Every plant manager knows downtime is expensive. The exact cost is different in every plant, so the most useful number is the one you work out yourself.
Work out your own cost per hour
Add up:
- Lost output: units per hour × margin per unit.
- Labor: crew wages paid while the line is idle.
- Scrap and rework: product lost when the line stopped mid-batch (a big one for bottling, food and pharma).
- Restart costs: cleaning, sanitation or requalification before you can restart.
- Late shipments: penalties, expedited freight or lost orders.
Write that number down. It tells you how much a preventive maintenance plan is worth to you.
Why PLC outages run long
- No current program backup, so a failed processor can’t simply be reloaded.
- Obsolete hardware with no spare on the shelf.
- No one on site who can get online with the PLC.
- Undocumented changes made years ago.
How to shorten them
- Keep tested, dated backups of every PLC and HMI program off site.
- Keep critical spares: a processor, power supply and key I/O cards.
- Keep an up-to-date list of your hardware and firmware versions.
- Have a controls contractor who already has your documentation, with a 24/7 support agreement.
Local factors for South Florida plants
For manufacturers in Miami and South Florida, heat, humidity and summer storms are hard on control cabinets. Plants that run older equipment without a full-time controls engineer on staff, so one failure can stop a line for a long time.
Need PLC or SCADA help in South Florida? Call (786) 383-3829 or email info@gomartec.com. Martec serves Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. See our industrial automation and PLC services.