What is downtime in manufacturing? Manufacturing downtime is any period in which a manufacturer Is no longer producing goods ~ commonly due to equipment fallure, scheduled ‘asset maintenance, and other causes ke problems with labour or supply. Recent research indicates that businesses experience downtime frequently: in the three years leacing up to ServiceMax’s 2023 paper on downtime, 82% of companies they surveyed experienced downtime. Planned vs unplanned downtime First, a basic distinction: downtime can either be planned oF unplanned. Unplanned downtime occurs when there is an unexpected event like equipment failure, or an interruption in the supply chain. Alternatively, ‘downtime can be planned ~ for Instance, manufacturing equipment can be halted for preventive maintenance Either way, when not managed property, downtime can lead to major problems for businesses. + Read more: The Technologies That Improve Manufacturing Productivity, 11. Asset failure ‘The most common cause of unplanned downtime is a breakdown, malfunction or total failure of an asset - either equipment or sofware. ServiceMax’s 2021 research paper on downtime found that this occurs In almost half ofall outages. Possible causes of asset failure include: + Machine Jams and parts failures. These can ceuse equipment malfunctions and downtime, + Mechanical overload. Even with all the care in the world, parts can break due to mechanical overload, leading to unplanned downtime. [After hardware and software fallures, ServiceMax’s 2021 research showed this Is the second most common cause of unplanned downtime, + User error. Skilled operators and/or technicians are required to use and maintain the wide range of machinery manufacturers use. This leaves scope for human error, and it takes Just one mistake to cause a problem with a place of equipment. + Cyber attacks, Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly common and can shut down a manufacturing business. Ransomware attacks can lock a business out of its own IT systems so they only regain access if they pay the hackers. And even when a ransom is paid, some ‘companies do not get thelr data back. Manufacturers and distributors are at risk of attacks lke this: half of these businesses were hit by ‘2 cyber breach in the 12 months prior to Sikich’s 2019 survey,‘+ Expiry of inventory Read more: Supply chain management explained: methods in modern business 3. Unforeseeable events ‘Spontaneous events Ike Floods, fires, earthquakes and power outages can all lead to downtime - but that doesn't mean manufacturers can’t protect thelr business from these problems 2t all. Well take a look at how businesses can plan for ~ and prevent ~ unplanned dovintime in the last part of this article, What effect does unplanned downtime have on a manufacturing business? Unplanned downtime can have a significant effect on a manufacturing business, including: + Upset customers and partners since these do not receive what they paid for on time, if at all ‘+ Lost business dus to an increase in upset customers and partners + Significant losses from lost business - plus equipment and staf being ‘cle, and raw materials spoling before they can be used + Compromised staff safety as many safety Issues occurring during start-up and shutdown operations. Staff dealing with unexpected ‘downtime also have less time to consider safety hazards + Lost data due to damaged or breached IT systems What is the total cost of unplanned manufacturing downtime?‘Supply chain issues can mean you run out of raw materials and experience unplanned downtime ~ s0 tracking your inventory is key