The world runs on machines. Machines surround us, be it elevators that take you from one level to another or the welfare trailers for workers deployed on construction sites. Most businesses depend on smoothly running equipment for their production and distribution purposes.
For example, a local garage offering MOT in Northampton will need the right MOT equipment, like exhaust gas analysers, wheel play detectors, and more.
However, routine equipment maintenance is essential for continued efficiency as every machine undergoes wear and tear. Maintaining your equipment and machines in top condition may seem like a time-consuming task, but it is a necessary step to help them operate to their maximum capacity.
Dedicating time towards regular and routine equipment maintenance can benefit your business in the long run. This article explores 9 tips to increase the lifespan of your key business equipment.
1. Refer to the Equipment Manuals
When in doubt, it’s always good to go back to the basics. Equipment manuals are usually put away after the equipment or machinery has been set up. However, it’s always good practice to read through these manuals at least once, if you haven’t already.
These manuals contain important information that helps you keep your equipment in peak operating condition, including the guidelines for regular maintenance activities. For example, if your machinery is missing a part such as rivets or bolts, you can refer to the equipment manual to find the recommended size and type of part to replace.
While some repairs are simple enough that you can take them on yourself, others may require an expert hand. For instance, broken doors and windows can compromise safety and may require professional repair and servicing. Seek timely help from professionals in and around your location. For instance, run a quick search for commercial door repair in Kettering, Burton Latimer, or your neighborhood to find a professional to fix the issue and nip the problem in the bud.
2. Keep Your Equipment Clean
This tip may seem like a basic one to follow, but it’s quite essential. Clean equipment always operates better than unclean ones. Keeping machinery and equipment clean has many advantages.
It helps remove external contaminants such as dust, mud, grease, dirt, and grime and prevents the various parts from eroding and accelerating the wear and tear process.
All industrial and production equipment needs to be cleaned regularly for optimal performance at all times. In the pharmaceutical, biotech, food, beverage, and dairy industries, keeping critical production equipment and machinery clean and sanitary is critical for product safety and efficacy. Clean in Place systems clean this critical processing equipment without dismantling them. After cleaning, the equipment needs to be decontaminated and sterilised for the next usage cycle, which is facilitated by effluent decontamination services.
In these types of businesses, equipment cleaning is process-sensitive and must be completely validated and carried out as per globally acknowledged Good Manufacturing (GMP) practices. With external agencies providing industrial equipment cleaning services, it becomes easier to keep your industrial equipment clean and prolong its life.
3. Invest in Operator Training
The successful outcome of any project relies on teamwork. Your workforce and business equipment must work together as one by contributing to a safe and productive environment.
Optimal productivity results from operational efficiency, which is only possible with regular, on-the-job training. Even the most seasoned operators can benefit from a training session or two to refresh their knowledge. Provide regular training sessions to all your crew members, no matter how experienced they are, so they can learn more hands-on knowledge about the equipment they need to use. You can introduce a formal training programme with standard operating procedures (SOPs) to keep all your crew members on the same page.
Training also promotes safety, which ties in with overall equipment longevity. When your workforce knows how to handle and operate the equipment correctly, it results in fewer equipment mishandling events and mishaps. Furthermore, training helps differentiate between ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ machinery and aids in quickly identifying and reporting issues.
For example, suppliers of aggregates in Norfolk or Suffolk need to keep a constant check on their heavy extraction equipment working at the quarry and dig sites. Heavy equipment such as crushers, loaders, and extractors, which are the backbone of mining and aggregate operations, usually function in environments containing dust, debris, and fine aggregates. Trained operators ensure the equipment is assessed before and after use to avoid any hiccups in machinery failure and an abrupt halt in operations.
Training is vital when introducing new equipment or technology in your operations. New additions to your setup should last a long time with proper care. Proper training helps your team understand how to properly use new equipment and contribute to projects productively.
Continue to monitor your workers to reinforce good practices and ensure they’re putting their knowledge to good use. You can always readdress aspects of equipment operation they need to be reminded about. Seeing how well your workforce implements what they’ve learnt from the training sessions gives you an understanding of how to modify future sessions.
Training your team to grasp the key tenets of safe equipment operation can help avoid accidents that cause personal injuries or equipment damage. In this way, prioritising overall safety, particularly in equipment handling, can also increase crew morale. Everyone will feel comfortable reporting to work and capitalising on time at work.
4. Create a Maintenance Schedule
If machinery and equipment are not properly maintained, they’ll require frequent repairs and fixes, which can shorten their lifespan and increase the likelihood of downtime or breakdowns. Regular equipment maintenance helps avoid the challenges associated with unplanned downtime.
Take your car as an example, where you schedule regular service check-ins and maintenance activities. Whether it’s for adjusting the wheel alignment or getting regular maintenance check-ins, it’s important to ensure your car is safe and fit to drive. The same applies to heavy machinery and equipment; they need a maintenance schedule built into their operative schedule.
Include regular maintenance in the equipment operating schedule for the best long-term performance. Instead of conducting maintenance only when something breaks or malfunctions, make it a regular habit to understand your machinery or equipment’s performance and reliability. Make sure you factor in the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) when creating a maintenance schedule.
Equipment used in businesses goes beyond heavy machinery and industrial equipment. Computers and computer software are also essential business tools that warrant a maintenance schedule. Now that most manual processes are digitised, your business has an increased global reach, but at the same time, computers can also put your systems at risk from cybersecurity attacks. Without the right maintenance of your IT infrastructure, you can face a slow system and network performance or spend most of your time resolving IT issues and patching up security threats.
Regular IT maintenance can work like a charm for your business if implemented on time. Whether your business is based in West Ham or Northampton, an IT support partner can provide regular, scheduled support for your IT maintenance needs. Rely on certified IT professionals to service your laptops, desktops, servers, and systems, enabling them to perform to the best of their ability. Regular IT maintenance activities can pinpoint any flaws, gaps, or vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure that could lead to severe business disruption.
Routine maintenance activities also meet compliance and data protection requirements. Importantly, with effective IT maintenance, you stand to reduce costs and increase the lifespan and operational efficiency of your IT infrastructure.
5. Store and Transport Equipment Properly
Your business equipment needs care and protection even when it’s not in use. Make sure you properly transport and store your equipment to avoid damage during transit or storage. Improper storage leads to corrosion or injury, while incorrectly handling or transporting the machinery or equipment may cause vibration or collisions resulting in damage to the internal components.
Allocate dry, clean spaces free from heat, dust or moisture to store your business machinery. Remember to factor in the role of changing seasons and weather while storing your equipment. If you’re not using your equipment in the colder months, you can separate detachable parts and store them individually to prevent rusting on the joints and hinges. It’s also recommended to use protective covers or cases to keep your equipment as good as new.
For example, use wheel socks for forklifts, one of the most frequently used heavy machinery in businesses such as warehouses and distribution centres. Companies operating forklifts need to use protective gear for their machinery. It helps prevent damage from the tyres grinding against the concrete and other hard surfaces while in motion.
Embrace effective storage and transport practices to extend the lifespan of your business equipment.
6. Assign Monitoring Duties
The key to business equipment longevity lies in proactive and routine maintenance. But it’s also important not to overuse it to preserve its operational efficiency and lifespan. For instance, copier machines should only be used when necessary in order to maintain optimal performance and keep your carbon footprint in check.
After creating a maintenance schedule, ensure you assign equipment monitoring duties to follow through on maintenance activities. Assigning preventative maintenance tasks to a maintenance coordinator, machine operator, or dedicated maintenance personnel is ideal. You can hold them accountable for monitoring the maintenance operations by signing off on equipment maintenance schedules through asset management software or by weekly or monthly cards submitted to supervisors. Whichever method you follow, ensure your business is on top of equipment maintenance and follows the schedule consistently.
7. Extend the Warranty
One way to extend the service life of industrial and business machinery is by extending the warranty period. By extending the warranty coverage, you ensure a safety net for your business equipment in case of an unprecedented failure or breakdown.
Along with servicing and fixes, the warranty can also cover the replacement of parts that need to be replaced. The extent and coverage of warranty for your business machinery determine its benefits despite the high upfront costs.
You can either extend the warranty coverage period while purchasing the equipment or contact a service provider.
8. Upgrade or Replace Outdated Equipment
Despite all your best efforts to lengthen the longevity of your business equipment, there may eventually come a time when you need to upgrade or replace outdated equipment. Older equipment lacks higher performance levels, reduced operating costs, and better safety features found in newer models.
Let replacing your equipment be your ultimate decision after considering repair costs, availability of spare parts, and industry standards and regulations. Additionally, do factor in how your new equipment purchase aligns with your long-term business goals.
9. Partner with an Experienced Servicer
As you work towards taking the best care of your business equipment, one of the most important tips to keep in mind is to partner with a reliable and seasoned service provider. Consider working with a service provider who has experience working with your specific set of equipment and a track record of delivering high-quality services to their customers.
Hiring the right professionals to maintain, service, and conduct routine inspections of your machines extends their lives to the maximum. A trained technician can help you save time and money by finding and repairing issues that you would’ve otherwise overlooked in your own inspections. Avoid cutting corners and hiring unprofessional technicians to service your equipment and risk losing hundreds of pounds in the long run.
Regular servicing from the right technicians can prolong the life of your business equipment.
To Sum Up
Extending the lifespan of your business equipment requires some time, investment and proactive measures. In addition to a prolonged equipment life, with these tips, you stand to benefit from a higher ROI, consistent equipment operations and performance, and meet desired business outcomes.
Follow manufacturer-recommended practices, maintain equipment hygiene, invest in operator training, create and follow a maintenance schedule and continue to invest in equipment-related activities to increase uptime and ensure your business runs smoothly.
In the larger scheme of things, proper equipment handling, storing, operating, and maintenance practices can seem like a small investment to yield significant business returns.
