Should you perform preventive maintenance on packaging machinery in your home or from outside?
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Some plant managers choose to perform preventive maintenance on their packaging machinery because it is often more cost-effective and gives them greater control over project planning and implementation. You know your equipment and handle it from the inside out, which makes the planning of the shutdown easier than the contractor. But most factories that are best served hire a contractor.
Outsourced suppliers have extensive experience in plant shutdowns and preventive maintenance programs in many industries. They can come up with a new solution for your plant's operations and help your team plan a partial replacement in the future. They also tend to have access to maintenance management systems that your internal team does not have.
After aggregating information from many other preventive maintenance projects, these contractors can take advantage of database analysis software to predict the necessary repairs, order parts, and carry out Major changes to your maintenance schedule. And they are often better equipped that your average technician might have trouble finding. To put it simply: Outsourced preventive maintenance teams can provide more value to your business.
Start planning your annual maintenance and shutdown
If you are planning to hire an experienced contractor, be sure to plan ahead. Summer is a low volume time for many manufacturers. This is a good time for most factories to evaluate their equipment, materials and inventory. That means many shutdowns are scheduled for the same week of summer - the provider's schedule will be filled up quickly.
The more time you have to provide an outsourced provider, the more likely they can help you with preventive maintenance. With the right team of experts and proper planning, you can invest your tools into the efficiency of your factory. In the long run, you'll save millions of dollars on energy consumption, unplanned repairs, and losing customers. And will help you answer the question of whether to refurbish packaging equipment.
