Bad Practices, Part 17

Bad maintenance practices tend to sneak into the way things get done. Here are three more to guard against:

Bad Practice #44 — Setting up Maintenance Schedules Strictly Per Manufacturer’s Recommended Intervals.

These are just starting points. A good service manual will also include application-specific adjustment factors for things such as ambient temperature, duty cycle, or type of material being processed.

Bad Practice #45 — Strictly Sticking to Application-Adjusted Manufacturer-Recommended Maintenance Intervals.

Adjust for possible spoilers. For example, if there’s an increasing deviation from spec over the last few maintenance inspections then shorten the interval. If the seasoned operator on that machine is replaced by an inexperienced operator in training, add a “tween” interval.

Bad Practice #46 — Leaving the Maintenance Schedule Intact in the Face of Repeated Breakdown Causes That Aren’t Discovered or Solved by Routine Maintenance.

For example, Line 3 has stopped four times in six months due to safety sensors vibrating out of place. Rather than calibrate these every six months, calibrate them monthly until the vibration problem is solved.