Maintenance Management Archives

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is a technology used to centralize and streamline maintenance processes, making managing assets such as vehicles, machines, medical equipment, and facility infrastructure easier and more efficient. CMMS software is well-known for its ability to streamline maintenance tasks and provide a bird's-eye view of asset status, maintenance tasks, warranties, and work orders. However, some of the most valuable advantages are its ability to support predictive maintenance models, advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, and work order management tasks. A company can reap numerous benefits by implementing the right CMMS solution. Today we will go over the...

The metric MTBF is the reliability of a machine. MTTR speaks to logistics required around bringing the asset back up to running status and is a metric that contributes to the criticality and consequence of the asset in an unplanned down state. Machine downtime can result in wasted labor, expensive parts and supplies usage, and loss of production at the least. Simply put, downtime is expensive. In this regard, knowing MTBF and MTTR scores can help us easily manage machine downtime and optimize our processes such that if downtime occurs, the event is as short a time period as possible....

Downtime significantly impacts the bottom line in manufacturing—costing companies as much as $260,000 per hour, according to Aberdeen Research. Unplanned downtime is often a result of knowledge gaps involved with machine/shift changeover or machine operations directly. Training and experience significantly improve these areas of operations inefficiencies. Unplanned machine downtime is another culprit. Critical machinery that breaks down or stays down at the wrong time can cause operations downtime that impacts revenue, product quality, and even corporate reputation.    Especially in plants that produce a high volume of goods, continually, and are in regulated industries such as food and beverage. Some major issues...

There are two parts to every customer case study; challenges and a solution. SunnyD, a user of LLumin operations software for more than a decade, will speak to both in a one-hour webinar on April 7 at 1 pm EST. Register now to hear from the popular beverage manufacturer first-hand.  In short, SunnyD, formerly known as Sunny Delight, uses LLumin to keep manufacturing lines humming, while handling safety and regulatory compliance. Like most everyone in the manufacturing industry, the key to surviving and thriving is minimizing machine and production downtime. Downtime is big money in any business, with an hour...

Supply chains are not impervious to disruption, be they caused by natural disasters (pandemics, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.), changes in political leadership, military actions, tariffs and viruses. That’s because manufacturers often rely on parts produced in countries around the world to manufacture their finished products. In the resulting world of turmoil, manufacturers can take decisive steps to deal with anticipated – and in some cases actual – disruption in their international supply chains. Part shortages are a distinct possibility, a situation that could cripple production and grind plants to a halt Fast action, advanced software required Though an extended parts shortage...

After six straight months of contracting, U.S. manufacturing has bounced back based on the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index [PMI]. The current PMI is over 50 at a value of 50.9 in January 2020. A value over 50 indicates expansion. Notably, the PMI value was over 60 until fall of 2018 when it dropped precipitously. Although the current reading is a positive sign that the manufacturing in the U.S. is recovering, it is only one month’s reading. The manufacturing turnaround in January was driven by gains in new orders, production, and deliveries. However, employment in the manufacturing sector is still...

With companies across vertical industries seeking predictive maintenance to minimize costly machine and production downtime in industrial manufacturing, interest in enabling a mobile workforce is climbing quickly. Providing maintenance staff access to your data from a smartphone or tablet lets them stay on top of issues at any time of day, from any location. The difference between expensive problems and smooth maintenance resolution can be just a matter of minutes.  In fact, the average cost of downtime across all businesses is roughly $260,000 per hour. That's according to Aberdeen Group, a research and consulting firm. The answer? Provide your maintenance...

Red Cedar Gathering uses the asset management to do predictive and preventive maintenance by monitoring and analyzing historical and real-time data such as temperatures and pressures. “The additional data helps us keep a close eye on the condition of the equipment,” says Velasquez. “We now proactively measure the condition of our equipment and set historical and condition-based rules. We record machine data to see the condition of our equipment and use preset rules to identify out-of-spec conditions.” “We can also now analyze the data and optimize the treating capabilities. We keep tighter thresholds on temperatures now and have a more...

The lack of a spare part for one of the machines in your plant can lead to downtime. If a critical part is not in stock, the plant runs the risk of extended downtime from equipment failure. However, inventory is expensive. If a company is overstocked and has too many spare parts, it is overpaying for storage, and the parts may become obsolete as manufacturers update their lines. How do you find the right balance? With legacy equipment, a preventive maintenance approach could help provide that equilibrium between having too many parts sitting in stock rooms and not having a...