If the health of your business is dependent upon top-notch machinery, then you know how important it is to keep anything from happening to your equipment. Whether your machinery has been installed by professional industrial millwright services or you had a copy machine delivered from a local office supply store, regular maintenance and routine repair are much more cost-effective than total breakdown and replacement. Here is what you can do to keep your equipment in its best working condition.
Start With the Manual
Every piece of equipment or machinery comes with its own manual. This is written by the manufacture and addresses just about everything you need to know concerning the tool. As soon as your equipment comes in, read the manual through at least once. It will give you a timeline of critical maintenance tasks and how to do them. It may be recommended that you use professionals for the various cleanings.
Always Handle With Care
There may be some temptation to kick or hit a machine in order to improve operations, especially if seems stuck or jammed. This tends to only work on vending machines. The harder you treat your equipment, the more likely you are to sabotage its longevity. Treating the machine as designed is the best way to keep it in good working order.
Restrict Food and Drinks Near Machinery
It doesn’t matter if it is office equipment or machines out in a production bay, a lot of damage is caused when food or drink is spilled near a machine. To avoid this situation, restrict employees from bringing any of these products or other harmful substances around machinery. You may have to schedule water breaks or institute a new policy to address the ban on eating or drinking but saving your company that cost of repairs is worth it. Fluids near an electrical system are dangerous even more than they are damaging.
Keep Up With Lubrication
The many moving parts on your machine and lubrication is the key to keep everything turning efficiently. Failing to lubricate the different fitting, O-rings, or other connective pieces can lead to shearing and grinding between parts. As this occurs, heat is generated that erodes the surface of the metal. Over time, this can keep a machine from operating at all.
You can save thousands on repairs and replacement costs if you have a more proactive strategy toward taking care of your equipment. Policies and practices must be consistent among all employees if you are going to preserve the longevity of your machinery.