Outdated parts cleaning practices can lead to extended downtime, damaged equipment, inconsistent product quality, and even health and safety risks. Here, we’ll explore five signs that your cleaning process may need updating, along with actionable steps that cut costs.
1. Rising Operational Costs
Sign: You’ve noticed that your parts cleaning process is getting more expensive over time. This could be due to rising energy use, frequent equipment breakdowns, or increased labour to achieve the same level of cleanliness. You may also have an increased use of consumables such as wipes, liquids, sprays and aerosols.
The Solution: Assess where costs are rising, this will help you determine the right solution for your needs. For example, rising labour costs could be addressed through automation, or high energy costs through more efficient, modern machines.
Insight: Many businesses don’t realise how much money they’re losing by sticking with outdated cleaning methods. Whether from wasted chemicals, downtime, or excessive utility use, these costs grow instead of the gains that could be achieved through innovation.
2. Increased Downtime
Sign: Excessive downtime is a telltale sign that you need to update your parts cleaning processes. You could require more frequent cleaning, or more effective removal of key contaminants.
Solution: Develop cleaning standard operating procedures (SOPs) and implement cleaning schedules as part of a preventive maintenance framework. These cleaning cycles could be based on set time periods, usage patterns or advanced scheduling systems that notifies you when cleaning is needed.
Insight: A predictive maintenance programme, using advanced sensors and data analytics, can reduce machine downtime by 30-50% in highly automated environments, according to a study by Deloitte1. Yet, you don’t need highly advanced systems to see benefits; a simple switch from reactive to proactive maintenance can deliver huge results. Tracking with simple metrics like Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE, See the FAQ below) can help you spot manufacturing inefficiencies and adjust scheduled maintenance accordingly.
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3. Damage to Parts
Sign: If your production equipment breaks down frequently, it could be a sign of damage to your machine parts. This damage can be caused by cleaning that is too frequent, too infrequent, or too abrasive.
Too abrasive: High temperatures, heavy scrubbing and strong chemicals can erode parts and create damage over time.
Too frequent: Cleaning too often can create unnecessary downtime and expose parts to abrasive cleaning methods.
Too infrequent: Inadequate or inconsistent removal of contaminants causes a buildup that stresses components, leading to faster degradation and increased repair costs.
Solution: Regularly assess your parts cleaning processes, ideally by a third party who understands the latest advances in cleaning solutions and can advise you on the best cleaning schedule and processes for your business.
4. Inconsistent Cleaning
Sign: If your facility struggles to maintain consistent cleanliness it could be because you are relying on manual cleaning, outdated parts washers or poor cleaning processes, such as the wrong chemistry.
Solution: Assess your parts cleaning process for inefficiencies and consider upgrading to automated parts washers. Modern systems allow for specific cycle adjustments based on part requirements, such as controlling water temperature, timing, and solvent levels. These result in more reliable cleaning outcomes.
Insight: Poor machine cleaning can lead to product defects and downtime, two of the major causes of waste in manufacturing, according to Deloitte2.
5. Excessive Use of Cleaning Chemicals
Sign: Using large amounts of parts cleaning solutions may signal that the method or equipment is inefficient. Overusing chemicals raises costs, poses safety risks, and can lead to regulatory issues, especially regarding their environmental impact.
Solution: Reduce chemical dependency with newer aqueous-based or solvent-free cleaning systems. Many of these systems remove residues effectively and without the need for harsh chemicals. Switching supports global environmental standards and creates safer working conditions by reducing exposure to hazardous substances.
Environmental Benefit: McKinsey reports that facilities using sustainable, water-based or solvent-free cleaning systems can see a 20-30% reduction in chemical expenses and significantly reduce their environmental footprint3.
FAQs
What is Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)?
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is an industry-standard metric that helps plant managers identify areas of loss and optimise production processes. This key performance indicator (KPI) measures how well manufacturing machinery is operating by assessing three crucial factors: availability, performance, and quality.
What is Preventive Maintenance?
Preventive Maintenance (PM) is also known as Scheduled Maintenance or Planned Maintenance. It is a proactive approach to maintaining equipment by performing regular, scheduled tasks to prevent breakdowns and extend lifespan.
What is Predictive Maintenance?
Predictive Maintenance (PdM) is a maintenance strategy that uses real-time data and analytics to predict when equipment will fail so that you can fix it before. It differs from Preventive Maintenance, which is scheduled according to time or use, rather than data.
SOURCES
- Asset Optimization: Predictive Maintenance (Deloitte)
- Digital Lean Manufacturing (Deloitte)
- Building Sustainability Into Your Operations (McKinsey)
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