Timing is everything, and in manufacturing, this philosophical adage holds true. Where production schedules are directly affected by assembly stages, each piece of the production puzzle must work together. In a perfect world, the manufacturing process would be frictionless: machines would continuously operate at peak efficiency, and production deadlines would be met time and time again. In our imperfect reality, however, machine failure happens, and costly downtime derails manufacturing schedules.

Where an estimated 800 hours and $650 billion are wasted annually in production halts, manufacturing success is indicated by how close a plant is to near-zero downtime. Achieved by utilizing predictive maintenance solutions and expert repair technicians, it’s important to first understand how unplanned production halts impact the bottom lines in two major sectors.

Aerospace

Known for its excessive production backlogs, the aerospace industry, literally and figurately cannot afford delays. For example, Boeing has a backlog of over 5,800 planes and commercial models making approximately 24,000 scheduled passenger flights per day (2014). Any shutdown delays production schedules with the cost of one commercial breakdown estimated at $51,300 a day. It’s no stretch of the imagination to grasp the financial impact downtime has in this industry.

Automotive

In the automotive space, revolutionary technology like IoT and AI have yielded high demand for electric and autonomous vehicles. Electric cars are projected to encompass 25% of the global market as adoption rates soar and self-driving technology will become a mainstay feature over the next decade. Given projected growth and rising demand of futuristic vehicles, automotive manufacturers must avoid downtime, valued at $22,000 per minute in 2006, to remain competitive and accommodate changing consumer tastes.

Predictive Maintenance:

While all manufacturers hope to achieve near-zero downtime, they vary in how they approach machine maintenance. Some manufacturers are traditionally reactive, exposing themselves to what can almost be described as routine-unplanned-downtime. Others schedule costly routine maintenance despite machines showing no cause for action. The most effective manufacturers, however, employ predictive maintenance solutions, partnering with expert technicians to minimize downtime, make necessary repairs, and maximize efficiency.

Contact the professionals at GTI Spindle Technology to learn how you can avoid downtime and produce at peak performance.

About GTI Spindle Technology

At GTI Spindle Technology, we specialize in high quality spindle diagnosis and repair. Getting your business back into full operation and minimizing downtime is our mission. We offer in-house, on-site, and emergency assistance for machine tool spindle failure analysis, spindle repair, and complete spindle testing. With an extensive range and expertise in a diverse group of industries, our customers know that they are getting the highest quality of spindle repair and customer service. Click here to find out more.

In manufacturing, there are two ways to approach downtime. The first is to determine what can be done to avoid production halts altogether. The second is to assess how you can manage downtime so that it has the smallest possible impact on operations. Where traditional maintenance strategies were reactive and machine diagnosis was subjective, technological advancements in areas like the Internet of Things (IoT) have greatly reduced the frequency and duration of downtimes, enabling quick repairs and introducing long-term solutions.

Reactive Solutions: Downtime Every Time

It’s no industry secret that downtime, whether planned or not, is expensive. Between idle employees and production delays, the costs often accrue far faster than solutions are realized. Research has shown that manufacturing facilities experience an average of 800 hours of downtime annually, or more than 15 hours a week. Where every second counts, it’s easy to imagine how quickly the commas and zeroes begin to multiply.

Traditionally, a reactive approach has been taken when managing machine maintenance and downtime. Often subjective, technicians rely on a combination of senses (visual and audible) to attempt to diagnose machine failure. While years of experience may assist repair specialists in recognizing spindle faults, the short-term solutions tend to result in long-term problems down the line. Thankfully, technological advances have enabled a more targeted and analytical approach to mitigate downtime and introduce long-term remedies.

The Power of IoT Analytics

Technological advancements in IoT have revolutionized the way manufacturers approach machine maintenance. Now proactive, predictive maintenance programs utilize wireless sensors and remote monitoring to measure machine conditioning. Through powerful data analytics applications, technicians can identify at-risk machines and more accurately diagnose their health. Not only does this reduce the frequency of downtimes, but also allows spindle technicians to more quickly pin-point machine faults and solution paths, reducing the duration of halts as well.

When harnessing the power of IoT-driven analytics and predictive technologies, subjective guesswork is eliminated, and downtime frequency and duration is reduced. That’s why GTI Spindle Technology technicians apply advanced analytics to our spindle repair services to get your machines not only back up-and-running, but operating at maximum efficiency. Contact us to learn how we can apply our technology-fueled approach to maintenance to your processes.

About GTI Spindle Technology

At GTI Spindle Technology, we specialize in high quality spindle diagnosis and repair. Getting your business back into full operation and minimizing downtime is our mission. We offer in-house, on-site, and emergency assistance for machine tool spindle failure analysis, spindle repair, and complete spindle testing. With an extensive range and expertise in a diverse group of industries, our customers know that they are getting the highest quality of spindle repair and customer service. Click here to find out more.