Keeping Your Machines Running

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit some of our customers’ plants. It was a great experience. I always enjoy seeing the machinery running and producing products that I previously took for granted as I picked them off the store shelf. What was also interesting was the difference in the plants we visited. Some of them were exceptionally clean and well-maintained, others were maintained fairly well, and then there were the few that were poorly maintained. I was pleased to see that NEM’s equipment was still running well even in the poorly maintained plants.


Customer Service is always trying to convince these companies to allow us to service the machines on a regular basis. The companies believe that they can save the money they would spend on the service as it is not necessary when the machines continue to run. They don’t have the in-house capability of performing preventive maintenance and they won’t spend the money to allow the manufacturer’s to do it for them. In the long run they are actually costing themselves additional dollars. Poorly maintained machinery often does not reach its’ peak output performance, it costs more money to fix if it breaks down, and the time to repair broken machinery is lost production time, affecting the bottom line.

Our Customer Service Department put together preventive maintenance plans that are custom made to fit each customer’s needs and budgets. The service visits include a complete inspection and audit of the machinery, general maintenance, personnel training, and a written report. Depending on the level of service agreement, there will be discounts offered on wear parts, spare parts, or additional service. NEM’s PMMI Certified Trainers will familiarize the customer’s personnel in the proper operation, safety and care of the equipment, thus increasing productivity. The visit will conclude with recommendations on available upgrades and new products and the suggested on-hand spare parts to avoid unnecessary downtime.

I’m pleased that I work for a company that builds ‘work horses’ that seem to take neglect and some abuse in stride and keep on putting out the product. But I know these customers would be even happier with the machinery’s productivity if it were properly maintained. Don’t let your company be ‘penny-wise and pound foolish’. Make sure all your machinery is properly maintained on a regular basis.

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 http://www.neminc.com/.