{"id":18743,"date":"2018-02-05T09:42:31","date_gmt":"2018-02-05T09:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/?p=18743"},"modified":"2024-02-27T10:57:01","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T10:57:01","slug":"preventative-maintenance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.highspeedtraining.co.uk\/hub\/preventative-maintenance\/","title":{"rendered":"Preventative Maintenance in the Food Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

The HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) system requires food processing plants to maintain food manufacturing equipment. The most efficient plants opt for a combination of preventative, reactive, proactive, and predictive approaches.<\/p>\n

All these approaches are valid, but each has a few pros and cons. This article looks at preventive maintenance which, when done right, is a time and cost saving process. Preventive maintenance\u00a0can also reduce machine downtime, prevent and minimise damage, and extend the useful life of the equipment.<\/p>\n

This article looks at the importance of equipment maintenance and\u00a0maintenance logs, including a checklist and template to help you plan equipment maintenance.<\/p>\n

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Importance of Equipment Maintenance<\/h2>\n

An effective maintenance routine makes sure that operations continue, repair costs are minimised, and downtime is reduced.<\/p>\n

Preventative maintenance is the checking\u00a0of machines and equipment on a planned, regular basis. The aim is\u00a0to prevent costly downtime\u00a0and\u00a0lessen the likelihood of faults. It requires more planning and effort than other methods – but has long and short-term benefits in cost-reduction and efficiency of machine performance.<\/p>\n

Preventative checks are made before a machine breaks and while it is still running. Generally, the strategy leads to good food hygiene and prevents foreign materials entering food produce.<\/p>\n

Plants that use the preventative method have a far greater chance of catching and correcting issues before they become problems. The method uses a fair amount of labour time to perform the checks – but it pays off.<\/p>\n

Organisations that use the preventative method, check machines at specified time intervals. This method tends to save energy as machines are maintained at a peak level of performance.<\/p>\n

\"Strawberries<\/p>\n

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Other Maintenance Approaches<\/h2>\n

Reactive Maintenance<\/strong>\u00a0is a method where machines run until they fail. \u00a0It’s a hands-off approach (which can’t really be called a strategy), and the big benefit is that it keeps routine maintenance costs low. But, and here’s the big but, it tends to be costly in the long run.<\/p>\n

Organisations who use this method find that costs arise in other areas. So when a machine fails without warning, the plant has a lot of expensive downtime. Also, it’s likely that the downtime will increase labour costs to get the machine operational again.\u00a0Making it, all in all, an inefficient method.<\/p>\n

Predictive Maintenance\u00a0<\/strong>uses advanced technology such as infrared and ultrasound equipment during the routine inspection of machines. \u00a0NASA claims that the method can stop unexpected breakdowns and by\u00a0using advanced tech, factories can minimise the amount of time needed to inspect equipment piece by piece.<\/p>\n

This method checks machine health and the data provided allows the person accessing the machine to estimate when repairs are going to be needed and to predict when a failure might happen. The bad news is that equipment like the ‘Ultraprobe’ are expensive, but if you’re willing to fork out, this method accurately stays a step in front of faults.<\/p>\n

Proactive Maintenance\u00a0<\/strong>is a systemic issue-focused maintenance program. Rather than examining equipment, this approach considers how to control the problems that lead to machine wear and tear as opposed to the deterioration\u00a0itself.<\/p>\n

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\"expert<\/div>\n

Need a Course?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Our Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Course<\/a> provides learners with a thorough understanding of food hygiene practices that are specific to food manufacturing premises, focusing on the specific day-to-day processes in a food or drink factory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Preventative Maintenance Procedures<\/h2>\n

A preventive method is more complex than a run-to-failure (or reactive) method. But it’s less complex\u00a0than a predictive method.<\/p>\n

A preventative method will involve things like conducting safety checks, cleaning parts, and replacing parts.<\/p>\n

Checklist for Planning Maintenance\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n