Proper Maintenance Improves Fabrication Consistency
Machinery maintenance affects manufacturing quality, production cost, and customer satisfaction. Regular maintenance allows businesses to prevent bigger problems, which in turn reduces cost needed for repairs, replacements and missed business opportunities. More importantly, proper maintenance ensures consistency of the fabrication process, allowing for better quality output and less scrap.
Equipment have several parts like bearings, seals, couplings, rolls, gears, parts for notching punches and shear blades, etc. All parts need to be maintained, cleaned, and possibly, replaced. If not, then equipment may develop problems, such as using more energy, which can overload motors, or material deformation, thus altering the resulting product. Deviation from optimal temperature range, for example, can result in lower quality output, so proper grease and lubrication of bearings and friction poitns should be maintained. Too little maintenance can result in subpar products and more scrap, which leads to higher cost of goods in addition to higher variable costs such as direct labor and overtime.
Proper maintenance allows equipment to stay within operational parameters and improve fabrication consistency. It detects a problem before it becomes a crisis and optimizes the service life of equipment.
With this in mind, businesses should select equipment that allows accessibility for maintenance, clean-up, and service. Mestek Machinery uses the industry’s toughest and most stable frames that not only provides durability but also maintenance accessibility. Additionally, Mestek Machinery utilizes robust, name brand components, which are serviceable for generations. For example, a 50 year old Lockformer 16 gauge Pittsburgh machine, with proper maintenance, can still be serviced and produce quality seams for rectangular ductwork.