In many plants, repairs too often rely on “craft capability.” This means no standardized methodology, no written procedures, and little sharing of knowledge. Any ten people might repair the same item ten different ways. This results in problems such as missing a critical step or incorrectly diagnosing the problem and thus repairing the wrong thing.
You could try to remedy this by watching how the best guy does the repair and making that the way to do it. But how do you know this is the best guy? How does he really know what he’s doing with that particular equipment?
Manufacturers of manufacturing equipment typically have in-depth knowledge of how their product can be repaired most efficiently and effectively. For example, you’ve got a scrap grinder that seems to need a new motor every 18 months. Sure, the electricians know how to swap out a motor. But in this application, grinding your particular scrap, there’s a kit the manufacturer has developed to dampen axial vibration. Find out what “tricks” your manufacturers can share.
