SERIES Reducing costs
Keeping costs down by minimising downtime
By Rob Rogers, Senior Advisor for Food Safety and Regulation, Mettler Toledo Product Inspection F
or manufacturers with a keen eye on Overall Equipment Eff ectiveness (OEE) numbers, unscheduled production line downtime is to be avoided at all costs. In eff ect, downtime is the enemy of OEE. Whilst production equipment manufacturers are always keen to boast about running speeds, these numbers are irrelevant when compared to the cost of production lines standing idle for hours whilst problems are dealt with. But, there are two eff ective ways to deal with this: Firstly, by investing in modern technology that is designed to optimise uptime on the line, and, secondly, by investing in machine maintenance. Clearly, investing in new machinery involves capital expenditure, but the return can be very quick. It’s a known fact that the risk of machine failure accelerates over the life of a machine. In my opinion, once it has been working for more than 15 years, the decline in uptime from machinery becomes quite stark. Holding onto ageing equipment of ever-decreasing reliability will therefore start to hold you back, aff ecting the entire production line and, eventually, the performance of the business. More recently there have been great advances in product inspection technology, which can add to overall production effi ciency and improved food safety. There are several ways that modern
product inspection equipment can boost productivity. For example, initiating new job changeovers with the press of a button; job parameters can be pre-programmed and recalled instantly; machines can set themselves up automatically; and so on. Operators no longer need to carry out manual set-up tasks, freeing them to focus on other parts of the production line. Quicker and automated job changeover means the next production run can start sooner and there will be fewer human errors to delay production. Many metal detection systems today feature a product clustering capability that contributes to increased up-time by simplifying set up.
10 March 2024 | Automation [Image: Agto Nugroho for Unsplash]
Clean and easy Cleaning is another area where modern product inspection systems can help reduce downtime. The intelligent design of the system, which makes it easier to disassemble, clean and reassemble, often utilises the lean manufacturing concept of poke-yoke, which translates as “mistake- proofi ng”. Systems designed with poke- yoke in mind have parts that are not only quick and easy to take apart and put back together, but can only be reassembled in the correct way, avoiding errors. Hygienic design concepts also enable quicker cleaning times. An example of this in practice is the Mettler-Toledo CM Washdown Combination checkweigher and metal detection system, which has been specially designed for hygienic operation and fast cleaning, making it ideal for factories that handle frequent job changeovers with stringent washdown regimes. The design of the machine’s frame is based on sloped surfaces that minimises the risk of ingredients or contaminants gathering in corners, making cleaning easier and quicker. Protection against ingress of cleaning
agents and liquids that can damage internal components such as electrical circuits is also critical in harsh washdown environments. An ingress protection rating of IP69 – the highest possible – means that a system is protected against dust and close-range high-pressure, high- temperature liquid spraydowns.
Longer life Equally, a strong commitment to servicing and maintentaining machines will extend their working life and prevent line stoppages. Operating up-to-date machinery is certainly a fi rst step, but, going forward, manufacturers should also invest in preventive maintenance support and remote diagnostics. This will help identify and fi x problems before they become costly. Some machinery suppliers can deploy augmented reality as an advanced tool to help this process. That well-known villain that is downtime can just happen, but the smart approach is to minimise its likelihood, which in turn minimises the risk of disruption – even before a costly failure strikes.
automationmagazine.co.uk
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