The Importance of Preventative Maintenance

Packaging plays a vital role in today’s fast-paced business landscape, ensuring product protection, preservation, and presentation. As the packaging industry continues to grow and adapt to changing market demands, it’s crucial for companies to stay ahead and offer exceptional packaging solutions. To provide insights into this dynamic landscape, we have developed Packaging Talks – a series of conversational panels with Crawford’s packaging experts. Whether you’re a business owner, a packaging professional, or simply curious, our panels aim to offer valuable information and inspiration. 

In this installment, we chat with Cam Small, Crawford’s General Sales Manager – Equipment, about stretch film and the importance of preventative maintenance on packaging equipment.

Why is preventative maintenance (PM) important for businesses?

Well, there are several reasons. First of all, it is important because it ensures that equipment operates at its peak efficiency and has a longer lifespan. It minimizes unexpected breakdowns, prevents costly repairs, and ensures consistent throughput. Without regular checks and upkeep, even the most robust machines can experience wear and tear, leading to unscheduled downtimes that can affect overall production. In other words, preventative maintenance is a proactive approach that ensures machinery operates efficiently and ultimately saves money in the long run.

I’ve noticed many businesses often overlook the need for preventative maintenance, thinking their equipment will just keep running smoothly. What are the potential consequences of this oversight?

Yes, unfortunately, this is an accurate observation. Many businesses tend to overlook it, and this oversight can have far-reaching consequences. Firstly, as already mentioned, there’s the immediate risk of equipment failure, which can halt production and lead to significant financial losses. Secondly, prolonged neglect can also result in irreversible damage, requiring expensive replacements. Moreover, if you really think about it, inconsistent machine performance might compromise the quality of your packaging, putting a company’s reputation and customer trust at risk.

So, what is a preventative maintenance program? What does it encompass?

In our case, preventative maintenance programs are service agreements with customers that offer various scheduling options, including monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and yearly choices. Through these programs, our customers receive regular equipment check-ups, timely replacements, and expert insights into the equipment’s condition. Some of our clients lack in-house maintenance resources. In these cases, our factory-trained technicians effectively become an extension of their team. These customers fully rely on us to perform regular PM services. In other cases, where customers have their own maintenance departments, we work alongside their internal teams to help them enhance their self-sufficiency through PM training and by providing support with on-hand spare parts. Our approach is highly flexible, ensuring each business receives the services it specifically needs.

And how does having factory-trained technicians contribute to the effectiveness of a preventative maintenance program?

Our factory-trained technicians are intimately familiar with the packaging machinery we sell. This expertise enables them to concentrate on the critical areas of the equipment that endure the most wear and tear. Regular maintenance of high-use parts extends the equipment’s lifespan and reduces the frequency of expensive repairs, making the preventative maintenance program even more effective.

To learn more about the preventative maintenance programs offered by Crawford Packaging, visit: https://crawfordpackaging.com/parts-and-services/maintenance-and-repairs/