February 16,2024 CATCH-UP FRIDAY- Food Processing
CATCH-UP FRIDAY- Food Processing
The Impact of Machine Failure
The Impact of Machine Failure in Food & Beverage
in Food & Beverage
Feb. 21, 2022
Feb. 21, 2022 Labor challenges and unplanned
Labor challenges and unplanned downtime dog the industry; so why do
downtime dog the industry; so why do 77% of plants still use preventative
77% of plants still use preventative maintenance? Machinery breakdowns are
maintenance? Machinery breakdowns are always costly, and they are especially so
always costly, and they are especially so during planting and harvest when getting
during planting and harvest when getting seed in the ground and grain out of the
seed in the ground and grain out of the field in a timely fashion is critical to
field in a timely fashion is critical to maximizing yield.
maximizing yield. Supply chain disruptions, labor issues,
Supply chain disruptions, labor issues, and unplanned downtime currently are the
and unplanned downtime currently are the biggest challenges to operations in the food
biggest challenges to operations in the food & beverage industry. There are no surprises
& beverage industry. There are no surprises there, of course. Still, those facts were
there, of course. Still, those facts were confirmed by a survey of Food Processing
confirmed by a survey of Food Processing undertaken in December 2021 and January of
undertaken in December 2021 and January of this year with Augury, a provider of machine
this year with Augury, a provider of machine health solutions.
health solutions. Perhaps what was surprising were
Perhaps what was surprising were the deeper dives into labor and machine
the deeper dives into labor and machine and plant downtimes. Companies'
and plant downtimes. Companies' inability to attract and retain skilled labor
inability to attract and retain skilled labor strains current resources to maintain
strains current resources to maintain production and maintenance schedules –
production and maintenance schedules – cited by 42% of plant respondents. About
cited by 42% of plant respondents. About the same amount said inexperienced
the same amount said inexperienced employees take longer to troubleshoot,
employees take longer to troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair issues, thereby
diagnose, and repair issues, thereby extending downtime.
extending downtime. Both plant floor and corporate
Both plant floor and corporate respondents were asked a dozen or more
respondents were asked a dozen or more questions each. The resulting report
questions each. The resulting report details how often and how long typical
details how often and how long typical plants experience downtime, the causes
plants experience downtime, the causes of unplanned shutdowns, the surprisingly
of unplanned shutdowns, the surprisingly high amount of machine data being
high amount of machine data being collected and analyzed, and the
collected and analyzed, and the importance of standardized global
importance of standardized global maintenance and reliability programs.
maintenance and reliability programs.
https://www.foodprocessing.com/on-the-plant-floor/plant-
https://www.foodprocessing.com/on-the-plant-floor/plant- operations-and-engineering/article/11290411/augury-the-impact-of-
operations-and-engineering/article/11290411/augury-the-impact-of- machine-failure-in-food-beverage
machine-failure-in-food-beverage
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. What is the purpose of industries
1. What is the purpose of industries implementing preventive maintenance?
implementing preventive maintenance?
2. What are the major challenges faced
2. What are the major challenges faced by companies in the food processing
by companies in the food processing industry?
industry?
3. In 50 words, share your insights on the
3. In 50 words, share your insights on the impact of using the wrong machine in the
impact of using the wrong machine in the food processing industry.
food processing industry.
February 16,2024
