Misalignment in equipment and machinery, such as conveyor belts, shafts and rails, can lead to unscheduled maintenance, resulting in downtime. Minor misalignments may take a few hours to fix, but more complex issues can take several days. Stopping production to address alignment problems can significantly affect manufacturing revenue.
Across all industries, factories can lose at least 5% of production capacity from downtime, with some losing as much as 20%. According to a study by Aberdeen Research, unplanned downtime in manufacturing can cost up to a staggering $260,000 per hour.
Routine alignment checks using a precision laser alignment system can avoid costly downtime as well as potential equipment breakdowns, poor quality output and production inefficiencies.
What is the cost of downtime?
The cost of production downtime involves various factors, including lost revenue, reduced productivity, labor expenses, and repairs. While there are different formulas for calculating downtime costs, a basic cost formula includes:
Downtime Duration x Hourly Production Costs
For example, if production halts for 4 hours and the cost of producing goods (including labor, material and overhead costs) is $4,000 per hour, the cost of that downtime incident would be:
4 hours x $4,000 per hour = $16,000
Downtime costs can accumulate quickly and negatively affect profitability. In addition to lost revenue, downtime can result in missed business opportunities, shipment delays, decreased customer responsiveness, damage to reputation, and supply chain disruptions. Some of these impacts are harder to quantify but still affect the bottom line.
Laser Alignment Tools
Conducting routine alignment checks using precision laser alignment systems as part of a preventative maintenance program can help avoid costly downtime and potential equipment breakdowns, as well as improve quality and efficiency in production.
A laser alignment system ensures proper alignment of machines across different axes (X and Y) by identifying issues that maintenance personnel can proactively address. These highly precise and accurate systems use laser beams to measure the linear and angular alignment of machine components such as shafts, bores, and spindles. They assess parameters like shaft alignment, flatness, straightness, squareness, and level to extremely tight tolerance, enabling operators to make quick adjustments, in real time, and avoid downtime.
The system provides fast results, reducing the time needed for calibration and maintenance downtime. Additionally, real-time data can be downloaded for trend analysis, helping determine the root cause of alignment-related downtime and predicting future alignment needs for production scheduling.
In-house equipment alignment
Modern laser alignment systems are user-friendly and reduce the learning curve, allowing in-house maintenance teams to utilize these tools to detect and resolve alignment issues promptly. By handling machine alignment in-house, staff can perform checks more consistently and gain a better understanding of machine performance.
Machine operators and maintenance personnel also can schedule maintenance on their own timetables, eliminating the need to hire outside contractors and wait for their arrival and setup. When alignment issue arises, it can be quickly addressed.
Downtime associated with machinery misalignment can significantly impact a company’s bottom line. Implementing effective alignment practices using laser alignment systems can maintain smooth operations, reduce unnecessary downtime, and create a more efficient and cost-effective production environment.
