What Do You Do When You Can’t Afford New?

What does a company do when their existing machinery struggles to keep up, yet they don’t have the funds to purchase new machinery? Many companies are currently facing this issue. Their capital expenditures budget is ‘frozen’, or the company has a moratorium on purchasing new equipment until the economy improves. The machinery they have is dated and requires increasing maintenance to keep it working. Well, for many of them, there just might be an alternative. These companies should check with the original machinery manufacturer to see if the machine can be re-furbished, upgraded, or simply serviced by a professional from the OEM that built the machine.

In many cases a few changes to the original machine might make a big difference in its performance. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of re-fitting the machine with original OEM parts instead of the less expensive substitute parts. Remember, no one knows how the machine works better than the company that built it. A very subtle difference in the way a part is made can make a huge difference in its performance on the machine and the performance of the machine itself.

Also, while capital budgets may not be available, maintenance budgets may have the funding to allow for refurbishment or re-building of an existing machine. If there is not quite enough money for a refurbishment, look into having the OEM send a service technician to review the machine, make necessary adjustments or setting changes, or possibly change a few parts and train personnel on proper operation and maintenance to maximize the machine’s efficiency.

A well maintained machine with proper settings and original OEM parts will create maximum efficiency. Some machines can also benefit from being upgraded with newer technology. You can’t beat a twenty-year old machine that runs like a champ. But providing new features may allow that older machine to run even better. So, if you can’t afford the new machinery you want to improve your production, look to making improvements on the existing machinery you now have. You might be surprised to discover what the OEM can do to give your older machine added value.

New England Machinery offers PMMI Certified Service Technicians who can help their customers increase the efficiency of older machines. They can evaluate the current performance, make recommendations for upgrades or part changes, demonstrate and train for proper operation and maintenance and assist in getting the most ‘mileage’ out of an older model NEM bottle unscrambler, bottle capper, or other NEM packaging machinery.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at www.neminc.com.