintenance phase which relates to upkeep and repair. These two combined imply that by making prevention the primary underlying goal, factory owners face minimal devaluation in the future.
Preventive Maintenance
The process of preventive maintenance is more than just routine maintenance activities. It ensures that there is no unexpected downtime and no expensive costs from sudden, out of the blue equipment failure. Thorough planning is required in order to schedule the maintenance program for equipment before a problem surfaces. Avoiding equipment failure is the objective of this entire process.
For companies having a lot of machinery equipment installed, preventive maintenance is vital. There are many advantages of preventive maintenance.
Assuring Optimal Working Conditions
Machines can lose efficiency over time due to normal wear and tear. Rusting and corrosion also play a part in this. The remedy is opting for a preventive maintenance service. Relying on self-constructed plans for equipment handling is not enough. Expert service is highly important when it comes to the maintenance of equipment. A slight error in the maintenance of equipment can be devastating for the efficiency of the machinery. By properly planning the maintenance of factory equipment, working conditions can be improved exponentially.
Boosting Productivity
It is also important for boosting productivity. Productivity is boosted when factory machinery is up to the mark. After all, a car does not travel very far if the engine is not in good shape. Preventive measures like checking to make sure that the radiator has sufficient water constitute the preventive maintenance of the car. This car-engine preventive maintenance analogy can be applied to equipment-factory analogy as well.
Decreasing Equipment Downtime
Equipment downtime is a phenomenon common to all factory workers. Wear and tear may cause the machines to lose optimal functionality and enter ‘downtime’. To reduce the time taken for machines to stop working properly, know as the downtime, preventive maintenance measures must be taken.
Routine repairs evade large-scale repairs
By checking the machines routinely and timely, large-scale repairs are avoided. Frequently assessing the condition of machinery gives a fair idea of imminent problems. These issues are to be resolved immediately in order to avoid large-scale repairs later on as they are costly and time-consuming.
Increased Life Expectancy of Machinery
Lifespan of factory equipment is increased. Scheduling routine check-ups of equipment works wonders as it saves the cost of future large scale repairs. Routine examination of machinery helps in identifying faults well in time. They are dealt with by the experts and resolved. By resolving faults simultaneously and not letting them pile up, preventive maintenance saves factory owners from future losses.
Enhanced Safety
The safety of the equipment is ensured. Preventive maintenance reduces risks like fire hazards, short-circuits etc which may lead to fatalities. Opting for preventive maintenance guarantees workplace safety. Apart from that, machinery is also made safe to handle. Wiring is checked and precautionary measures are taken.
Maximum Quality Ensured
When your equipment is up and running, you can think of improving the quality of your products or services. Equipment reliability will ultimately lead to improved product quality.
Routine repairs evade large-scale repairs
Identifying mechanical problems on time will help you prevent expensive, large-scale repairs in the future. It’s advisable to invest in preventive maintenance instead of spending thousands of dollars on unexpected and reactive repairs.
Preventive maintenance plays a key role in ensuring long-lasting factory machinery. Unpredictability is not welcome when it comes to risk analysis. Lives of factory workers and optimal performance of equipment is at stake.
Signing up for a regular preventive maintenance program will ensure equipment reliability. If you don’t have an in-house maintenance team to take care of your equipment, hire a company which specializes in preventive maintenance and shutdowns.
Braylon is an author, renowned blogger and Consultant. He is also an engineer but writes on a variety of topics including Mechanical Engineering, Millwrights, Business development and Construction management, etc. He hangs out with his friends in his free time!