Reduce Unplanned Downtime with Preventative Maintenance Programs for Industrial Machinery

Tired of putting out fires? Ready to optimize your equipment for maximum output?

For fabricators and manufacturers, unplanned downtime due to equipment failure leads to production delays, higher carrying costs and less revenue. Beyond those direct costs, time and money spent procuring last-minute parts and supplies in today’s disrupted supply chain also take a toll. When machines are properly maintained, they operate better, create less waste and improve run times.

To increase uptime and performance of your industrial equipment, refining your preventative maintenance program should be your first step.

Proactive preventative maintenance (PM) programs can optimize the performance of your surface preparation equipment, reduce downtime, remove bottlenecks and improve productivity in your surface preparation operations.

Top 6 Benefits of Regular and Routine Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance tasks include routine cleaning, lubrication, repairs and replacing common wear items like belts, seals, bearings, dust filters, motors and hoses. But preventative maintenance does a lot more for your operations than simply improve the reliability of your equipment. Preventative maintenance can:

1) Conserve assets with extended equipment and tool life
Who wants to replace equipment before its wear life is up? Swapping out tools and equipment prematurely is a hassle, not to mention expensive. Routine preventative maintenance helps keep your critical machinery running at optimum performance for longer before needing replacement. Plus, it allows you to budget for those repair items ahead of time instead of being caught off guard.

2) Minimize unplanned downtime
Any time that operations are halted due to equipment failure is lost revenue. A good preventative maintenance program will inspect key components associated with the machine’s performance like lubrication schedules, conditions of seals and bearing wear. Imagine having to shut down large batch production responsible for thousands of dollars in profit because of a bad seal that could have cost pennies if changed sooner.

3) Reduce large-scale repairs
Planned preventive maintenance may cause a small interruption in production, but it is nothing compared to downtime caused by breakdown. Large-scale repairs interfere with operations, costing more than routine services due to emergency shipments, higher labor costs and reduced output. Preventative maintenance allows you to plan maintenance activities when it best suits your operational requirements.

4) Improve safety and quality conditions
Performing regular maintenance ensures your equipment remains operating under safe conditions and within OSHA standards. Issues with the machine can be found and eliminated before they become a costly problem. This keeps both the machine and operators safe while reducing the risk of injury or fines.

Example: Regular wear and tear on machines can impact the integrity of the unit itself. Poorly maintained shot blast machines can destroy themselves over time, producing a shotgun effect when blast material exits the unit through a hole or gap to the outside. Regular PM inspections spot defects, preventing risk to nearby workers.

5) Solve production bottlenecks
Having regular touchpoints on your equipment not only reduces the likelihood of failure but also helps you get to know every critical component involved in your processes. Preventative maintenance offers an opportunity to identify, analyze and solve potential congestion points or blockades that impede production outputs.

6) Ensures customer retention
Preventative maintenance programs are essential to maintaining strong relationship with your customers. Downtime impacts more than just your cycle time; it impacts your customer as well. Any time there is a disruption to production, there is a risk of order backlogs and shipping delays — decreasing your customers’ confidence that you can deliver the goods. Preventative maintenance programs minimize disruption and ensure you can keep up with demand.

Questions? Call 800-322-1413 or email sales@unitedsurfprep.com to speak to a surface preparation expert.

Does Your Preventative Maintenance Program Pass the Test?

The potential for unplanned and expensive production downtime skyrockets when systematic inspections of equipment are not performed regularly. Any production downtime can have major implications on your bottom line, but for large-scale production, it can be disastrous. In fact, if production delays impede contracted order fulfillment a manufacturer can be fined for each hour the order is delayed (sometimes up to $50K an hour!)

Unplanned downtime can also cost businesses in the following:

• Lost revenue
• Higher supply costs
• Higher emergency repair costs
• Continued operating costs and payroll

With rising supply costs, limited labor markets and increased demand, it’s more important than ever to increase the level of communication between departments. Preventative maintenance checklists can create a standard operating procedure around PM tasks and improve communication company-wide.

Print this handy checklist to keep track of your preventative maintenance tasks:

Download this comprehensive preventative maintenance checklist from Wheelabrator.

Customizable Preventative Maintenance Services for Tools and Equipment

We offer customized preventative maintenance plans designed with your needs in mind. Our team of experienced service technicians arrive on location to assess your surface preparation operations, identify areas of waste and inefficiencies, and detect necessary repair items to provide you with a full equipment evaluation. You will receive a thorough follow-up quote that includes all the necessary parts and labor required for repair or upgrades. Specialties include:

• Air blast systems
• Pneumatic recovery
• Reclaim systems
• Wheel blast systems
• Vibratory systems
• Concrete polishers and blasters
• Pneumatic tools
• Dust collectors
• Wide belt sanders, and more

It doesn’t matter if you require a full on-site rebuild of your abrasive blast machines or routine tuning and repair work, we have you covered. Set up your customized Preventative Maintenance Program today. Choose the schedule and services that are right for you and your company’s needs. Whether you choose monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual maintenance, you receive:

Follow-Up Quote of Maintenance and Repair 
Detailed recommendations for proper maintenance schedules and repair items for tools and equipment.

Customized Reports
Reports include any findings, photos, recommended repairs and maintenance, and a summary of services.

Documented Repair and Maintenance Schedules
Track performed maintenance, repairs and optimizations for continual improvement.

Speak to a United Surface Preparation expert now to learn more.

Call 800-322-1413 or email sales@unitedsurfprep.com.

Prevent downtime and get the most out of your operations with routine preventative maintenance services. Give United Surface Preparation a call at 800-322-1413 or email sales@unitedsurfprep.com to learn more about the services and custom products we carry to help you work more efficiently and more profitably today.