4 summer shutdown tips to help improve production.
Your plant must operate safely and efficiently – period.
Regular inspections help with day-to-day operations. But sometimes you need more comprehensive maintenance to keep your facility in tip-top shape. In the summer, we fittingly call this “summer shutdown.”
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Summer shutdown is a best practice for manufacturing operations. It allows you to perform uninterrupted preventive maintenance and repairs. By taking a short-term pause, the goal is to help reduce expenses and boost productivity in the long run.
How do you make the most efficient use of the downtime? I recommend you incorporate these summer shutdown tasks into every facility maintenance plan:
4 tips to help make the most of your summer shutdown:
Repairing.
It’s common for joints to split, parts to break and laminate to peel off over time. But these repairs can be hard to complete during regular operations. Use a product like 3M™ Heavy Duty Duct Tape 3939 to temporarily hold things in place until you can apply a permanent fix. When you’re ready to do the repairs, I suggest 3M™ Super 77™ Multipurpose Spray for lightweight bond, or 3M™ High-Strength Spray Adhesive 90 for heavy-duty bond.
Cleaning.
Over time, dirt, oil, grease, and tar can build up on your mechanical equipment. This can cause corrosion and eventually lead to machinery issues. To preserve the health of your equipment, it’s important to keep surfaces clean. Use products like 3M™ Citrus Base Cleaner to help dissolve and remove grime.
Masking.
Save paint jobs in high-traffic areas – like ceilings, walls, stairs, handrails, ladders, doors, and frames – for your summer shutdown, when you have space to trade in your brush for an industrial paint system. Just make sure you use a masking tape that will resist the bleed through from this high-powered process. I recommend 3M™ Performance Yellow Masking Tape.
Protecting.
Don’t forget to protect your pallets. Once you’ve tidied up and organized your inventory, you want to keep it in good shape. Use products like 3M™ Tartan™ General Purpose Filament Tape 8932 to help bundle and reinforce your pallets.
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