The Best Ways to Utilize Preventive Conveyor Maintenance

Select and empower an employee, or team, that will take ownership of ensuring your conveyor runs smoothly. They will take the lead in maintaining service records and spare parts inventory.

These individuals will know how the conveyor runs and serve as maintenance technicians who can be a resource for answers and skills to keep the conveyor running and reduce any downtime. They will also take great pride in knowing they are a lynchpin for your organization’s success.

Your conveyor leader(s) will maintain a list of parts you will eventually need. All machines break or become damaged, regardless of age. A complete and well-stocked spare parts inventory will be a major time saver and protect against lost revenue.

Be sure to include where these parts are purchased and the lead times to receive them. When a part is used, be sure to reorder the spare part. As sure as the world is round, if it’s not reordered, that may be the one part that brings you more heartburn and regret than anything else.

This practice cannot be stressed enough. Scheduled maintenance keeps your conveyor running in tip-top shape and saves you money and time in the long run, not to mention the awful stares and disapproval from a supervisor or company executive.

Your conveyor leader(s) should conduct maintenance checks that include but are not limited to inspecting the conveyor frame, checking for belt repair and inspecting parts for noticeable damage or corrosion, checking oil levels, inspecting bolts, and monitoring the conveyor belt during operating conditions.

These checks should also be conducted regularly daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and semiannually.

The conveyor leader or team should be empowered to create a list of maintenance checks for the conveyor. You may want to use a checklist online that meets your needs or create a new list. Just make sure there is a system in place to check the wear of the conveyor.

When you follow these basic tips, your conveyors are sure to be running at peak performance and possibly keeping you and your team on everyone’s Christmas list for thanks and gifts.