How can you balance plant maintenance and production schedules?

Both can be managed if it is given equal importance since avoiding maintenance will cost you more production hours than the preventive maintenance hours hence while preparing production schedule consideration shall be given to preventive maintenance.

One thing I found helpful is to invest in useful maintenance and production Technologies if your company has not done so. Utilise maintenance management software, production scheduling tools, and predictive maintenance technologies to streamline workflows, automate routine tasks, and optimize resource allocation. These tools can provide real-time insights into equipment performance, maintenance needs, and production schedules, enabling proactive decision-making.

You should also set out priorities on Maintenance Tasks if you have large manufacturing plant with multiple operations. Prioritise maintenance tasks based on criticality and potential impact on production. Identify high-risk equipment or processes that require more frequent inspections and allocate resources accordingly. Use predictive maintenance techniques as mentioned above such as condition monitoring and predictive analytics to identify potential issues before they escalate.

Efficient maintenance planning & scheduling cannot be achieved without good planning and cooperation between production and maintenance departments. Both departments' success is dependent on performance of each other like reliable availability of assets and uninterrupted production operations. So, the success of both production and maintenance are interlinked with supporting each other other's initiatives and implementing their respective plans in true spirit.

First step in optimizing maintenance is to measure and record every maintenance activity including reasons of maintenance, consumption of spares, consumables, and of course manhours for at least one full year. Then keeping in view the reasons of maintenance, cost of spares, resources, and of course maintenance time, you can trim the maintenance frequencies and even though some activities may be eliminated in the light of maintenance history.

You cannot optimise maintenance execution if you not have proper Inventory Management. Maintain adequate inventory of spare parts and supplies to minimize downtime in case of equipment failure. Implement a system for tracking spare parts usage, reordering replenishments, and managing inventory levels to ensure timely availability when needed.

There are few basic steps should be taken . 01- Executable pre maintenance plan and resource arrangement. 02- Plan maintenance during when product has low demands to reduced production and profit loss 03- Trained / specialized craft right man for right job to reduce downtime. 04- Make sure that all the long leads are carefully managed by supply chain to ensure availability during required window. 05-Reliability of equipment and tool used during maintenance. 06-Use of soft tools as per your maintenance need and better planning.

I found that Cross-training of maintenance and production staff on regular basis is very effective in balancing plant maintenance and production schedules in our food manufacturing business. Cross training is organised to perform basic maintenance tasks and troubleshoot common issues. This ensures that maintenance tasks can be carried out efficiently without relying solely on specialized maintenance technicians, reducing downtime and delays. Foster open communication and collaboration between maintenance and production teams to coordinate activities effectively. Hold regular meetings or huddles to discuss upcoming maintenance schedules, production priorities, and any issues or concerns that may arise.