Many manufacturing sectors are slowing down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but other industries such as food and pharmaceutical packaging are ramping up production. To ensure critical machinery such as vertical form fill seal and other packaging equipment are operating at a high level, Matrix Packaging Machinery recommends companies follow these important maintenance guidelines:

Keep it clean: One of the simplest things you can do to keep your machinery running well is to keep it clean; the cleaner a machine is, the better it will operate. Cleaning should include all mechanical parts and be performed once a shift. It’s important to always turn off and disconnect power to the machine prior to cleaning.

Don’t ignore preventive maintenance: If you’re experiencing an increase in production, it may be tempting to push back the preventive maintenance schedule for your machines – it’s critical to not skip preventive maintenance. Packaging machines are engineered to be serviced at specific intervals. Delaying service could lead to premature component failure and a longer, more costly downtime when you can least afford it. Cleanliness and preventive maintenance go hand-in-hand; don’t cut corners and skip these two essential steps.

Keep spare parts on hand: Hopefully, you have a bench stock of spare and consumable parts such as belts, knives, and heating elements readily available. This will obviously help facilitate quick repairs and minimize machinery downtime. If you don’t have an adequate bench stock set up, some OEM suppliers can perform a parts audit and prepare a recommended parts list of common replacement parts to keep in stock. Essentially, a parts audit helps you develop a parts plan, streamlining the inspection, repair, and maintenance processes for your packaging equipment.

Schedule a service call: Most reputable OEM suppliers are still conducting service calls with customers. If your OEM supplier does handle your machines’ preventive maintenance, those field-service visits will likely occur as scheduled. An uptick in business means it’s more important than ever to keep those maintenance appointments. Keep in mind that some service and troubleshooting can also be done through remote monitoring.

Matrix is a manufacturer of rugged vertical form fill seal (VFFS) equipment for all types of flexible packaging and operates as a master distributor of INV PACK stickpack and sachet machines, Toyo Jidoki pre-made pouch packaging machines, and FLtècnics (a ProMach brand) rollstock pouch machines. ProMach is a family of packaging solution brands serving manufacturers of all sizes and geographies in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and household and industrial goods industries. ProMach is headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Review your machinery’s owner’s manual for exact cleaning, preventive maintenance practices and recommended spare parts. Overall, it’s best to keep the lines of communication open with your OEM supplier when it comes to machinery uptime. For more information, visit www.matrixpm.com.

Lisa Eitel has worked in the motion industry since 2001. Her areas of focus include motors, drives, motion control, power transmission, linear motion, and sensing and feedback technologies. She has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is an inductee of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society; a member of the Society of Women Engineers; and a judge for the FIRST Robotics Buckeye Regionals. Besides her motioncontroltips.com contributions, she also leads the production of the quarterly motion issues of Design World.

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