If you are in charge of a manufacturing facility, you know how much money has been invested in your equipment. Because of this, you need to keep it in excellent condition so that your facility’s production line does not grind to a halt due to equipment that is malfunctioning or breaks down completely. To keep this from happening, equipment should be inspected and cleaned as much as possible. To design a process that is efficient, cost-effective, and reliable, keep these tips in mind.
Regular Lubrication
As it is with any piece of manufacturing equipment, regular lubrication is essential for it to continue operating smoothly. Specifically, you should be focused on examining pistons where excess grease or oil can accumulate, and also pay attention to oil seals where leaks can be a common occurrence. By scheduling regular lubrication, you can clean these areas and make sure everything is working as expected.
Pressure Washing
If grease and grime are not removed from manufacturing equipment, they act as abrasives and can severely damage gears and other parts. As a way to clean your equipment quickly and thoroughly, pressure washing and the use of water cannons can be very effective. Since it is easy for grease and grime to accumulate in and around industrial washers, a pressure washer can get into hard-to-reach areas. For very large pieces of equipment, a water cannon that can spray as much as 150 gallons per minute can be used.
Invest in Software
If you have upgraded your manufacturing equipment, consider also upgrading to advanced industrial software that can be integrated with your equipment to monitor its activities. By doing so, many problems can be detected early and corrected on or off-site by engineers and technicians. For example, sensors and pressure monitoring systems can detect when filters need to be changed, if a spray nozzle is clogged, and other problems.
Emphasize Accurate Recordkeeping
Last but not least, maintaining accurate records is a critical component of inspecting and cleaning your manufacturing equipment. By having accurate records available for each piece of equipment, you can quickly determine when fluids and filters were last replaced, what types of problems have occurred with certain pieces of equipment, and much more.
Rather than find yourself facing a production line that is shut down and thus costing you and your company time and money, implement these steps into your inspection and cleaning routine for your manufacturing equipment.
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