You see the almost everywhere these days – lists of the world’s most profitable companies. From industry wide lists to specific kinds of lists, like Forbes’ Most Profitable Small Businesses, they seem to surround business literature, and that can be really frustrating for companies working to do more. It’s even more true when equipment costs spiral out of control, and often that means new equipment, more investment, and fewer profits. One quick way to help lower those equipment costs and get back on your way to profitability? Good equipment maintenance. It’s critical to minimize your downtime and help keep your costs lower than you might imagine. In fact, with the right strategy in place, it might be possible to  lengthen the life of the machinery to truly maximize profits. What can you do? Take a look at these tips.

• A Pound of Prevention: Preventative maintenance strategies are often key to the equation, and it’s a piece of advice you hear often. There’s a reason for that – it works. Just like changing the oil in your car is a must to extend the life of your engine, creating a preset schedule of tasks like checking and replacing wear components, lubricating, and other typical tasks help to prevent issues before they actually become issues. It’s essential here, though, to remember that these tasks can’t always be performed by machine operators. Sometimes you’ll need the help of dedicated personnel to tackle the job for you.
• Add Autonomous Maintenance: While machine operators can’t always handle routine preventative maintenance, one thing they can do is focus on good cleaning and inspection before every single shift. Make certain all of your operators have a checklist of tasks they have to take care of as often as needed. Making your regular team knowledgeable about how things work is absolutely essential to success.
• Planned Replacement Plays a Role: Some wear and tear parts are a component of almost every machine. Plan to replace those, because it can cause pretty significant downtime if they fail. You should have some spare parts on hand just in case your parts manufacturer can’t help.
• Choose a Good Partner: In the event that you do have a breakdown, choose a good partner, like Komax, who can help you fix it almost immediately.