Planned shutdowns and preventive maintenance is a very economically viable solution to streamline plant operations and improve efficiency. It’s critical to have a well-thought-out maintenance plan in place to make the most of your production means.
It is usually expensive to shut down a plant temporarily whether due to an emergency situation or a planned event. Preventive maintenance (PM) is the foundation of every successful maintenance strategy. Therefore, manufacturers must work towards building a weekly maintenance schedule that effectively addresses potential problems.
If you’re struggling to develop a comprehensive weekly schedule, you’re not alone. While the processes of work execution are foundational, many maintenance departments find it difficult to put it all together. There are many activities that need to be aligned in order to develop and implement an effective maintenance schedule. Here are some basics that will help implement an effective PM plan:
Organize the maintenance backlog
Maintenance backlog contains a complete list of the pending work which can range from overdue corrective actions, preventive maintenance tasks, to safety items. Pending PM tasks in the backlog identify issues in your work processes. Overdue tasks and frequencies lead to equipment failure and uncertainty. You should discard the unnecessary work orders from the log. While considering the important work activities, make labor estimates on the work in the backlog.
Determine your capacity to achieve maintenance work
Before developing a preventive maintenance strategy, you must define achievable goals in accordance with the resources available. For example, it’s important to define the size of the available crews for each week. Things change frequently during the implementation of a maintenance plan; people take a vacation or get sick. However, it’s important for you to accomplish all the critical tasks as scheduled.
Take an inventory
It’s almost impossible to design a successful maintenance strategy without knowing the existing condition of your machines and the availability of maintenance expertise and tools. There are many hidden pieces in any operation. Maintenance experts come to know these parts when they break down.
To make life easier, assign each asset a bar code or a tracking number. Use of software capabilities makes it easy to print barcodes in the system. Some industries still use outdated methods to name and track their assets.
It’s important to get each asset into good shape before you implement a preventive maintenance plan. In other words, get your equipment in a state where it is ready to be maintained. Consult a professional team of preventive maintenance experts who can guide you along the process.
About Quality Millwright
Quality Millwright is a dedicated and highly skilled team of millwrights in Edmonton where we specialize in preventive maintenance, shutdowns, and industrial electrical services. Contact us to discuss your preventive maintenance needs!
