How to Reduce Plant Downtime and Increase Productivity?

Effective ways to reduce plant downtime and increase productivity in the manufacturing plants are enlisted below – 

• Condition Based Maintenance
• Predictive Maintenance 
• CMMS and EAMs
• Reactive / Protective (SCADA/DCS), Vibration Switch, Tripping System etc.

Downtime is the loss of productivity in manufacturing industries due to the lack of equipment maintenance, real-time machine health data insights and human error. It is one of the most critical issues in the processes and operations of a manufacturing plant. There are many ways you can reduce downtime and one of the easiest way is integrating “ IoT technology” as they have proven to be very helpful while working on improving productivity in manufacturing plants.

What are the types of downtime?

There are two types of it :

• Planned Downtime 
• Unplanned Downtime

Planned downtime:- It is scheduled according to your time and you expect downtime at the time for any reason other than machinery error. It helps us organize, schedule, and prepare for the downtime. While the process is down, the maintenance team can coordinate with contractors, and schedule other tasks to execute. Planned downs can be structured so that the machinery can be cleaned and repaired.

Unplanned Downtime :- It occurs when the machinery is not in working condition due to machine part breakage, power failure, human error, software or system issue. Unplanned downtime increases production loss, production cost and increases maintenance costs.

How do you reduce plant downtime?

If you are looking for a way to reduce downtime then you have a variety of options. IoEYE Predict is one the best solutions for effective and instant results. IoEYE Predict is the maintenance that measures the performance and condition of equipment of in-service equipment during normal operation to identify any developing faults. It provides cost savings and better reliability over routine or time-based preventive measures.

What are the factors influencing Downtime?

The following reasons can cause the downtime in your manufacturing plant.

Component / Equipment Failure :- Equipment failure can be caused by multiple reasons such as Component Aging and Obsolescence, Shutdowns, Temperature Extremes, Vibration and Shock and component malfunctioning. These failures result in interrupting the process, increase maintenance cost and downtime of the plant.

Maintenance or Repair Work Failure :- Inadequate or improper maintenance practices can lead to machinery failures. Skipping regular maintenance tasks, using incorrect lubricants or replacement parts, or not conducting inspections as recommended can result in unexpected downtime.

Human Error : – Human errors such as incorrect operating behaviors, incorrect settings, improper handling of controls, lack of training, improper handling and loading, neglecting safety protocols. These behaviors might cause equipment failure or interrupt processes, resulting in downtime.

How can our Sensors help you reduce downtime ?

How to Increase Productivity?

Increasing machine productivity involves optimizing the performance and efficiency of machinery to achieve higher output levels while maintaining quality. Some of the strategies which have helped most of the manufacturing plants are regular maintenance, data monitoring, and analysis, predictive maintenance, quality control, employee training. 

Most asked questions

1. ↩︎