Six measures that can effectively reduce equipment failures

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Inspection and motivation through equipment checklists: Equipment inspection is one of the components of 5S. Implementing 5S activities is relatively easy; they can be carried out in various ways and yield noticeable results in a short period of time. However, most companies fail to sustain these efforts, with only a few continuing to do so consistently. Soft package factories should include a system of weekly random inspections by team leaders, as well as monthly inspections by equipment managers, in the inspection forms. The inspection form should cover every individual component of the equipment on site, with detailed guidelines established for each job role. All employees are required to adhere strictly to these guidelines, so that they understand exactly what constitutes equipment inspection – what needs to be done, where it needs to be done, when it needs to be done, who is responsible for doing it, how it should be done, and to what standard it must meet. At the same time, the completion of the inspection form should also be included as part of the employee evaluation. Motivate on-site operators to participate in equipment inspections through positive incentives, and help them develop a habit of conducting such inspections. Let the operator truly experience the benefits that thorough inspection brings to the equipment. Provide material and spiritual rewards to the excellent operators who participate in equipment inspections. Regularly update the inspection forms, extend the inspection intervals for those data fields that do not change frequently during equipment inspections, and add new items that require inspection, to ensure that the equipment inspection process is continuously improved. Equipment inspection work should shift from being carried out passively to being an active effort. The inspection and evaluation process starts with higher-level authorities inspecting lower-level ones, and gradually evolves into mutual inspections and self-inspections, shifting from supervision and inspection to forms such as evaluations and competitions. The issue of operators not conducting thorough equipment inspections is addressed through the above two methods. In this way, the authenticity and reliability of the operator’s inspection data are ensured, providing a dependable data basis for understanding the equipment’s condition. Enhance operator training on equipment: The company needs to provide training related to the equipment in order to help operators understand it. The training content can be roughly divided into several categories: ① Training on operating equipment upon arrival at the factory, to help operators understand the methods of operating the equipment as well as the precautions to take. ②Equipment inspection training, which teaches operators the locations, methods, and techniques for inspecting equipment. ③Equipment autonomous maintenance training, which teaches operators the correct methods for maintaining equipment. Through training in these three areas, operators gain a deeper understanding of the equipment, enabling them to operate and use it more effectively in the future. Properly phase out and update equipment: According to the equipment life cycle theory, equipment has three lifespans, namely technical life, managerial life, and economic life. When the labor required for maintenance and the capital invested in replacing spare parts exceed the profits generated by the equipment, it becomes uneconomical to continue using it; therefore, it is time to consider scrapping the equipment. At the same time, if the production capacity of the equipment is too low and its precision declines, technical measures must be taken to improve it, thereby enhancing the equipment’s efficiency and precision. When it is not possible to modify the equipment through technical means, it must also be scrapped. Scientifically analyze the condition of equipment, formulate reasonable plans for phasing out equipment, and resolutely discard those devices that consume high amounts of energy yet produce low output. At the same time, for those devices that are still in the period of occasional failures, their service life can be extended through technological innovations and other methods, thereby generating economic benefits for the enterprise. Maintain an appropriate stock of original factory spare parts by establishing a reasonable safety stock level, based on the company’s patterns of spare part consumption and the frequency of failures. For emergency spare parts, stock is kept for some relatively important spare parts with long procurement cycles. The spare parts inventory should not be too high, as this will result in excess funds being tied up in the company; nor should it be too low, as this will lead to a shortage of spare parts and disrupt production. While maintaining stock of original manufacturer parts, it is also necessary to consider the selection of local parts. The purchasing department needs to find some manufacturers of high-quality spare parts to supply them. For some imported spare parts, although they are not critical, their localization can also be considered due to the very long procurement cycle. This not only shortens the time required to purchase spare parts, but also reduces the cost of acquiring imported spare parts. Establishing reasonable scheduled maintenance: To establish scheduled maintenance in a scientific and rational manner, it is first necessary to understand the condition of all equipment. There are three ways to understand the status of equipment: ① Problems identified through equipment inspections; by using the inspection forms, it is possible to see the trends in various indicators of the equipment, which in turn allows for the identification of potential issues with the equipment. ②Professional equipment inspection: Professional equipment inspection involves using specialized methods to diagnose the problems existing in the equipment. ③Fault statistics; many issues related to faults can often be identified through fault statistics. After identifying potential faults in the equipment, planned maintenance for it should be carried out appropriately. For the ten minor fault risks, maintenance personnel will resolve them through weekly scheduled repairs; for the ten major fault risks, the maintenance team will carry out repairs during holiday maintenance periods. Continuous improvement ① Improving equipment defects: By analyzing failure statistics, identify the frequent faults that occur in the equipment, and determine which of these faults are caused by defects in the equipment itself. A special team was established to develop strategies for eliminating design-related risks, equipment upgrades were carried out in a planned manner, and the upgraded equipment was monitored to gradually achieve an optimal condition. ②Improvements to vulnerable spare parts: For certain vulnerable spare parts, it is possible to consider replacing them – swapping out those of poor quality for higher-quality ones, or replacing those that are not suitable for use in the equipment with ones that are appropriate for the operating conditions on site. This helps to extend the lifespan of these spare parts and reduce the occurrence of equipment failures.