In a production line, there are many things you need to keep functional in order to remain productive. When you have moving trays, containers or other components on a track, do you keep in mind the maintenance of the caster wheels? These overlooked components can cause a great deal of trouble if they’re not routinely checked. Over time, these units can accumulate a large amount of grime and particulates that can decrease their functionality. Why should this be a concern for your company?
Downtime Costs
When a caster begins to fail, the mobility of the unit it’s attached to begins to decrease. This can begin to slow productivity down reducing your company’s ability to deliver production goals. By keeping the wheels clear of debris, the unit could continue to operate at peak efficiency reducing the risk of lower production levels. Over time, that single part that costs less than $50 could be costing your company hundreds of dollars in lost time.
Reducing Replacement Costs
Every component breaks down eventually. While nothing can survive the ravages of time forever, you can increase the longevity of items by keeping them maintained. This is especially true when considering the activity that casters experience in any given day. By keeping these components maintained, you could spend less money over time replacing seized and failed equipment.
Personal Safety
Depending on the device the caster is responsible for moving, personal safety could become a concern should a wheel seize at the most inopportune time. This could include everything from protective doors to gurneys that abruptly stop injuring the one pushing the device. It’s plausible that this could affect insurance claims and premiums over time as well.
Time Comparisons
It’s better to spend a few minutes inspecting and cleaning casters as opposed to the few days a unit may be inoperable due to a seized component. By fixing problems now, you can reduce complications later. This plays into reducing downtime costs as mentioned earlier. As the actual maintenance of these units is fairly simple, little time is required to properly inspect the device.
Should a caster fail, the unit it’s attached to could be rendered useless depending on its function. Luckily, most caster wheels are very easy to replace and cost efficient for keeping a mobile unit productive. Get the casters you need for your manufacturing needs and order today. The downtime from devices could be costing you a great deal of money.
