Operational efficiency is paramount for an industry that is under ever-increasing pressure to increase production output while reducing input costs. Fundamental to seamless and efficient operational processes is machine and equipment reliability. Regular machine maintenance, conducted by trained professionals, plays a critical role in this.
“There is no argument against the fact that well-maintained machines perform optimally and efficiently over longer periods, ensuring increased uptime and production, and reduced operating costs,” says Marcus Visser, strategy and operations lead at GreenTech Plastics Machinery. Established in 2016, GreenTech is a supplier of premium European plastic injection moulding machinery, systems and ancillary products to southern African industry.
Visser also notes that even the best-quality machines need regular maintenance to prevent unexpected breakdowns and ensure sustainable performance levels. “The exorbitant costs brought about by the critical failure of unmaintained machines, due to subsequent unplanned halts in production, is further compounded by repair costs. Moreover, machines that are not regularly and properly serviced can also put the safety of personnel at risk.
“We therefore strongly encourage our customers to have a solid maintenance programme in place. By allowing GreenTech’s team of qualified specialists to carry out professional machine inspection at least once a year, customers stand to benefit from numerous cost-saving advantages.” Some of GreenTech’s service offerings include machine audits, tie-bar stress measurements, thermographic imaging, machine levelling, oil check and lubrication of critical parts.
Regularly maintained equipment is more energy-efficient and delivers savings when it comes to spare parts, which can sometimes account for as much as half of the total maintenance costs. Visser explains that by switching from reactive to preventive maintenance and reducing the frequency of failures, the need for spare parts is reduced too. In addition to streamlining spare parts management, a maintenance programme helps to keep an up-to-date record of all system repairs, maintenance, spare parts and services. “As part of preventive maintenance, all work performed on our injection moulding machine is recorded in the logbooks,” he states.
GreenTech aims to ensure the optimum, efficient and reliable performance of well-maintained machines over longer periods. “The resultant increased production and decreased operational costs deliver lower total cost of ownership while helping to shrink customers’ carbon footprints. Taking into account all these advantages, the implementation of a maintenance programme makes sound business sense,” Visser sums up.
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