If you manage a medical device manufacturing operation, you are intimately aware of the importance of equipment uptime and meeting production schedules. Unplanned downtime of critical manufacturing equipment causes not just headaches - it can reverberate through inventory management, sales, and customer service. The solution to avoiding unplanned downtime is to properly maintain production equipment, schedule planned downtime, and ensure that you have the resources ready to take advantage of that critical maintenance window. In short, this is called Preventive Maintenance, and it is an important part of managing an efficient and effective manufacturing site.
What is Unplanned Downtime?
Unplanned downtime is exactly as it sounds, equipment that is no longer producing due to unforeseen circumstances. Unplanned downtime can be due to limited staffing, missing raw materials, or, as will be covered in this blog post, equipment breakdowns and failures.
Downtime caused by equipment failures can be especially detrimental because it often requires extensive time to troubleshoot the issue, identify the solution, source replacement parts, perform the fix, and then restart production. Unplanned downtime due to machine breakdowns is a time and resource intensive problem. Some of the reasons for equipment failure include:
- Normal wear and tear that degrades machinery parts and performance
- Environmental factors
- Aging equipment
- Missing or inadequate replacement parts
What is Preventive Maintenance?
Preventive Maintenance (or Preventative Maintenance) is the scheduled and routine maintenance of equipment in order to keep the equipment in optimal condition and reduce the likelihood of machine failure and unplanned downtime. It is a proactive approach to maintenance, instead of a reactive approach of “fix broken things.”
Just like a car, physical assets used in manufacturing will experience wear and tear over their lifespan and require upkeep in order to keep the machine running well. Ideally, an individual will have their car serviced before a mechanical failure that makes the car unusable until fixed.
Preventive Maintenance is similar. Manufacturers should incorporate effective PM programs in order to achieve operational efficiency and excellence. Effective Preventive Maintenance is planned for, scheduled in advance (to avoid important product windows), and utilizes real-time machine health data to prioritize maintenance tasks. By scheduling maintenance in advance, an organization can:
- Avoid production windows necessary to meet important customer demand or take advantage of line changeovers/stoppages
- Plan for and obtain resources, materials, and personnel required for the PM task
- Eliminate the risk of unplanned machine downtime
What is the Difference Between Calibration and Preventive Maintenance?
Calibration and Preventive Maintenance are both important processes for maintaining equipment and devices. Both are involved in providing overall asset reliability and performance. And while calibration is technically a unique form of preventive maintenance, calibration is used to ensure measurement accuracy while preventive maintenance focuses on maintaining general functionality. We wrote extensively about the importance of calibration in a separate blog post.
The Role of Preventive Maintenance Labels
An important aspect of asset reliability and preventive maintenance is the identification of assets and their PM Status – notably when an asset was last maintained and when it is due for another PM. Preventive Maintenance labels effectively communicate this information to technicians operating or maintaining a device. These labels serve several important functions:
Quick Identification
Labels clearly mark equipment that has undergone preventive maintenance, making it easy for staff to identify machines that are ready for use.
Compliance Assurance
Many industries require evidence of preventive maintenance for safety and quality standards, such as ISO compliance. Labels act as proof that maintenance schedules are being adhered to.
Improved Record-Keeping
Labels can document when the last maintenance was performed and the next scheduled service, helping to avoid missed inspections or unplanned downtime.
Effective Communication Across Teams
In larger operations, labels communicate across shifts and teams, ensuring everyone knows the maintenance status of equipment at a glance.
Inventory Control
For organizations with extensive equipment lists, labels assist in tracking assets that require maintenance, supporting both management and auditing processes.
Preventive Maintenance Labels from GMP Labeling
At GMP Labeling, we understand the critical role that preventive maintenance plays in the medical device industry. Our Preventive Maintenance labels are designed to help manufacturers maintain strict quality control standards through routine equipment maintenance. Our labels are durable, easy to apply, and customizable to suit specific requirements, ensuring they remain legible even in demanding environments.
Explore our full range of calibration and preventive maintenance labels and ensure that your equipment is always properly marked, contributing to safer, more efficient, and compliant operations.
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