March 2021

Focus on: Asset Management Maintenance Matters hours, and that’s if the repair supplier has the components in stock needed to complete it. For items such as HMIs, where very specific overlays are required to complete the repair, lead times can push timescales into weeks rather than days, so repair for every item is not always an option. Planning in advance for repairs with a trusted repairs and spare supplier is therefore a much better option than aiming to make repairs as a kneejerk to breakdowns. Upgrade Upgrading in the middle of unplanned downtime is never recommended so it is worth considering if the equipment can be upgraded in advance. What equipment can be upgraded? What equipment should be upgraded? When should it be upgraded? Simply having a plan answering these questions will help keep you ahead of the curve. Due to their rarity, the cost of some obsolete parts can actually be more than double the cost of a modern equivalent. New equipment though comes with warranty and is more readily available so you can be confident that you will receive ongoing support for a number of years. Aside from these benefits, you can also get other benefits such as increased machine productivity, throughput and reliability. Upgrading can help reduce energy costs and therefore save more money. You should always consider these benefits as they can make the payback period on improvements seem really quick. AC drives are often a prime candidate for upgrading as the majority of applications are relatively straightforward and require only minor wiring modifications. For more complex applications there can be a reluctance to upgrade in a breakdown situation. It is often easier to go like for like but this isn’t always the best option. A good supplier should have the necessary skills to assist or even set up the replacement before shipping. Planning the upgrade in advance is always the best solution. Spare parts What spare parts will be needed? Do we have them in stock? Keeping a good stock of the right spare parts can help mitigate the risk of breakdown disasters and expensive downtime. For items where you have ascertained that repair or upgrade is not an option, but the part is critical to your production, a spare should be kept in your stock, or held offsite with a trusted supplier on a subscription contract, so that in the event of a breakdown you can switch out the faulty unit in a matter of minutes. This mitigates downtime and gives you the option to repair the faulty unit and put it back into your stores, reducing future costs on spares management. Buying spares at the right time can save you a lot of money compared to purchasing when you are already on breakdown and are factoring in express shipments from wherever the part is in the world, as well as the unit itself possibly being a lot more expensive due to its rarity now that it is obsolete. In summary, a step-by-step obsolescence plan is essential to avoiding the terminal risks of downtime with legacy equipment, and is something you can integrate into your digitised systems as you upgrade over time. *David Lenehan is managing director of Northern Industrial