The downtime of a machine can have serious ramifications to a company’s operations. Manufacturers must be prepared and have a plan in place, should something go wrong. When manufacturers first detect a fault, they should inspect the equipment and determine the best fix. Once they have established the cause, they must decide whether to repair or replace the part.
Return-on-investment is one of the key considerations when dealing with a broken machine. Repairing and replacing can involve upfront and ongoing costs. If a machine breaks down once and needs to be back up and running quickly, then repair may be the most cost-effective in the short term. However, a new or fully refurbished replacement part will need less maintenance in the long term.
If the production line can function without a missing part for a short period of time, then repair may be a good option. However, if parts fail regularly and halt or slow down the production line, manufacturers would be better to invest in new equipment to prevent regular breakdowns.
Obsolete parts can be difficult to source and can take time to deliver. Because of this, manufacturers can stockpile the necessary parts to prepare for unplanned downtime. However, this can be an expensive option as parts need to be maintained and space required to store them.
Manufacturers should look to form a partnership with an obsolete parts supplier, such as Timeline Components, to stock the components and deliver them on-time. If efficiency is vital to your operations, then sourcing a replacement part could be more beneficial and cost-effective in the long term.
