It comes as no surprise that any piece of machinery is going to need service at some point. While select manufacturers claim they build maintenance-free machines – in reality that’s impossible. Machines have moving parts and eventually, they are going to break.
The key is to minimize downtime when maintenance is required, and to do that successfully begins early in the design process.
An example of this is Orion, their machines have a strong reputation for building equipment that’s easy to maintain. That means workers can easily locate wear parts that are quickly accessible. This does not happen by accident but rather through smart, intuitive design. Orion has simplified its equipment to minimalize the number of moving parts especially when compared to others in the industry. Fewer parts equals less components to break or in need of service, further reducing overall maintenance time.
A well-designed machine also locates critical parts in easy to access areas. For example, if servicing a critical component requires you to remove several parts just to reach it, all this additional time adds to the overall downtime. A streamlined design will go a long way toward cutting down maintenance time and costs.
Establishing a preventive maintenance program will also go a long way toward keeping your stretch wrapping equipment operating over the long haul. A preventive maintenance program is designed to identify potential points of failure prior to breakdown.
One of the first things to consider when establishing a preventive maintenance program is how many hours your equipment is operating. Obviously, the more hours they run each day, the more often equipment needs to be inspected for maintenance. Consider creating an inventory database of all your packaging equipment containing key information such as the make and models with serial numbers, common replacement parts such as belts, bearings, dates of last maintenance check and next inspections, type of maintenance performed, and phone number of the manufacturer. There is no right or wrong way to create an inventory database, it can be as simple or extensive as you want it to be. Orion can assist you with this effort.
Orion is also a PMMI Certified Trainer, which is an industry recognized designation that ensures the highest standards of quality training are met. Orion’s PMMI Certified Trainer program gives you several benefits that all work toward maximizing machinery uptime.
Maintenance is an important aspect to consider when purchasing any equipment. It all counts towards overall operational costs and something you absolutely need to consider when looking at stretch wrapping equipment.
Travis Range is a Regional Sales Manager for Orion (https://www.orionpackaging.com/). He can be reached at Travis.range@promachbuilt.com.