Easy_Company/iStock/Thinkstock
Ecmweb 7308 Roboticwelder
Ecmweb 7308 Roboticwelder
Ecmweb 7308 Roboticwelder
Ecmweb 7308 Roboticwelder
Ecmweb 7308 Roboticwelder

Don’t Get Priorities Mixed Up

April 20, 2015
What should you do if two machines go down simultaneously?

A hydraulic press can make 900 pieces/week. Your company can sell those in six weeks. A robotic welder is a bottleneck in the flow of a product line for which demand exceeds supply; any decrease means lost revenue. What should you do if both machines go down simultaneously?

You already have PMs scheduled for another bottleneck machine today. How do you prioritize if you have only enough crew for one machine at a time? That robotic welder needs to run as much as possible and it's down, so it takes priority over the other two. The other bottleneck machine isn't down, so it can wait for its PM work until the robotic welder is back in operation. The hydraulic press is down, but it can make far more than your company can sell so it can be down for quite a while before there's really a problem.

What if the hydraulic press has a broken safety switch that allows it to run while the light curtain boundary is breached? Safety takes precedence over production, but you don’t have to fix the press immediately. Take it out of service. Then, fix it when the other two jobs are done.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EC&M, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Electrical Conduit Comparison Chart

CHAMPION FIBERGLASS electrical conduit is a lightweight, durable option that provides lasting savings when compared to other materials. Compare electrical conduit types including...

Fiberglass Electrical Conduit Chemical Resistance Chart

This information is provided solely as a guide since it is impossible to anticipate all individual site conditions. For specific applications which are not covered in this guide...

Considerations for Direct Burial Conduit

Installation type plays a key role in the type of conduit selected for electrical systems in industrial construction projects. Above ground, below ground, direct buried, encased...

How to Calculate Labor Costs

Most important to accurately estimating labor costs is knowing the approximate hours required for project completion. Learn how to calculate electrical labor cost.