Tips To Maintain Used Processing Equipment For A Long Time

With time, machines tend to break down more often as their parts wear out until they stop working at all. Their output also tends to fall with time. While you can’t prevent an eventual breakdown, you can keep using used processing equipment for the longest time possible by being diligent about your maintenance. This will also help you maintain its output to a consistent level. Other than the proper tools and equipment, you need to assess your inventory and keep track of the procedures you perform.

Used Processing Equipment Maintenance Tips

Assess Inventory For Risk

Different machines possess different types of risk, some possess hazards while others are important for crucial processes in manufacturing. You need to prioritize your inventory’s maintenance based on the risk they possess. Before beginning the risk assessment, make a list of machines you own, then assess how much risk each one possesses.

Train Operator

Most maintenance issues and accidents related to machines occur due to improper use. You can prevent this by training your operators on how to use the used processing equipment. Refer to the manual on how to use the machine and train the operators properly before allowing them to work on it. You can also add labels on the equipment, in case they need guidance.

Designate Supervisor

If you leave the maintenance to your staff’s discretion, then it may create confusion about who is responsible for it and the task will remain pending. You should hire or assign someone on the team as a maintenance supervisor to keep track of it. You can also assign a supervision team if it’s too much for one person.

Perform Regular Inspections

A lot of breakdowns can be prevented if you perform inspections at regular intervals. Doing it helps you detect minor issues with your machinery and fix them before they become major and prevent major accidents. Create an inspection schedule and keep track of it.

Schedule Maintenance

Doing maintenance without a schedule is just asking to delay or forget about it. You must create a schedule for procedures like passivation, grinding, etc. and stick to it as strictly as possible. You may need to perform some procedures daily, weekly, monthly or annually. Classify the tasks accordingly and set the schedule. Also, consider whether you need to do them in rotation to prevent disrupting your production cycle or you can shut the cycle for a period to perform the required maintenance.

Document Maintenance Procedure

Even the most experienced technicians may forget the exact steps to perform a maintenance procedure, which can cause problems in the future. Create a guidebook on how to maintain a piece of equipment and make it available to all. The guidelines will help new recruits and can come in handy if questions are raised against the process. You can refer to the machines’ manuals to create the guidelines.

Plan For Breakdowns

Your machine may break down despite your best efforts to prevent it. Train your maintenance team to perform temporary fixes until you can find a more permanent solution. Keep the tools that you need to perform the short term fixes nearby.

Keep Necessary Tools And Parts In Stock

You might need a specific type of tool to perform on a specific piece of equipment. Most machines are only compatible with spare parts that come from the manufacturer. You should keep the tools and parts in stock to perform maintenance and repairs. If you are facing issues with storage, then you should prioritize parts and tools that are hard to get.

Keep A Detailed Maintenance Record

It’s easy to lose track of what needs fixing and what you already fixed, considering the number of machines and their maintenance requirements. You need to keep a detailed maintenance record to keep track of passivation, polishing, etc. It will help you pinpoint what went wrong if your equipment breaks down. It can also act as proof for safety inspections in the future.