Back when I worked in the tier 1 automotive industry we were always trying to find time to break into our production schedule to perform preventative maintenance. The idea for this task was to work on the assembly machines or weld cells to improve sensor position, sensor and cable protection and of course clean the machines. As you all know this is easier said than done due to unplanned downtime or production schedule changes, for example. As hard as it is to find time for PM’s (preventative maintenance) it is a must to stay ahead and on top of production. PM’s will not only increase the production time, but it will also help maintain better quality parts by producing less scrap and machine downtime due damaged sensors or cables.
If you have read any of my previous posts you have probably noticed that I refer to the “pay me now or pay me later” analogy. This subject would fall directly into this category, you have to take the time to prevent machine crashes and damaged sensors and cables on the front side rather than being reactive and repairing them when they go down. It has been proven that a properly bunkered or protected proximity sensor will outlast the machine tooling when best practices are executed. It’s important to take the time and look at the way a sensor is mounted or protected or acknowledge when a cable is routed in harm’s way.
PM’s should be an important task that is part of a schedule and followed through in any factory automation or tier 1 production facility. In some cases I have seen where there is a complete bill of material (BOM) or list of tasks to accomplish during the PM time. This list will help maintenance personnel and engineering know what to look for and what are the hot spots that create unplanned downtime. This list could also indicate some key sensors, mounting brackets and high durability cables that can improve the process.
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