Don’t put off your equipment maintenance, it isn’t cost effective

20 May 2019

Many operators understand the value of good maintenance regimes and the commercial advantages that they deliver. However, we still experience incidents of unplanned downtime, the majority of which are caused by the failure to maintain machines correctly and replace wear parts on time.

The effect of this downtime can have huge repercussions on a bulk handling operation, which is why Bruks Siwertell advocates planned maintenance as a cost-effective business strategy.

Bruks Siwertell equipment is recognized worldwide for its reliability and long service life, but all machines must be maintained to keep them safe, efficient and in peak operating condition. Furthermore, well maintained machines simply last longer. 

Planned maintenance is more profitable

There are several reasons why planned or preventative maintenance is advantageous, but the take home message is that it maximizes operational productivity. Planned maintenance is fundamentally cheaper than an emergency repair.

We can qualify this by considering a few key points. Without planned maintenance regimes, equipment operates at ever decreasing rates of efficiency until it ultimately fails. This loss of efficiency impacts long-term operational performance and profits. 

When unplanned stoppages happen, operations are interrupted; again negatively effecting productivity. Supervisors and managers have to divert their time to deal with the impact of downtime, organize the repair, and reschedule production and work crews. Planned maintenance avoids many of these issues, allowing front-line personnel to focus on production.

Expense of emergency repairs

Emergency repairs are almost always more expensive than planned maintenance. A part failure can have a cascade effect on machinery, meaning the avoidable breakdown of other components, essentially resulting in more extensive repairs than would have been previously necessary. 

On top of these additional costs, when unexpected machinery downtime occurs, the personnel associated with it or with the downstream processes, are often not able to work. This has a significant impact on a company’s profitability.  

Hidden opportunities

Planned maintenance can offer often unconsidered advantages. One such example is that while equipment is being serviced, owners can take the opportunity to train personnel. Human factors are increasingly recognized as a key challenge to safety and performance, which is where ongoing training plays a key role and ultimately enhances operational efficiency.

Bruks Siwertell offers many planned maintenance and training services, as well as on-demand and emergency support. Quality, availability, competence and safety are at the heart of our lifetime care commitment; including Bruks Siwertell service agreements. 

PLEASE CONTACT BULK HANDLING SERVICES 

Americas - service.atlanta@bruks-siwertell.com

All other regions - service.bjuv@bruks-siwertell.com