Helping to ensure planned production

Production planning must be studied jointly by maintenance and production the best possible balance between the stoppages required for preventive maintenance and the manufacturer’s recommendations while adjusting according to manufacturing schedules and production quantities.

Maintenance staff must therefore take into account the scheduled availability in order to integrate their maintenance needs. and, for its part, production must be able to count on optimum performance of equipment capacity during operating periods.

Helping to maintain the quality of the product manufactured

Quality depends as much on production as it does on maintenance.

Pay attention to the responsibilities of operating errors or machine failures, faulty raw materials or machine maladjustments, etc. machine misalignment, etc. Quality can be expensive, which is why it is essential to consider maintenance needs in the same way as other means of quality control.

ISO 9000 standards include a section on the maintenance of production equipment. equipment.

Helping to meet deadlines

We’re talking here as much about product manufacturing times as about maintenance times.

Maintenance therefore has a twofold responsibility: we need to know exactly how the equipment is condition of the equipment to ensure that it is operational during production periods and we have to make sure that we prepare and prioritise maintenance work with sufficient to carry them out on time and with maximum efficiency.

Looking for optimum costs

In addition to technical skills, the maintenance department needs to be able to draw up precise estimates and cost estimates for maintenance work. Whether it’s putting a figure on different solutions, proposing the replacement of a machine, or submitting a project to improve equipment improvement or upgrade project, you need to aim for an optimum that will take into account production losses due to failure and the history of repairs. Respect worker safety and the quality of the working environment.

The maintenance department must be concerned about the risk of accidents that its work may cause.

On the one hand, its own tasks (work methods, safety instructions, locks, etc.), and on the the hand, and those of production personnel on the other (handover of guards, padlocking, etc.), safety considerations when modifying equipment, etc).

The missions

These general objectives assigned to the maintenance department imply the definition of a way of doing things and the implementation of the means to achieve them.

The implementation tools will be developed in chapters 3, 4 and 5, which deal with the actual implementation process. In order to clarify the role of maintenance, its functions and its objectives, it is important to define the tasks of maintenance within the company, i.e. the distribution of tasks by type of intervention.

Maintaining production equipment

This mission includes most equipment maintenance tasks in its various forms and accounts for almost half of all operations.

These tasks are

• corrective maintenance: troubleshooting and repairs
• preventive maintenance: periodic, systematic or conditional routines for checking, lubrication, calibration, etc.
• inspection visits required by the health and safety committee
• partial or general overhauls following repairs, reconstruction or renovation work.

Improving production equipment

The aim of this task is either to reduce the cost of maintenance or to reduce the cost of manufacturing operations.

The following tasks can be grouped under this heading

• improvements made as part of corrective maintenance or an overhaul the
• introduction of automation and mechanisation of operations
• modifications made to increase capacity or improve quality
• modernizations carried out as part of refurbishment or reconstruction.

Taking charge of development or construction projects

This is often part of maintenance but should be budgeted for separately.

These various projects may include

• construction work
• design and development of machinery, processes or equipment
• installation of machinery, equipment, processes, services, etc.
• start-up, adjustment and running-in of new installations.

The benefits of preventive maintenance

Investing in preventive maintenance has a host of practical benefits:

Extended equipment life

As equipment is regularly monitored and inspected, minor faults that could damage it are eliminated as and when they appear.

With conditional maintenance, we can even extend the operating life of parts in an optimal way, because we monitor their state of operation without replacing them systematically.

Improved business productivity

The reduction in the number of unscheduled production stoppages and the scheduling of repair times during off-peak production hours mean that the company’s productivity is optimised.

Lower repair costs

An over-worn part that breaks and damages other parts often results in greater damage and repair costs than a repair carried out before breakage. Emergency repairs are much more expensive than scheduled repairs.

Reduced production stocks

With the probability of catastrophic breakdowns for production limited, it is no longer necessary to build up a large buffer stock to compensate for any production delays.

Limiting the number of spare parts

As the risk of breakdown is detected in advance and repairs are planned, the list of spare parts can be reduced. What’s more, they can be ordered more cheaply and on time.

Greater credibility for the maintenance service

The need for repairs is less ‘subjective’ because maintenance is scheduled and the state of health of the equipment is recorded in its file. This more rational methodology increases the credibility of the maintenance department in the eyes of production and even the company’s senior management.

Greater motivation for maintenance staff

Thanks to high-tech equipment and proven results, the maintenance department quickly becomes a recognised, essential, valued and consulted service. Maintenance staff feel more involved in tasks that are less scorned and more motivating.

Better after-sales service

This is one of the benefits that enhances a company’s brand image and ensures its reputation as a supplier.