Machine downtime is something that every manufacturer has to deal with. It’s inevitable that you’ll run into some kind of issue with your equipment at some point, whether it’s a minor problem that can be fixed quickly or a major issue that will require repairs for days or even weeks. In order to minimize the impact of machine downtime and make sure your manufacturing processes continue running smoothly, you need to know what causes machine downtime in the first place, as well as how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
Don’t Stock The Wrong Parts
The first step to preventing downtime is to make sure you have the right parts on hand. If a machine breaks down, there’s no point in having a replacement part if it’s not what the technician needs.
To avoid stocking the wrong parts, use an inventory management system that tracks everything in your warehouse, so you know exactly what you have available and where it is located. You should also keep track of how many times each item has been used (or at least ordered). This will allow you to identify which machines require more frequent maintenance checks, as well as which machines are used less frequently by staff members who might forget about them altogether!
Once this information has been collected, remove any outdated or unused items from storage areas around your facility, so they don’t take up valuable space unnecessarily anymore. Then put together a list of spare parts needed most often by employees working on various types of machines throughout various departments within each area.
Keep Your Cool
The next time you’re working on a machine, keep your cool.
- Use a cooling system. If you have a laptop, use the built-in fan to keep it from overheating. If the computer has vents and fans, make sure they are not blocked by dust or debris. If this is not possible (for example, if your computer has no vents), then consider buying an external cooling pad for added protection against overheating issues.
- Use a fan when necessary: A desk fan can help keep any room cool enough for optimal performance, especially if there’s no air conditioning in sight!
Use Effective Maintenance Processes
Using effective maintenance processes can help you avoid machine downtime and the costs associated with it. Preventive maintenance is a proactive approach to maintaining your equipment, which includes scheduling regular inspections, cleaning and lubrication of moving parts, replacing worn parts before they break down completely and more.
Predictive maintenance is another way to prevent downtime by detecting potential problems before they occur. It uses sensors that monitor your machines’ performance over time so that you can identify issues before they become serious enough for an expensive repair job, or even at all!
Corrective maintenance involves fixing broken or malfunctioning parts after they fail; this often requires hiring outside contractors, who may charge additional fees if they have to travel long distances from their home base (which means more money spent on transportation).
Get The Right Training
One of the most common causes of machine downtime is a lack of training. You need to make sure that your staff knows how to use the machines, but also how to maintain them and keep them running smoothly. In addition, if there are software issues or system problems with the equipment in question, you’ll want your employees trained on those as well, so they can handle them when they arise. Have each employee undergo an initial training session before being allowed access to any machine or piece of equipment. This will help ensure that everyone knows exactly what they’re doing when it comes time for them to run things solo!
Keep The Software Up To Date
It’s important to keep the software on your machines up-to-date. Software updates often fix bugs, add new features and improve security. If you don’t update your software regularly, you could be at risk of being hacked or having other problems like data loss or crashes.
There are many reasons why companies choose not to update their systems: they may think that it would be too much work; they might not have time in their schedule because they’re busy working on other projects; the update might break something important, so they’d rather wait until more people have tested it first (this is called “beta testing”). But these are all excuses – keeping your computers up-to-date will save you time and money in the long run!
Don’t Let Your Techs Get Bored Or Complacent
Bored techs are more likely to make mistakes. They’re also more likely to be careless, take shortcuts and lose focus. To prevent these things from happening, you need to keep your technicians engaged in their work.
It’s easy for a machine operator or engineer who spends their days doing the same thing over and over again, like changing out filters or performing other routine tasks, to get bored with the job and start making mistakes as a result of boredom and complacency. If this is happening in your shop, try rotating personnel, so they have different roles every week or two: one week they might be responsible for cleaning machines; another week they may be tasked with inspecting them before use; etc. You could even consider letting some people go back into school if they want additional training but don’t have time during business hours due to tight schedules elsewhere within your organization’s structure (such as being needed early mornings).
Use Machine Downtime Tracking Software
Machine downtime tracking software is a great way to improve your business. Machine downtime can be costly, so it’s important that you know where and why your machines are breaking down.
Machine and equipment downtime tracking software helps you track downtime by providing metrics on how much time each of your machines is running, how many times they break down, and when they’re most likely to fail. This information can help prevent future issues with those particular pieces of equipment by allowing you more insight into their usage patterns, as well as potential areas for improvement (such as regular maintenance).
Machine Downtime Can Also Impact Your Bottom Line By Increasing Costs And Decreasing Productivity
If you’re not sure what machine downtime is, it’s the loss of productivity that occurs when your equipment breaks down or malfunctions. Machine downtime can be costly and frustrating, but there are ways to prevent it from happening.
- Cost of downtime: This is simply the cost associated with replacing or repairing broken parts or faulty machinery. These costs include replacement parts and labor, as well as lost productivity while workers are waiting for repairs to be completed.
- Reduction in productivity: When machines are working properly and efficiently, they allow workers more time on other tasks such as shipping orders out faster, so they don’t get backed up at the warehouse door (and potentially lose customers). However, when machines break down frequently due to poor maintenance habits like not changing filters regularly enough, or even worse yet ignoring them altogether, your business will suffer because fewer products will be shipped out each day than could otherwise happen if all employees were able to perform their jobs without having any distractions come up unexpectedly due to faulty equipment!
Conclusion
Machine downtime can be a frustrating and costly issue for manufacturers. The good news is that there are many ways to prevent and reduce machine downtime. By following the tips outlined in this post, you can help ensure that your machines stay up and running when they need to be most productive!