A well-maintained machine can significantly benefit your operation over the years. To help you achieve maximum throughput, we are sharing expert tips for proper packaging machine maintenance.
Follow a Preventive Maintenance Schedule
According to Automation Mag, preventive maintenance is the most important factor in extending a machine’s lifespan. Similar to a car, a packaging machine needs regular and periodic maintenance to ensure optimal production and peak Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Creating and sticking to a preventive maintenance schedule is essential after installing a packaging machine.
A well-designed maintenance schedule aims to prevent minor issues and major failures, minimizing unscheduled downtime. Key preventive maintenance tasks include:
- Inspecting the machine
- Regularly monitoring and replacing wear parts
- Keeping high-wear parts in stock
- Lubricating the machine
These tasks often require advanced technical skills and should be performed by highly qualified personnel or a certified service technician from the packaging machine manufacturer. Leading packaging OEMs offer Service Audit and Preventive Maintenance Plans with regular scheduled onsite visits tailored to your specific business needs.
Combine with Autonomous Maintenance Tasks
Automation Mag suggests complementing in-depth packaging machine maintenance with simpler, regular tasks performed by trained machine operators. By using a packaging machine maintenance checklist, operators can handle tasks at daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and biannual intervals. These tasks typically involve simple visual inspections, and as operators become more familiar with the machine through repeated maintenance, they can often detect issues before the next scheduled visit from an OEM technician.
Partner with Responsive Packaging OEMs
When your packaging machine is down, every second counts. It’s essential to properly vet the OEM before purchasing equipment, ensuring you understand their technical service availability, methods of contact, and associated costs.
Choose a packaging machine manufacturer that provides direct access to support, with real people answering calls or emails. Opt for an OEM with remote troubleshooting capabilities to address routine problems without unnecessary and costly onsite visits.
Understand Your Spare Parts List
After purchasing a packaging machine, your OEM should provide a recommended spare parts list, categorized by wear. This helps you strategically plan your parts inventory. For example, at Viking, parts are classified as follows:
- High wear parts: These parts have a shorter lifecycle or are not standard items with a long lead time.
- Medium wear parts: These parts have a longer lifecycle and may or may not ever fail.
- Low wear parts: These parts should never fail.
It’s always recommended to keep high wear parts in stock. The last thing you want during a machine downtime is to wait for a part to be fabricated or shipped. Every minute your machine is inoperable during production hours costs money.
Plan for Upgrades and Obsolescence
Packaging equipment and software will eventually require upgrades or replacements as components become obsolete and unsupported. With the rapid pace of technological advancement, this is particularly true for packaging equipment.
Maintain close communication with your packaging equipment manufacturer to stay informed about necessary or recommended upgrades. Ensure you receive notifications if your equipment is being phased out. If this happens, develop a proactive plan for upgrading or replacing your machinery, components, or software to minimize downtime.