Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 10

M any foundries are operating at increased capacity due to the strong economy and many still are projecting increased sales through the next few years. The good economic expansion is greatly welcomed in our indus- try and we see strong enthusiasm for new equipment and foundry expansion. Sales growth, production commitments, never ending quality improvements are all outcomes of increased demand. These customer and operational demands are ever harder to achieve when your foundry equipment experiences unplanned downtime. Over the last several months we’ve spent a lot of time working with many foundries across North America to help with service and ex- pediting replacement parts. We all know how it works; when busi- ness is down certain expenses are pulled back. Routine maintenance is limited. Wear items needing replacement are Band-Aid-ed until complete failure. Spare parts inventory is depleted and not replaced. It seems our industry was hit overnight with ramped-up capaci- ty and production. This almost immediate increase in production caught many with neglected equipment and really not ready to take the machinery to near 100% capacity. Furthermore, we know many of our foundry customers freely admit to neglecting their machinery because there just isn’t any downtime in the schedule to preform basic preventive maintenance activities. Today’s foundries are operating a wide age of equipment; from 50’s era squeezers to highly complex multi-piston compensating high pressure molding systems. Each end of the spectrum requires the same attention to detail, consid- eration of spares inventory, and establishing an effective main- tenance program. This article is intended to help reinforce how important a preventative mainte- nance program is to your foundry and your profitability. The article will offer some basic preventative maintenance considerations and work outline some steps to get started or re-engage your opera- tions team. STEPS IN A PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM The first step is ownership or management adoption of re- inforcement of a preventative maintenance program. It of- ten happens that programs are installed with great initial enthu- siasm but collapse completely after a relatively short period. Many times, this can be traced to inadequate ongoing support from management. It is critical that management instill a de- manding preventative mainte- nance culture. Other common reasons for a weak preventative maintenance program are; failure to plan accordingly, inadequate initial training of the preventive main- tenance staff, insufficient time for JERRY SENK President EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS INTERNATIONAL, INC. ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • Importance of effective preventative maintenance • Basic steps to get started • Lubrication, Inspection, & Recording HOW TO IMPLEMENT A PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM 26