Your manufacturing equipment is the backbone of your business, and it deserves a lot of attention in terms of maintenance. Although breakdowns will happen sometimes, regular maintenance will save you expensive replacement costs. Besides maintenance, other good practices will also help extend your equipment’s life span. These few handy tips will make sure your manufacturing equipment lasts as long as possible.
Have a Regular Maintenance Schedule
It is essential to have a regular maintenance and service schedule for your manufacturing equipment since it might solve problems before they escalate to huge problems. During the routine check-up, the technician can also troubleshoot problems and fix them before they manifest. While scheduling for maintenance put into consideration the downtime.
Train Operators
You might have a wide range of manufacturing equipment. While you might find training employees about every machine impractical, it is crucial to train them a few basic skills, such as routine maintenance. You can request a technician to teach the rest of the employees these skills.
Another way to ensure that the operators are well equipped with knowledge is by revising the manuals to fit your workplace’s unique situation. You can also provide simplified manuals to these operators to avoid equipment misuse, jeopardizing a machine’s life span.
Regular Lubricant Replacement
All types of manufacturing equipment need lubricants to operate optimally. Grease keeps friction low around the moving parts, which in turn reduces wear and tear. Besides, lubricants prevent soot build-up, helping keep the interior of your machinery clean.
For the excellent performance of your machines, check the lubricant level from time to time. Also, check for oil seal leaks now and then. Additionally, ensure that you neither use too much nor too little lubricant. Too little lubricant poses the risk of more friction, while too much of it will cause performance issues due to grease build-up. Keep in mind that there are so many lubrication systems, such as spray lubrication systems. Ensure that you pick the best.
Stay Within Performance Specifications
Your manufacturing equipment, like any other machinery, comes with specific performance limitations. These include the maximum load capacity, range of operating pressure, operating temperature range, and much more. Before using the machines, carefully read the manual to learn about the limitations, as exceeding these specifications affects longevity. It could also lead to accidents, which could cost your business so much money.
Manufacturing equipment calls for hefty financial investment. Therefore, it is necessary to do everything required to ensure that these machines function smoothly at all times.