Introduction
Manufacturing plants must face the prospect of many challenges that they will encounter sooner or later. Among the most common problems on any production floor are breakdowns and faults of machines and other equipment that are part of the production line. Unfortunately, such sudden situations almost always mean losses for the enterprise. The company must invest funds in repairing all damages, and each additional day of downtime means further, enormous costs for the business owner.
But what if you could predict potential breakdowns and prevent them from occurring? Yes, it is possible! Read our blog post today and find out how to avoid downtime in your plant!
Why are breakdowns and downtime a problem?
Every breakdown or downtime is a problem for a manufacturing plant for one very simple reason – because of costs. It is an unplanned expense that puts an additional strain on the company budget. Repairing a breakdown is not only about the funds spent on fixing it, but also the lost time of employees and their lower productivity during the downtime period. What are the most serious consequences of downtime on the production line?
Drop in production efficiency
Breakdowns and downtime clearly affect the efficiency of the production process. Every interruption in production means a waste of time that could be used to manufacture products. This means fewer units produced in a given time, which in turn leads to a reduction in production efficiency.
Increase in costs
Machine repairs are costs that must be factored in when dealing with downtime. It is necessary to take into account repair costs, material consumption, and the time of employees involved in fixing the breakdown. Furthermore, breakdowns can lead to the need to purchase new parts or machines, which increases the costs incurred by the enterprise.
Customer dissatisfaction
Interruptions in production often lead to delivery delays. This, in turn, can result in customers receiving products later than promised, which will negatively affect their opinion of the company. Customers expect timely delivery, and breakdowns and downtime can effectively disrupt this, damaging the company’s reputation.
Reduction in company profitability
All of the above factors add up, affecting the overall profitability of the company. Fewer goods produced, higher costs, and dissatisfied customers lead to lower profits. Long-term breakdown problems can even threaten the company’s survival on the market.
What are the main causes of breakdowns and downtime in production?
Breakdowns and downtime on the production line can have various sources. Identifying the main causes of this state of affairs is key to preventing unwanted situations. What are the main factors leading to breakdowns in production?
- Human error – employees are prone to making mistakes that can lead to machine breakdowns. Inattention, lack of training, or failure to follow safety procedures increase the risk of equipment damage.
- Equipment wear and tear – machines and equipment used in production are subject to natural wear and tear. A lack of regular maintenance, inspections, ongoing upkeep, and exceeding machine performance limits can lead to breakdowns, resulting in production downtime.
- Deficiencies in maintenance – systematic maintenance and machine upkeep are indispensable. A lack of maintenance plans, inadequate lubrication, or ignoring warning signals increases the risk of breakdowns. It is worth taking a proactive approach and planning a preventive strategy in advance, based on early response and proper care of the machinery.
- Supply issues – breakdowns can be avoided by considering the availability of necessary materials and spare parts. It is always worth monitoring the condition of machines and carrying out maintenance work or replacing obsolete or worn-out components well in advance.
- Organisational issues – poor production management, inefficient planning, or a lack of communication between different departments can lead to chaos on the production line.
What tools and methods can help identify and monitor breakdowns and downtime?
Effectively identifying and monitoring breakdowns and downtime on the production line is key to increasing efficiency and reducing costs. There are many tools and methods that can effectively support manufacturing plant owners in this process. What technologies can, and indeed should, be used to effectively minimise the risk of downtime on the production line?
The first system worth getting to know is the MES system (Manufacturing Execution System). An MES system is advanced software that allows for production management, real-time production data collection, and production efficiency monitoring. Thanks to MES, you can track machine operation, manage inventory, and monitor downtime.
An excellent complement to the MES system is the TPM system (Total Productive Maintenance). This is an innovative approach to machine maintenance management, which aims to prevent breakdowns and keep machines in the best possible condition. Such a strategy includes regular maintenance, employee training, and care for the technical condition of machines.
The solutions mentioned above are systems that you can implement in your manufacturing plant. However, to use them, they must be purchased. Therefore, if you do not have the appropriate funds, it is worth implementing certain methods that will allow you to effectively reduce the risk of breakdowns starting tomorrow.
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) – FMEA is an analytical method that helps identify potential failures, determine their causes and effects, and prioritise preventive actions. It is an effective tool for minimising the risk of breakdowns.
- 5 Whys – the “5 Whys” method involves repeatedly asking the question “why” to identify the root cause of a problem. This simple yet effective method helps to gain a deeper understanding of the causes of a breakdown.
What practices and strategies can be implemented to minimise breakdowns and downtime?
Maintenance on the production line is one of the most important goals of any production floor manager or supervisor. In connection with this activity, it is worth performing a series of preventive tasks to prevent downtime in the production process. What are the key elements of a predictive strategy in a manufacturing plant?
- Regular inspections and maintenance of the machinery – every machine on the production floor should be regularly checked for any parts requiring replacement. This approach minimises the risk of breakdowns, allowing the company to save huge amounts of money.
- Employee training – those responsible for maintenance on the production line should continuously develop their skills and learn new, more advanced methods to support them in their daily duties. If you want to keep up with the times and constantly improve production processes, employee training is key.
- Investments in modern technologies – every business owner should realise that using innovative systems increases the plant’s competitiveness in the market. Systems such as MES or TPM enable real-time data collection and analysis, allowing managers and supervisors to make important business decisions based on reliable information.
- Improving communication between employees on the production line – effectively managed communication, both within a team and between departments, is an extremely important aspect that is worth constantly working on. The better the exchange of information among employees, the lower the risk of making a mistake resulting, for example, from not knowing the latest arrangements.
- Creating contingency plans – the key objective of creating a preventive plan is to minimise the risk of breakdowns on the production line. However, we cannot completely eliminate this risk – which is why it is also worth having a well-developed contingency plan in case downtime occurs. Every employee who works with machines on a daily basis should be trained in the actions to be taken in the event of a breakdown.
How to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented solutions in the context of reducing breakdowns and downtime?
Preventive strategies, systems for monitoring breakdowns and downtime, and contingency plans are aspects that every manufacturing plant owner should pay special attention to. However, no solution will guarantee zero breakdowns from the very beginning. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor indicators showing the frequency of incidents and the time needed to resolve them. With this data, business owners will be able to effectively refine their strategies. What metrics are worth using?
The first indicator that a manufacturing plant owner should be interested in is MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures). As the name suggests, this is an indicator that determines the average time between failures of a technological product, with the proviso that they can be repaired. Thanks to MTBF, the company can monitor the availability of the manufactured product. How to interpret this indicator? The longer the operating time without failure, the more reliable the processes the plant can boast. It is worth setting a goal to keep MTBF as high as possible.
Another important indicator is MTTR (Mean Time To Repair), which is the average time to repair, usually of a technical or mechanical system used in the manufacturing plant. MTTR includes both the repair time and the testing period of the applied fixes. To correctly determine this indicator, the time counted until the full functionality of the damaged system is restored must be provided. It is worth regularly monitoring the MTTR status, as it is an extremely important factor allowing maintenance teams to ensure the proper course of repairs. MTTR should be kept as low as possible by increasing the efficiency of all repair processes and teams.
To get a full picture of the machinery’s condition, it is also worth monitoring the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) indicator. The OEE indicator determines the extent to which machines are used in the production process and how effectively they perform their tasks. OEE is the product of three other indicators – Availability, Performance, and Quality. They refer respectively to – the time when the machine is available for work (availability), the degree to which the machine utilises its production potential (performance), and the number of products meeting quality requirements (quality).
Do you want to effectively reduce downtime in your manufacturing plant? The IPLAS system is the solution for you – let’s talk about how we can help you!
