Why You Should Consider a Preventive Maintenance Program

The old adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t wash when you operate complex and expensive CNC machinery in your shop. Running these machines until they break leaves you vulnerable to added costs, downtime, and lost productivity. A preventive maintenance program with a reliable provider like Accurate Machine Tool Services can easily pay for itself and more over time. Here’s why you should consider a preventive maintenance program for your machine shop.

Lengthen the Lifespan of Your Machines

Preventive maintenance to keep your equipment in good condition means it will run longer, and last longer, before requiring replacement. With the incredible cost of new, modern CNC machines, every dollar spent to extend your current machines’ lifespan likely saves many more dollars over time. Get the most out of your machines with routine professional preventive maintenance.

Lower the Risk of Breakdowns

Experts estimate that almost 90% of mechanical failures are due to preventable problems and not from machines simply wearing out. Routine scheduled maintenance allows a professional technician to catch budding issues before they morph into complex problems or breakdowns that cost much more time and money to repair. Preventive maintenance is proactive, preventing serious problems before they happen.

Increase Machine Efficiency

Complex CNC machines that receive routine maintenance run more efficiently. Preventive maintenance keeps up with core factors that help your machines run better, smoother, cooler, and with better accuracy in operation.

Fluid levels and changes
Filter changes
Routine cleaning
Proactive replacement of worn parts and tools
Comprehensive diagnostics and assessments for accuracy

This, in turn, improves their availability, performance, and the quality of work they produce.

Reduce Downtime

Unplanned downtime from breakdowns throws everything off schedule. Other work gets delayed, other workers are forced to wait and customer timeframes are jeopardized. Conversely, planned downtime for preventive maintenance can be planned and structured for the least possible impact on your productivity, even after hours or before your shop opens for business. Plus, consider that downtime for reactive repairs after a breakdown is often considerably longer than downtime for scheduled maintenance.

Increase Worker Safety

Keeping your complex and inherently dangerous CNC machinery in top working order means fewer accidents and better worker safety. Routine preventive maintenance can spot potential risks like frayed wires or cables, cracked safety shields, fire hazards, and other accidents waiting to happen and take action to replace these items before someone sustains a serious injury.

Enhance Customer Service

When your CNC equipment receives routine preventive maintenance and is maintained at a high level of efficiency, work gets completed faster, cheaper, and at a high quality. This pleases your customers and keeps them returning to you for more great work done in reliable timeframes. Your reputation can be made or ruined due to effective preventive maintenance.

Save Money

Unplanned emergency repairs typically cost 3-9 times more than planned maintenance. Consider reactive maintenance costs:

Rushed shipping on parts
Overtime pay for emergency repair technicians
Replacement cost when a ruined machine cannot be repaired
Lost productivity from your machines and workers
Lost sales or production revenue
Lost face with customers who are forced to wait longer for their products

A preventive maintenance plan can save your company money because efforts will be focused on preventing equipment failure instead of responding to emergencies.

Customized Preventive Maintenance with Accurate MTS

Contracting with the professionals at Accurate MTS for routine preventive maintenance prolongs the life of your machinery, reduces downtime, decreases reactive maintenance requests, and prevents costly emergency repairs. Plus, Accurate MTS tailors our schedule and maintenance actions to fit your shop’s equipment, schedule, and needs.