Cleaning and changeover
Coordinate access, consumables and product-contact part handling with planned maintenance.
Reliability planning guide
Maintenance planning begins before installation. The layout, access, documentation, component identification and spare-parts strategy should support safe routine work and rapid diagnosis without encouraging unrecorded adjustments or unsuitable substitutions.
Record operating hours, shift pattern, products, cleaning regime, environment, format changes and the consequence of each machine stopping. A critical filler feeding the only line may justify a different spares and inspection plan from a backup bench machine. Dust, washdown, corrosive vapour, heat, frequent changeover and abrasive product can alter the maintenance need.
Use the supplier manual and site risk assessment as the starting point, then adjust intervals from evidence such as inspection findings, fault history and component condition. Do not extend or shorten a safety-related inspection solely because production has been quiet without competent review.
| Maintenance layer | Typical content | Control needed |
|---|---|---|
| Operator routine | Cleaning, visual checks, replenishment, basic condition reporting and approved setup checks. | Clear limits so operators do not bypass guards or adjust protected settings. |
| Planned preventive work | Inspection, lubrication, tension, alignment, filter and wear-part replacement, calibration checks and safety-function tests as specified. | Schedule, competence, isolation, parts, tools and a completed record. |
| Condition-based work | Action triggered by measured wear, leakage, noise, temperature, vibration, cycle count or inspection trend. | Defined threshold, reliable measurement and responsibility for review. |
| Corrective maintenance | Diagnosis and repair after a fault or loss of performance. | Safe isolation, root-cause record, approved parts, functional test and controlled return to service. |
| Software and controls | Backups, authorised parameter changes, battery or storage checks, network records and version control. | Access control, tested backup, change record and recovery procedure. |
Identify the machine, serial or asset reference, location, manuals, drawings, software version, safety documents, main components and approved consumables. For each task, state interval or trigger, competence, isolation state, tools, parts, method, acceptance and record. Include ancillary conveyors, feeders, compressors, coders and inspection devices; they can stop the line even when the main machine is healthy.
Classify parts by failure likelihood, consequence, lead time, shelf life and ability to substitute safely. Wear items used during normal service should be easy to identify and reorder. Critical control, sensor, drive, heating, sealing, pneumatic and product-contact parts may justify stock where failure would stop production and replacement is not immediately available.
Store parts in a clean, labelled location with revision and machine compatibility. Protect seals, tubing, electronics, blades, heaters and finished change parts from age, contamination or damage. Avoid carrying obsolete stock without a review of installed component versions.
Operators should record the exact alarm, product and format, machine state, preceding events, action taken and whether the fault returned. “Machine stopped” is not enough. Preserve failed parts where useful and distinguish cause from consequence—for example, a downstream blockage may create alarms at several upstream stations.
Use a controlled troubleshooting sequence: make the area safe, confirm the symptom, review recent changes, inspect simple external causes, compare sensors and actuators with the expected state, and test after one documented correction at a time. Do not bypass an interlock or force an output to return production without the appropriate competence, controls and risk assessment.
Maintenance must be planned so it can be carried out safely. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive’s current maintenance of work equipment guidance and PUWER overview are authoritative starting points; site duties and the actual machinery still require competent assessment.
Provide access to isolators, panels, drives, tensioners, valves, filters, product-contact assemblies and sensors. Define stored-energy release, safe support of raised parts and post-maintenance guard and function checks. Keep the maintenance log current where one is used or required.
Review recurring faults, replaced parts, minor stops and adjustment drift. If a feeder repeatedly jams with one cap batch or a label sensor needs frequent repositioning, investigate component variation, setup, environment and training rather than treating every event as random. Feed the findings into supplier reviews, changeover instructions and critical-spares levels.
Coordinate access, consumables and product-contact part handling with planned maintenance.
Use a structured fault-isolation process before changing settings or parts.
Review duties for safe use, guarding, inspection and maintenance with current official guidance.
Prioritise routine wear items and parts whose failure would stop production for longer than the site can tolerate. Consider lead time, compatibility, shelf life, safe substitution and whether another machine provides backup.
Use the supplier instructions, duty, environment and inspection evidence. Different assemblies have different intervals; one generic annual interval may not control every wear or safety-related task.
Where access and licensing permit, keep an authorised, identified backup and record installed versions and changes. Test the recovery process under controlled conditions rather than assuming a file is usable.
They can perform defined tasks for which they are trained, competent and authorised. The site should set clear boundaries, isolation requirements and escalation routes.
Record the exact alarm, machine mode, product and format, time, preceding event, sensor or actuator state, environmental condition and whether the fault repeated after reset.
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