In any business that involves several pieces of machinery, keeping them in good working condition is important. The machinery should always be in good condition, whether in a factory or office setting. If you overlook the importance of providing routine maintenance, you’ll face issues with skyrocketing costs of repairs and replacements.
Depending on the machinery or equipment you have in the workplace, all have various components that require replacement upon malfunction or full depreciation. When the machines in your workplace have locking pins or other crucial components, consider checking out available replacement hardware at Reid or other similar providers to ensure you are getting quality parts.
When you want the daily operations to flow smoothly, prioritising routine maintenance is just one of your tasks. Here are several important considerations to remember to ensure the machinery stays in good working condition.
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Read And Follow The Manual
If you want to ensure a machinery or equipment functions optimally, you should take time to read the manual. The manual contains valuable information, such as the routine maintenance tasks you must prioritise and when to schedule them. Additionally, you can also learn whether an in-house team can handle maintenance and repair or whether it should be assigned to a specialized professional.
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Prioritise Careful Handling of Machinery
The most common bad practice among workers is the slapping or kicking of a malfunctioning machine which, believe it or not, sometimes works as a band-aid solution. It would be best to change this practice. Although it might work in rare instances, pounding a machine or device is more likely to bring about more harm than good. With this in mind, it’s important to handle your machinery carefully to function properly and last longer.
Remember, unnecessary damage to the machinery can happen due to human error. With this in mind, implement a policy to ensure that all employees will take the necessary measures to be careful around machinery and equipment.
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Provide Proper And Timely Lubrication
Almost all types of machinery will require lubrication to ensure optimal function. It’s crucial to remember that when two surfaces are in contact with one another without proper lubrication, they scrape over one another, and heat is eventually produced. If it continues, erosion of the surfaces happens and causes the machine to falter.
Proper lubricants are essential in minimizing friction and preventing erosion, ensuring that metal components stay intact and functional. When downtime happens due to machinery malfunction due to lack of lubrication, it can negatively affect productivity.
Always remember that lubrication is critical. You should check for excess oil or grease build-up and potential leaks. A scheduled lubrication plan is a major part of a preventive maintenance program. Using the right lubricants at the appropriate time while observing cleanliness will significantly improve the lifespan of your machinery.
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Maintain A Routine Maintenance Schedule
Regardless of the machinery or equipment in your workplace, several components should undergo routine inspection and maintenance.
Bearings, gaskets, and seals require inspection for deterioration and timely replacement. Equipment or machinery with power transmissions usually has movable components that require maintenance to ensure optimal functioning. Remember that the maintenance routine will vary depending on your machinery or equipment.
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Conduct Machinery Operation Training
When you have several large pieces of machinery or equipment in the workplace, make time for scheduled training. The turnover of employees, out-of-date skills, and incorrect operation of machinery can result in breakdowns. Aside from conducting training, it would be best to provide a brief manual for every operator in the workplace for quick reference.
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Observe The Best Practices In The Workplace
Identifying the best practices is crucial and must be implemented throughout the workplace. Ensure that best practices are streamlined and followed in your daily operations to provide a good level of productivity.
A practice worth implementing is restricting beverages near machinery or equipment. Sadly, one of the main causes of damage is when spills occur. The best way to avoid this is by implementing a protocol prohibiting beverages near or while operating machinery or equipment.
Machinery and equipment have certain limits on the work they can perform. As much as possible, avoid exceeding the specified limitations indicated in the manual.
When machinery plays an important role in daily operations, efficiency is the key to optimum performance. For example, following the weight limits for the load a machine can accommodate can ensure good performance for years to come. Maintaining seamless machinery operations is the key to ensuring a good level of productivity.
Final Thoughts
Routine care and machine check-up should be part of your priorities if your business greatly relies on various pieces of machinery. Doing so ensures all machinery and equipment stay in their best condition to meet the daily objectives. Knowing about these valuable insights in keeping all machinery and equipment in good working order is the key to better efficiency and productivity in the workplace.
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