Routine Equipment Inspections
Industrial Resources observes that most facility supervisors faithfully complete regularly scheduled maintenance and daily inspections on their equipment. However, it has been found that many facility overseers commonly ignore the quarterly, semi-annual and yearly inspections that are advised by equipment manufacturers for safe and reliable performance. Not to mention, these inspections can result in less maintenance costs and a longer lifespan of equipment.
Some of the most commonly overlooked equipment inspections include:
- Electrical distribution network and shore power cabling for unreliable connections
- Deterioration and straining of resources
- Wear and tear of mechanical shift and throttle connections
- Steering mechanisms for irritants and leakages
- Bilges and pumps
- Wiring
- Inadequate hosing material
- Unstable engine mounts
Issues are not Uncommon
Many of these equipment inspections can be done with just a thorough walk-through evaluation of your facility. Some of them may require shutting down equipment or dismantling access panels. Truth be told, when it comes to frequently used equipment, your on-site inspectors do not find some type of inadequacy somewhere in the facility’s system, it is usually because facility operators have not adhered to the suggested equipment inspection guidelines.
In fact, if operators stay on top of these advised dates and guidelines in regards to the proper inspection of equipment, they would not have any unexpected surprises with their equipment or other machinery that could lead to stalled machinery, delayed production and even injury.
Regular equipment inspections can also greatly decrease operating expenses: directly for equipment interruption and expensive maintenance fees and indirectly for temporarily shutting down machinery that could possibly cease operations costing thousands if not millions of dollars in revenue.
Cardinal Plant Project
Cut Costs and Risks
Proper maintenance of equipment is similar to properly maintaining your own health. The more often you evaluate it, the better it will perform. This significantly increases uptime and keeps your equipment operating at its maximum potential. In turn, this will allow for your machinery to be constantly available and consistently operating at full capacity with little to no downtime.
If you regularly supervise the performance of your facility’s equipment and plan accordingly, the equipment can be shut down during times where production is inactive, and not unexpectedly during peak operating hours due to a mechanical systems failure. Making scheduled inspections a part of a routine can also prevent catastrophic failures and optimize performance before it turns into broken and unfixable equipment. Moreover, eliminating risks before it turns into a serious problem can help avoid operator injury from unnoticed safety hazards.
Operators and service engineers need to be properly educated on managing anything from slight errors to major issues. There are advancements in technology that will diagnose the condition of equipment but routinely evaluating your machinery through scheduled maintenance is the most effective method for warranting long-term success.
If you would like to talk more, give us a call today: 304-363-4100.