How To Plan For High Demand on Your Packaging Machines
September 19, 2016
When you're in the business of manufacturing, time is money. Delays to packaging are incredibly damaging and can cost you thousands. Smooth and efficient production is paramount to your success. If you're packaging food, the cost is even steeper if packaging is delayed; Price sensitivity of food, not to mention food perishability, play a huge role in your profits.
Plan for high demand by ensuring efficient packaging machinery operations and making sure your lines are able to operate at top speed. Follow these steps.
1. Prevent the Preventable
Your first line of defense is your process for machine maintenance. Start by calibrating your packaging machinery regularly. Follow up with consistent preventative maintenance of your packaging machinery technology. By keeping every machine in excellent condition, you avoid a malfunction at the worst possible moment—when you are working on a high-demand production schedule.
2. Prepare for the Worst
Next up, go ahead and assume that your packaging machinery will break down, because most likely at some point it will. Stock spare parts, and keep updated contacts with your parts manufacturers. The last thing you want to happen when you are working around the clock is to hold production while you track down a new product supplier. In general, spare parts will not have an expiration date, just as long as you store these in a climate-controlled environment.
3. Inspect, Inspect, Inspect
Typically, a packaging company wants to avoid inspections if at all possible. However, inspections are actually a benefit to your business. Rather than waiting for government inspectors to arrive, give your business your own inspection. By evaluating your manufacturing systems according to inspector’s specifications, you tackle two tasks at once.
For starters, you can repair or replace anything that doesn’t meet inspection standards, which will keep your business running at full speed. Secondly, when a surprise inspection comes up your manufacturing firm will be able to pass without a single issue. You won’t be required to shut down your already busy production line due to a bad inspection. This is paramount if you are working with a high-demand customer.
This process will also help you to identify any machinery that needs replacing altogether. When your machine is no longer functioning properly, including meeting speed or sizing requirements, a new packaging machine may need to be researched, vetted, and installed. Give your business time to prepare for this investment through regular packaging machine inspections.
4. Work On Your Workers
In addition to the upkeep and maintenance of your production line, you must consider your employees. These are the individuals who are putting in the hours to make sure your business can handle the high demand of customers.
Start by upgrading your employee training. Typically businesses only train employees when they start their new jobs. However, as your technologies and mechanisms evolve and change, you need to train your employees for the latest upgrades. This training will pay back in dividends when operating at a high rate of production.
Another way your workers can make or break your business is through cleanliness and hygiene of your machinery. As workers become more lax and comfortable at their job it can be easy to things slide. Provide ongoing maintenance training as a reminder to your workers, which creating standard operating procedures that keep your machinery up and working well. Incorporate these valued contributors into the steps above. With the support of your employees, your manufacturing business will be set to handle the highest demand possible.
Keep on top of preventive maintenance tasks with our new VFFS Preventive Maintenance Planner. Download for free today!
