Manufacturing | High Volume Printing Condition Monitoring Improvement Plan (CMIP)

Client Background

A specialised printing entity providing services to government stakeholders realised the need for reliability improvement to help curb irregular maintenance expenditure.

The plant processes high volume, complex printing jobs in which speed and accuracy are essential. The method used is intaglio printing, which is a process of embossing the paper into the incised lines, requiring  considerable pressure with a roller press. Updating the printing press workflow was the first step in meeting requirements but was not enough. A successful digital press operation requires regular evaluation and tweaking to maximise efficiency.

The plant realised the need for maintenance strategy improvements and employee skills development to achieve sustainable operations.

Key Challenges

• A run-to-failure maintenance tactic had proved expensive with many asset replacements.
• Extended periods of downtime occurred because of contractor availability and breakdowns.
• The operating status of the plant was unknown because there was no process monitoring.
• The health status and risk of assets were unknown because there was no condition monitoring.
• Hidden concealed defects existed, posing a risk of asset failure.
• No quality control procedures were in place to assess maintenance workmanship.
• Tasks and activities were undocumented for corrective actions to take place.
• No structured training programmes were in place