A leading food manufacturing company sought to increase productivity and reduce downtime through improved asset management and streamlined changeovers. The strategic aim was to enhance maintenance practices, reduce idle time by 15%, and increase throughput, ensuring efficient use of all production lines and facilities.
Approach
- Conducted a thorough review of the systems and corporate records to baseline asset status.
- Updated and defined PMs for each piece of equipment in filling and labeling areas, aligning maintenance schedules with equipment history and manufacturer recommendations.
- Provided training for operators, maintenance personnel, and supervisors to enable effective CI activities and ensure adherence to improved maintenance procedures.
- Mapped out all critical assets, valves, and equipment across five buildings, including overhead tunnels, to optimize maintenance scheduling and reduce potential production disruptions.
- Performed 5S audits and clean point assessments to standardize and streamline changeovers at both shift and product levels.
Results
- 5 hours Within three months, changeover times decreased from an average of 2.5 hours to 90 minutes, achieving a reduction of over 30%.
- 10% Throughput improved by 10% due to reduced downtime, though further gains were limited by equipment age and the need for capital investments in outdated machinery.
- The 5S activities enabled maintenance teams, particularly in shipping, to identify and prevent issues, reducing prolonged equipment downtime.
- Mapping control valves helped prevent product mix-ups (e.g., sauces vs. beans), enhancing quality control.
- Over 500 assets were documented in the relevant sytems, providing complete asset visibility and enabling the corporate team to manage assets more effectively.
Segment: CPG / Food & Beverage · Services: operational-excellence