Unlocking Peak Manufacturing Maintenance Performance: The Critical Link Between Maintenance and OEE

One of the vital signs of a healthy manufacturing operation is its Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). This critical measure tells you how well your equipment performs by combining three essential metrics: availability, performance, and quality.

When maintenance falters, OEE plunges—leading to a ripple effect of efficiency losses and cost implications. Let’s dive into how maintenance shortcomings can erode your OEE and, by extension, your bottom line.

Availability The Cornerstone of OEE

Availability measures the actual operating time versus planned production time. The industry benchmark for availability is typically around 90%. Unplanned downtime, which can account for a loss of 5-10% in availability, is a direct consequence of poor maintenance. Every minute of unexpected stoppage is a direct hit to your OEE.

Performance Operating at Full Potential

Performance looks at the speed at which products are manufactured against the maximum possible speed. Here, maintenance issues can bring performance down by as much as 20% from the ideal 100% performance rate. Suboptimal speeds due to neglected equipment health translate into a loss of valuable production time.

Quality The Endgame of Manufacturing

A typical quality rate should hover around 99%. However, inadequate maintenance can compromise equipment precision, causing this rate to drop by 5-15%. This metric reflects the portion of perfect products without defects, and when machines malfunction, the scrap and rework rate soar, diminishing OEE.

Impacting OEE: The Top 10 Maintenance Mishaps

1 Increased Equipment Failure Rates:

Poor maintenance can spike equipment failure rates by up to 10 times, diminishing the availability metric and escalating downtime by hundreds of hours annually.

2 Decline in Cycle Times:

Machines running below capacity can extend cycle times by 5-15%, significantly detracting from the performance aspect of OEE.

3 Amplified Defect Rates:

The frequency of defects can double from the industry standard of 2% to 4% or more due to maintenance neglect, adversely affecting the quality metric.

4 Shortened Machinery Life:

Premature equipment degradation can result in a 30-50% reduction in expected machinery lifespan, compelling earlier than planned reinvestments.

5 Surging Maintenance Expenditures:

Reactive maintenance costs can be up to 3-5 times higher than planned maintenance, thus increasing operational expenses and lowering the margin for profit.

6 Elevated Safety Incidents:

Poor maintenance can lead to a 10-20% increase in workplace accidents, inducing downtime and potential legal liabilities.

7 Increased Energy Consumption:

A lack of maintenance can lead to a 10-30% rise in energy usage, as equipment strains to perform basic functions.

8 Variability in Production:

Inconsistent machine performance can lead to variability in output by as much as 25%, disrupting the entire production schedule.

9 Gap in Maintenance Skills:

Insufficient training can result in a 20-40% gap in maintenance capabilities, directly decreasing equipment reliability and effectiveness.

10 Maintenance Process Inefficiencies:

Inefficient maintenance can extend repair times by up to 50%, reducing the time equipment is available for production.

The POWERS Difference

Recognizing these metrics and the profound effects they have on OEE, the Manufacturing Productivity Experts at POWERS have engineered the AMP (Advanced Maintenance Performance) program. This comprehensive solution not only assesses the current state of your maintenance but also provides a strategic blueprint for improvement, ensuring that each component of OEE is optimized for peak performance.

Embark on a transformative journey toward maintenance excellence. Explore the POWERS difference with a thorough OEE analysis, skill and training enhancements, and a robust, actionable plan for implementation. Elevate your maintenance team and overall performance to new heights.

To gain a deeper understanding and take the first step towards optimized maintenance, download our FREE Maintenance Assessment Guide. Begin your optimization journey by contacting the POWERS team at +1 678-971-4711 or via email at info@thepowerscompany.com.