In the face of an unsteady economy, having automated food equipment that has a long lifespan is more important than ever. Stretching equipment lifespans allows food manufacturers to avoid unnecessary operational costs that come with replacing production line equipment. Especially considering that inflation has drastically increased in the last couple of years, companies are trying to figure out how to avoid the costs and downtime associated with replacing automated food equipment.
Here, we’ll dive into the machine life cycle and ways that your frozen food company can stretch equipment lifespans. As long as your team takes the proper steps, it should be able to rely on your machinery for as long as possible. Let’s explore the machine life cycle first and how the economy is forcing companies to stick with their equipment as long as they can.
The Machine Life Cycle
Buying new food equipment is an investment, and companies hope to see a good ROI following installation. Of course, an ROI is only as good as the lifespan of the machine. Most commercial kitchen equipment lasts for 10-12 years, but it depends on several factors. Usage, regular maintenance, and build are some of the factors that determine the machine’s lifespan. To extend equipment lifespans, it’s important to talk with the manufacturer to make sure your team is doing what it can to get the most out of the equipment. Having a responsive manufacturer is critical to your equipment and production line success because a trusted name wants to see its clients succeed. That’s why at Quantum, we prioritize excellent customer service so that our clients can rely on us and our automated food equipment for maximum ROI.
Every piece of automated food equipment is different and their lifespans may vary. Still, your company can take steps to ensure a longer lifespan, regardless of the state of the economy. Machine life cycles don’t have to be short – companies can be proactive and maintain their equipment. In a wavering economy when the price of equipment is increasing, taking the proper precautions is essential in order to maintain a good bottom line. Let’s look at how to stretch equipment lifespans next.
How to Stretch Equipment Lifespans
It may seem difficult to stretch equipment lifespans when technology is ever-evolving. Nevertheless, there are a few things a company can do to make its food equipment last longer. These include employee education, regular maintenance, employing reliable equipment, and maintaining communication with the manufacturer.
Employee Education
The first critical way to stretch equipment lifespan is to invest time into employee education and safety training. Employee education is highly important because your team needs to know how to properly operate and maintain the food equipment in order to extend its lifespan. Safety training can increase team confidence and productivity. Hosting regular training sessions, such as biannually or annually, is a great way to maintain team knowledge and boost confidence. Employee education ensures that everyone’s on the same page and is properly trained to oversee, maintain, and restock the automated food equipment. When employees don’t have the knowledge to maintain the equipment, it’s likely that the machinery will fall into disrepair and your products will lose quality.
Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance is just as important as employee education because food equipment can’t run well if it’s not maintained. Addressing issues that arise as soon as possible minimizes downtime and decreases the likelihood of a major issue that can halt production. Regular and scheduled maintenance can allow staff to catch issues early on before they become a huge problem and it can increase the lifespan of the machinery. Following through with scheduled maintenance is also usually less expensive and causes less downtime than addressing a major issue caused by a lack of regular maintenance. Checking machines and addressing issues as needed lowers operational costs over time. Consistently checking the machines and regularly addressing issues helps to ensure that your machines will have a longer lifespan.
Using Reliable Equipment
Another way to stretch equipment lifespans is to start out with reliable technology in the first place. If your company feels that its equipment breaks down easily and often, it may be time to switch manufacturers to a reputable brand. As your company plans to upgrade equipment, take this opportunity to invest in quality equipment that is guaranteed to last with the proper maintenance. At Quantum, we prioritize making automated food equipment that is durable and has a long lifespan. This allows our clients to be confident in their production line technology. This also limits unnecessary downtime caused by replacing equipment often. Employing durable equipment not only extends the lifespan of the equipment but also streamlines business operations. Simplified production lines eliminate redundancy, allowing your team to focus on making high-quality and consistent products.
Maintain Communication with the Manufacturer
Having equipment that is reliable is just as important as having a responsive manufacturer to answer all of your questions. While some manufacturers want brands to cycle through equipment for the sake of their bottom line, Quantum believes in durable equipment as well as stellar customer service. Our team of experts ensures that our clients have a knowledge base of all things in automated food equipment. We understand how important it is to be able to rely on your automated food equipment for as long as possible for a maximum ROI. As your food equipment manufacturer, we’ll make sure that you have the knowledge needed to keep your automated food equipment running well.
Find Durable Automated Equipment at Quantum
At Quantum, we believe in making reliable and durable equipment for our clients. The simple design of our automated food equipment allows it to have a longer lifespan, saving our clients a great deal in the long run. In today’s competitive market, it’s more important than ever to have food equipment that you can trust. Contact our team at Quantum Technical Services today to see which engineered solutions we have available to increase the lifespan of your production line.