01. Jun, 2016
Constructing an effective maintenance program includes developing a strategy for your replacement parts inventory. Whether those tasks are preventive or predictive, having the right parts on hand can save hours and, sometimes, days or weeks in downtime.
Consider these three things when planning a spare parts inventory:
Restoration – These items are spare parts that need to be replaced as part of your planned maintenance program. Wear parts like bearings and seals should be on your checklist, but also remember longer wearing items like the clutches on rotary fillers.
Lead Time – Items like tooling can take weeks to order. Because there are so many different sizes, manufacturers produce these by order. To keep your operation running smoothly, you might consider stocking those items that could cause catastrophic downtime if they ever failed.
Phase Outs – Finding spare parts for an older machine can be difficult. Finding them immediately can be next to impossible. If you have an older generation machine, check in with your Spee-Dee account rep to see if any parts are planned to be phased out in the near future. If you discover certain parts will be phased out, you can choose to upgrade those components, or add them to your spare parts inventory.
Do you have any specific spare parts questions? Talk with your Spee-Dee account rep about developing a proactive, long range maintenance plan for your facility. It will help improve the availability of your machines and boost the value of their output.