It’s hard to keep track of all the moving parts in your machine shop. Even if you’re a seasoned veteran and have been running your shop for years, there are still many factors that can result in machine downtime. That’s why it’s important to know what causes downtime and how to keep it at bay—for both safety reasons and simple cost savings.
What is machine downtime?
Machine downtime is the time that a machine isn’t operating at its full capacity. This can be due to scheduled maintenance or unplanned issues, such as broken parts and other problems that require repairs. Machine downtime costs money because it reduces your production levels and can disrupt your workflow if employees are waiting on machines to become available again.
In order to reduce this cost, you need to manage your equipment, so it doesn’t experience too much downtime–and when it does happen, you have a plan in place for getting things back up and running quickly!
In order to reduce downtime, it’s important that you have accurate equipment maintenance schedules in place. The best way to do this is by developing a preventative maintenance program. This will help you keep track of when each piece of equipment needs servicing and will make sure that any issues are dealt with before they become major problems that require expensive repairs.
What are the costs of machine downtime?
Machine downtime can be a costly problem. In fact, it’s common for companies to lose millions of dollars in revenue each year due to machines being down for repair or maintenance.
The first step in reducing machine downtime is knowing your costs: how much money are you losing? For example, if a machine takes an hour to fix and costs $150 per hour, then it will cost $180 (plus parts) to fix that broken part. If that same machine runs for eight hours per day at full capacity on average (24/7), then you’re looking at around $360 lost per day when the machine is down for repairs–that’s about $2100 per week!
- Keep your machines clean.
- Use tools that are easy to use and reliable.
- Keep spare parts on hand.
- Make sure employees understand how their actions impact machine downtime.
How to track machine downtime
If you want to keep machine downtime at bay, the first thing you need to do is find out how much time your machinery is actually working. If a piece of equipment isn’t running as often as it should be, there’s no way for you to know where or why the problem lies without tracking its downtime.
Machine downtime tracking solutions like LineView can help with this task by providing accurate information about when each machine was used and for how long. The software can also integrate directly into your manufacturing software so that all data is automatically collected in one place; this enables engineers and maintenance staff members alike to easily see where problems may exist throughout their processes.
Real-time insights with condition monitoring
Preventing machine downtime is a big deal. It can be a major source of lost revenue, and it’s one of the most frustrating things to deal with as a business owner.
If you want to keep your machines running smoothly, real-time insights are key. Real-time insights help you understand how well your equipment is performing in real time. That way, if something goes wrong or starts heading that way, you’ll know about it before it becomes an issue–and ideally before any damage has been done!
Condition monitoring makes this possible by providing constant updates on machines’ performance, so that when something goes wrong and needs attention now (or soon), they can notify technicians immediately and prevent further damage from occurring while they’re working on repairs or replacements.
It also helps technicians identify problems before they become too big to handle, which can save time and money. Condition monitoring is one of the best ways to keep your machines running smoothly and avoid downtime. With real-time insights into your equipment’s performance, you’ll be able to take action when an issue arises instead of waiting until it becomes a problem.
Preventing machine downtime with preventative maintenance
Preventative maintenance is critical to keeping your machines running. It’s the best way to ensure that your equipment isn’t going to break down and cause downtime. If you have a machine that needs regular maintenance, it can help you avoid costly repairs or replacements by identifying potential problems before they occur.
If you’re not sure how often your equipment should be serviced or what types of services are right for each part of it, talk with a technician about creating an effective preventative maintenance schedule. They’ll know what kind of condition monitoring tools are available and how often they should be used based on the type of equipment being monitored (e.g., hydraulic cylinders).
If you aren’t sure what kind of equipment you have or how it works, a technician can help you figure that out. They’ll be able to tell you if there are any safety hazards related to your machines and what steps need to be taken to address them. This is especially important if your company manufactures products for consumers.
Machine downtime can be costly, but it’s preventable
Machine downtime can be costly, but it’s preventable. The first step is to identify the cause of the downtime. For example, if your machines are shutting down because they’re overheating because you haven’t cleaned them in a while, then you need to clean them more often.
If the problem persists after you’ve tried these steps and others (like making sure your equipment isn’t being used for too long), then it might just be time for an upgrade or replacement of some kind–but only if this is justified by how much money could potentially be saved through reduced operating costs over time!
Conclusion
Machine downtime is a serious issue, but it’s also one that can be addressed with the right tools. With real-time insights into your machines’ health and preventative maintenance plans, you can keep your equipment running smoothly for years to come.
