A few generations ago, maintenance meant that equipment was serviced regularly and repaired when necessary. This type of maintenance means that production is interrupted when a machine breaks down, incurring costs for a company that is not producing anything at that moment. Fortunately, with today’s technology, maintenance can also be managed efficiently. Here are 5 good reasons why maintenance should not be left solely to regular servicing and repairs.
Prevent equipment breakdowns through prediction and measurement
A machine with moving parts always causes some degree of vibration when it is running. By measuring vibration, we gain information about the machine’s actual condition. Deviations in the measured values provide information about upcoming problems, and thus we know that some part (for example, a bearing) is worn or damaged. With the help of measurements, there is no need to wait for a total breakdown, which, when it occurs, may also damage other parts. (read more about vibration measurements)
Save money on maintenance and repair costs
When it is known in advance that some part of a machine is worn or damaged, a maintenance plan can be started. Production planning can be reorganized sensibly when the issue is not an unexpected production stoppage. There is also no need to urgently call maintenance personnel to the site, as the work is already known to them well in advance. The correct spare parts can be ordered well in advance, and therefore the downtime does not last unnecessarily long. All in all, planned maintenance and repair of a machine increases efficiency while saving time and costs.
Create safety
Depending on the industrial sector, the risks caused by a sudden machine breakdown may be significant. In the worst case, a machine breakdown can ignite the material being used or release hazardous chemicals into places where they should not be. On the other hand, moving materials and a sudden production stoppage may also create safety risks for personnel when work has to be started without an advance plan and the situation nevertheless requires quick action.
Save the environment
As we know, raw materials are not only valuable in monetary terms; they also always originate from nature. For this reason, material waste should be reduced by all possible means. When equipment breakdowns decrease, material waste also decreases significantly. In some industries, waste of materials or raw materials can also cause significant environmental damage. Chemicals entering the environment are a real-life example of this.
Predictive maintenance is part of LEAN
The LEAN culture has come to stay in Finnish companies, and its benefits can already be seen in many factories and production facilities. However, LEAN is not implemented by simply putting things in their places and always doing everything in the same way. It means reducing non-value-adding work everywhere possible. In terms of maintenance, a significant LEAN measure is to do things at the right time and in the right place. Collecting measured data on the condition of the equipment helps with this. This way, the correct spare parts are ordered at the right time, installed at the right planned time, and production is also planned to be as efficient as possible during maintenance. There are only necessary parts in stock, and unnecessary parts are not ordered “just in case”. LEAN simply cannot be properly implemented without predictive maintenance and measured data!
Machine maintenance is an invisible part of industry to consumers and society, but nevertheless, we all recognize its value. At Nome Oy, we do our best every day to ensure that our customers’ production continues as cost-effectively and safely as possible, both on weekdays and holidays.
If you would like to discuss maintenance and our services further, please contact us using the form below!
Even the smallest vibrations can be measured, providing information about, for example, the condition of bearings.
