Regardless of studies that strongly support the value of a preventive maintenance program, many binderies continue to react to maintenance concerns. That is, they wait until a machine actually breaks down before having it serviced. However, reactive maintenance is not only a costly expense, but one that’s often costlier than a planned maintenance program. Consider, for instance:
- Profit loss. Unexpected downtime often results in late orders, compromised production schedules, dissatisfied customers, and even loss of future revenue, causing serious impact to bottom lines.
- Higher repair cost. If a binder suddenly stops running during production, premium pricing may be incurred for repair services, which can include technician travel time, emergency parts shipping, as well as after-hours support.
- Shorter machine lifespan. A reactive maintenance approach typically does not return a machine to baseline condition. Often, the objective is simply to get the machine up and running as quickly as possible. Over time, a machine that’s serviced reactively will deteriorate faster—as will your capital investment.
- Safety issues. Unfortunately, some technicians and operators take more risks when maintenance is reactive because they feel pressured to get systems running quickly to avoid or, at the very least, lessen, revenue loss.
Perhaps the soundest strategy is one that integrates both reactive and preventive maintenance. Take a reactive approach to less critical components, but utilize preventive maintenance for essential bindery systems that directly impact your business’ success. Not only will “cost of failure” of this equipment decrease significantly, but your plant will run effectively and efficiently at all times.