Improving Safety and Productivity Through Preventive Maintenance

Here at Inspire Automation, we’re inspired by the way technology is transforming industries.

It’s fascinating seeing how our great clients use our corrugated handling solutions, robotic solutions, labelers, and load turners.

But even the highest-quality equipment needs to be serviced—and the best way to do maintenance is to do it ahead of schedule

Preventive maintenance in manufacturing is a proactive approach to equipment maintenance that involves regularly scheduled inspections, maintenance, and repairs to ensure that equipment is operating safely and efficiently.

This approach is crucial for both safety and productivity in manufacturing facilities.

How Preventive Maintenance Prevents Accidents

First and foremost, preventive maintenance can help to improve safety in manufacturing facilities. For any responsible company, this is the most important priority.

The facility and floor managers we work with enjoy using our equipment because it’s designed to support safe and smart work habits. By having it serviced on a regular schedule, before issues arise, you can increase the safety value even further.

By regularly inspecting and maintaining equipment, manufacturers can identify and address potential safety hazards before they cause harm to employees or damage to equipment.

For example, regular inspections can identify worn or damaged components that could fail and cause injuries or accidents. By identifying and replacing these components proactively, manufacturers can improve their safety rating and adhere to compliance standards more easily.

Build a Culture That Prioritizes Safety

Preventive maintenance can also help improve the overall safety culture within a manufacturing facility. By prioritizing safety through regular maintenance activities, manufacturers send a message to employees that safety is a top priority.

This can help to create a culture of safety within the facility, where employees are encouraged to speak up about safety concerns and are empowered to take action to prevent accidents and injuries.

Consider how this could improve conditions for employees. It can help by:

• Reducing the chance of accidents
• Boosting overall workplace wellness
• Showing employees they are cared for

A safety culture gets employees in on the action, encouraging them to understand the fundamentals of maintenance. When they know how it’s done, why it’s so important, and when to carry it out, employees will work organically to make safety a cornerstone of your company.

Safety is a process that’s much easier to manage when you keep ahead of it. Our facility utilizes technologies built around smart work habits, which help with providing safer conditions and other benefits as well.

How Preventive Maintenance Boosts Productivity

While safety is the top priority in any good workplace, productivity is high in the rankings as well. The best part about boosting output through preventive maintenance is that it allows efficiency and safety to support one another, rather than being at odds.

The better optimized your equipment is, the more successful your projects will be. Consider how small habits can have a massive impact, especially when you handle them on a regular basis. Helpful maintenance habits include:

• Cleaning equipment
• Visually inspecting all components
• Lubricating all applicable parts
• Calibrating machines regularly
• Testing electrical and software connections

These are just a few of the helpful habits you can take on to improve your equipment, and in turn, improve your productivity.

Simple processes like this can help reduce energy consumption, improve product quality, and increase production output. By optimizing equipment performance through preventive maintenance, you can improve your bottom line by reducing costs. To assist with this, Inspire Automation also offers annualized contracts to provide overview and audit guidance to your annual Preventative Maintenance programs.

Cut Down on Downtime

Speaking of reducing costs, consider how costly downtime could be to your business. When a piece of equipment breaks down, you’re not just facing the price of fixing it—you’re watching money go out the door as long as production is halted.

By keeping equipment running smoothly and efficiently, manufacturers can avoid costly downtime and production delays. Since the best companies do their best work once they’re in a state of momentum, avoiding these unforeseen pauses is crucial.

Regular maintenance also extends the lifespan of equipment, which can help to avoid expensive replacements and upgrades.

Make Your Facility More Reliable

Preventive maintenance can help improve equipment reliability, which can reduce the need for reactive maintenance activities.

Reactive maintenance, which involves repairing equipment after it has failed, can be costly and time-consuming. By prioritizing preventive maintenance, manufacturers can reduce the need for rushed repairs where time is a factor. Avoiding reactive maintenance can help you save time and money.

The more reliable your equipment is, the easier it is for you to meet quotas and deadlines. In some cases, you may even be able to get ahead of your own benchmarks and projections by getting ahead on maintenance.

Be the Facility That Stays Ahead with Preventive Maintenance

Especially in the manufacturing field, work success is largely about keeping up a good pace.

You want to stay ahead of issues before they become expensive, and you also want to stay beyond your benchmarks so you exceed expectations for your customers and shareholders.

When you stay ahead on maintenance, you empower your facility for success. Not only are you protecting your workflows, but you’re protecting your bottom line. Most importantly, you’re looking out for your team, and creating a business where technology adds optimal value to the operations at hand.

Here at Inspire Automation, we believe that having the right equipment makes it easier to reach all your business goals and build the company you want. If you’re interested in a specific piece of equipment or have any other questions, reach out today.