October 13, 2023
Packaging is crucial in your production process, safeguarding and enhancing your products. This step dictates your readiness for market sales. Invest in a suitable packaging machine to achieve a more efficient production line.
It minimizes downtime, controls costs, and boosts profits. Yet, proper care of packaging equipment is vital for successful production. A well-maintained machine will benefit your operations for years. Here are five essential packaging machinery maintenance tips to remember.
The best recommendation for extending the lifespan of your machine is preventative maintenance. This approach is crucial because, like a car, packaging equipment requires regular upkeep to maintain peak overall equipment effectiveness and optimal production. After installing a machine for packaging, establishing and diligently following a preventative maintenance schedule becomes paramount.
A maintenance schedule serves to prevent both minor issues and major catastrophes, reducing unexpected downtime. Examples of preventative maintenance tasks include the following:
These preventative maintenance tasks often demand higher technical proficiency and knowledge. Consequently, highly qualified and trained personnel should carry out these tasks, ideally a certified service technician from the packaging equipment manufacturer.
Leading packaging technicians offer service audits and preventative maintenance plans featuring scheduled onsite visits tailored to your automated packaging machine’s specific business requirements.
It's beneficial to combine comprehensive machine maintenance tasks with more straightforward, routine activities that can be executed regularly by trained machine operators.
Following a structured machine maintenance checklist, operators are assigned tasks to be completed at daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and biannual intervals. These assignments typically include straightforward visual inspections.
As operators become more acquainted with the machine through repeated maintenance duties, they often develop an ability to discern when something appears abnormal, potentially identifying issues before the scheduled visit of a food packaging machine technician.
In packaging machinery, downtime can be critical. Ideally, even before investing in equipment, it's essential to thoroughly assess the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to understand their technical service offerings, communication channels, and associated expenses.
Opt for a manufacturer that ensures a human response to your calls or emails. Seek out those with remote capabilities, enabling them to diagnose and resolve most routine issues without costly and time-consuming onsite visits.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 underscored the significance of remote service capabilities. With many companies suspending business travel, virtual meetings and video conferences have become invaluable tools. They empowered OEMs and their clients to troubleshoot packaging machines remotely, regardless of global circumstances.
Following acquiring packaging machinery, your OEM should furnish you with a suggested spare parts inventory. This inventory should be categorized by part type according to their wear characteristics, allowing for a strategic approach to managing your parts supply.
For example, in the case of Plan It Packaging, our parts are categorized as follows:
These components have a shorter lifespan or may not be readily available, often requiring extended lead times.
These parts enjoy a longer lifespan and are less prone to failure, though occasional replacements may be needed.
These packaging machine components are typically reliable and should seldom, if ever, require replacement.
Maintaining a stock of high-wear parts at all times is advisable. When your machine experiences downtime, the last thing you want is to endure delays waiting for a part to be manufactured or shipped. Every minute your device remains inactive during production hours translates to lost revenue.
It's a reality that packaging equipment and software evolve, necessitating upgrades or replacements when specific machinery or components become outdated and are no longer supported. Technological advancement is rapid, and packaging equipment is no exception.
Stay constantly in touch with your automated packaging machine manufacturer to stay informed about essential or suggested upgrades. Additionally, ensure you receive notifications if your specific equipment is approaching obsolescence.
In such cases, establish a proactive strategy for upgrading or replacing your machinery, components, or software to minimize downtime effectively.
Don't wait for equipment breakdowns—proactivity is critical to uninterrupted production and efficiency. Regularly inspect your packaging machinery, adhere to maintenance schedules, and include autonomous tasks. Understand your spare parts inventory, categorize them by wear, and plan for upgrades and obsolescence.
Plan It Packaging is your trusted partner if you want an efficient packaging machine and sensible packaging solutions. Whether you need maintenance advice or equipment upgrades, we've got you covered. Our professionals help achieve seamless operations and reduce downtime.
Contact us today for proactive service and excellent solutions. Don't wait for issues—plan for success with Plan It Packaging.
