A sudden failure of the vacuum chamber or thermoformer during a production shift can cost thousands of euros in stopped product, wasted labour and delivery delays. Preventive maintenance is the investment that avoids this scenario.
Critical components and maintenance intervals
Packaging machine components have different life cycles. The vacuum pump is the most critical and expensive component: its replacement can require 2-3 days of downtime. Scheduled periodic checks allow planning replacement during low-production periods.
- Vacuum pump oil: change every 1,000-2,000 operating hours
- Sealing bar and gasket: check every 200,000 cycles
- Chamber seal (O-ring): check every 3 months
- Air and whey filters: clean weekly, replace every 3 months
- Belts and drives: check tension every 6 months
- Guide and chain lubrication: every 50 operating hours
Preventive vs reactive maintenance: economic comparison
Reactive maintenance (only intervening when something breaks) is apparently free but has enormous hidden costs. A pump failure in production costs: spare part (€1,500-4,000) + emergency technician (+50%) + production downtime hours + potential lost product. Contracted preventive maintenance has a predictable fixed cost and reduces unplanned stoppages by 60-80%.
- Cost of unplanned machine stoppage: €500-3,000/hour
- Annual preventive maintenance cost: 2-5% of machine value
- Stoppage reduction with preventive maintenance: -60% / -80%
- Target machine availability: > 95% on planned shifts
The EMA Care maintenance contract
EMA Pack offers EMA Care maintenance contracts including scheduled annual visits, priority remote assistance and availability of critical spare parts within 24 hours. The contract includes a 40-point checklist performed every 6 months by certified EMA technicians.
- Scheduled visits: 1 or 2/year depending on contract
- Priority remote assistance: response in < 2 hours on working days
- Critical spare parts stock: pump, bars, gaskets always available
- Maintenance report: documentation for HACCP and audits
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