The service and maintenance of your packaging equipment is essential, especially if you reduce downtime amongst your service lines. Maintenance is not only recommended, it’s necessary if you want to keep operations running smoothly. Once you implement a packaging equipment preventive maintenance program for your equipment, you will also greatly reduce your emergency service costs as well as your downtime. Equipment breakdown will also be far less destructive as you stay on top of the condition of your equipment.
With the high cost of capital equipment today it is imperative to keep it in top running condition giving you many years of trouble free production.
Here are some things to consider when you are setting up your preventive maintenance program:
The amount of time the machine is being used will determine how often you should have the equipment serviced. A machine being used all day, every day should be maintained on a regular daily basis. A machine only being used a few times a day for short periods of time may only require regular quarterly service. Equipment with more moving parts will require more frequent maintenance to ensure it keeps running smoothly. One small issue left unnoticed could spiral into a very large and costly repair in the future.
Cold/Wet – Moisture affects the lubrication in bearings and can cause rusting on chains, sprockets, shafts and other moving parts. Left for long periods of time the rust will cause premature wear.
Heat – Most packaging equipment today have fans to keep controls and motors cool. These fans need to be checked for buildup on a regular basis. Filters also need to be changed regularly.
Dusty – Dust can accumulate quickly inside packaging equipment. Once this dust mixes with the machines grease or oils it starts to build up. This build up will cause early wear to chains, sprockets, bearings and most of all to your belts.