with very little margin of error when it comes to downtime, small and midsize manufacturers are adopting multipronged maintenance strategies to keep their equipment going.
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orget about finding a run it till it breaks philosophy of equipment maintenance at Quality Float Works. This 93-year-old manufacturer of metal floats relies both on very large equipment as well as some pieces that are more than 50 years old to get its product out. A cavalier attitude toward maintaining such equipment could be costly indeed, particularly if the equipment would need to be replaced. For a smaller company like us, [avoiding that cost] is particularly important, says Jason Speer, Quality Float Works vice president and general manager. Twenty-seven employees work at the firm. Speer points out that the older equipment has lasted for as long as it has because we do maintenance so that it will last. A stringent maintenance policy includes a checklist of processes that must be addressed for the equipment. The company follows both weekly and monthly maintenance schedules that are addressed by internal personnel, and each checklist is tailored to a particular piece of equipment. Additionally, the equipment operators perform daily maintenance on their machines at the end of each shift, and outside professional maintenance personnel are called upon as well. Maintenance doesnt always receive its proper due, though; as writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr. once observed, Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. That said, if you dont maintain your lawn, your homes curb appeal takes a hit. Dont maintain your car, and youre likely to end up stranded on the side of the road. Dont maintain your plant equipment, however, and the ramifications are more dire: lost production time and missed delivery dates if the equipment breaks down; poor quality and increased scrap when machines functioning at substandard levels produce substandard parts. If those arent bad enough, add increased costs if you are one of those who
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the raymond corp. addresses maintenance at its facilities using a variety of methods, including operator preventive maintenance, visual management tools, training and root cause analysis. small to medium-size manufacturers also are exploring total productive maintenance, a program that calls for companywide involvement in the maintenance process.
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to maintenance
where to start?
our resources are limited, and your maintenance efforts need a helping hand. The question is: Where do you start? Predictive Services Pucillo suggests that focusing on the problems that are causing you the most sleepless nights and/or on the problems that are happening on a repeatable basis. He also points out that sometimes manufacturers get focused on addressing maintenance the way its always been done. Take a step back, he says, and get new data. Go to trade shows, explore new techniques and talk to people outside of your facility. Particularly for manufacturers spending too much time fighting fires, I would recommend they get a second opinion to expand their thought process, Pucillo says. If theyre in that fire-fighting mode, theyre probably not happy because theyre working too hard. iW
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tlas machine & supply is a beneficiary both of manufacturers decisions to outsource some of their maintenance activities, as well as the firefighting mentality other manufacturers take toward maintenance. among the services the 200-person company provides is equipment rebuilding and repair. President and owner rich Gimmel says hes seen a surge in this business over the past decade. interestingly, the company takes a firefighting approach to the fire-fighting mentality of manufacturers.Weve adopted the theme that were an industrial fire department, with 24 hour a day, seven day a week availability if needed, Gimmel explains. the company also has an engineering staff who will redesign and reengineer equipment for manufacturers to make it less maintenance intensive.While that may seem counter-intuitive, given the services it offers, Gimmel says, it creates a more loyal customer for us. He must be right. atlas machine & supply has been in business for 100 years.
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