What To Do When Business Machinery Breaks

When important business machinery breaks, it can affect your whole business. Here are some of the steps to take when machinery breaks.

Assess why your machinery broke

Some businesses immediately replace broken machinery without much of a concern as to why it broke. However, it’s important to understand why machinery breaks – both to check if the machinery is easily repairable and to prevent future damage of the same kind.

Certain machinery may break if it hasn’t been properly maintained or if it hasn’t been kept in a suitable environment. Only if the machinery is particularly old should you pass it off as wear and tear. In all cases, it’s worth hiring a maintenance man to have a look.

Weigh up the costs of repairing and replacing

Repairing machinery can often be cheaper than replacing it (it’s worth always checking quotes). However, a brand new replacement could be more cost-efficient in the long run due to a lower chance of repairs. You should consider the extent of the damage and the cost of repairs.

Generally, it’s wise to use the 50% rule. If you have to spend more than half the value of the machine getting it repaired, you’re likely better off buying a new machine.

If you choose to repair the machine and need to replace parts, consider whether updating to newer parts is worthwhile. You can click here to find out more about how parts such as rotary shaft seals can have a big positive impact compared to using traditional seals. Most old machinery should be able to be retrofitted to a degree.

Check if you’re covered by insurance or a warranty

Sometimes, damage can be covered by insurance or a warranty. For instance, criminal damage, fire damage or damage caused by natural disaster may be covered by your business insurance. Meanwhile, other machinery faults may be covered by a warranty – such warranties could allow you to get a free repair or free replacement providing the machine is still relatively new. Many business owners forget that machinery is covered. Make sure to look into it as it could potentially save you money.

Put in measures to reduce future faults and reduce downtime

Once you’ve fixed or replaced your machinery, you should start introducing measures to avoid repeat problems. If the machine failed due to poor maintenance, it could be worth stepping up your maintenance schedule, such as ensuring that a manufacturing machine is well lubricated. If the harddrive of a computer overheated because of too much dust, consider whether you need to clean premises more thoroughly or start using air purifiers to reduce dust levels.

As for reducing downtime, consider ways of detecting faults early so that you can schedule repairs before machinery fully shuts down. In some cases, you may be able to set up spare machines to continue work while the other machine is being fixed. This could include having a spare computer in the office or having two POS displays in a shop so that if one shuts down you can still continue serving customers.