Maintain your edge
December 1st 2008 Cliff Hilson, operations director of Morris Material Handling's maintenance services
division, says there's never been a better time to dig out and review maintenance and
service policies...
Okay, so leading politicians,
economists and certain sectors of
the media have us teetering on the
brink of recession. What's more, the
negative rhetoric we hear about the
continued demise of British manufacturing
remains unabated. But so what if the future
isn't all about boom, boom, boom?
Regardless of climate, one thing remains
constant: the need to retain a competitive
edge.
Is this possible to achieve when
expenditure on capital equipment is likely
to be curtailed; delayed almost certainly? If
a company's existing asset base is
maintained effectively, the answer is yes.
And there is an abundance of help for
companies both large and small to enable
maximum operating efficiencies.
The optimum start point is for a
company to enlist its material handling
equipment service provider or prospective
provider to undertake a detailed inspection
of all lifting equipment. Using systems such
as the AIMS (Asset Inspection Management
System) system by Morris, the condition of
each item of lifting or below the hook
equipment listed is entered onto palm-top
computers. It is also important to consider
how the equipment is being employed –
two identical cranes may be operating
within the same organisation in totally
separate ways, thereby differing greatly in
service requirements. In addition to the
subsequent database of information
identifying both defective items and those
requiring corrective actions, traceability of
components is assured, as knowing what
has been inspected is just as important as
what hasn't. Morris will then relay all data
to the customer within five working days
on CD.
As both parties then know what is, and
what is not required, the maintenance
service provider can devise precisely
tailored contracts or maintenance and
service agreements to maximise utilisation
and value.
Largely, customers can be presented with
a choice of service package that broadly
takes in the following:
Repair and maintenance
Planned maintenance is one of the best
ways of minimising crane running costs
and reducing the risk of downtime. At
Caterpillar's steel track shoes facility in
Skinningrove on Teeside, Morris helps
maintain the operating efficiency of
Caterpillar's lifting equipment and light
crane systems by carrying out a rigorously
planned maintenance programme across
90 per cent of its lifting equipment.
Here Morris undertakes a monthly
inspection of all loose lifting equipment,
whereby individual items are colour coded
for the relevant inspection period, thus
making parts immediately identifiable to
personnel that they are safe to use.
Additionally, a six monthly inspection of onsite
jibs is carried out, Morris also ensuring
that Caterpillar meets its commitments
under LOLER98 regulations. The Morris
team also remain on hand to provide 24/7
cover should breakdowns occur making onsite
repairs necessary.
Service and inspection
Such programmes normally come in a
variety of tailored forms, from annual
inspections to fully inclusive maintenance
and service contracts. Typical of the latter is
the contract that Morris services with
Westland Helicopters at its Yeovil UK design
and manufacturing site.
As part of the service and maintenance
partnering contract that is in place, Morris
ensures that all of Westland Helicopters
cranes, allied lifting and material handling
equipment meet full health and safety and
LOLER requirements. This involves
assuming responsibility for over 9,000
lifting items that come under the
company's statutory inspection, servicing,
maintenance and minor repair programme,
and is supported by a team of ten
permanent on-site technicians.
"The key driver to the contract that we
enjoy with Morris Material Handling
centres on ensuring that our equipment
meets both our own rigorous health and
safety standards and LOLER regulations,"
says Westland Helicopters maintenance
manager site facilities, Dave Wakely. "But
the firm continues to demonstrate its skills
by providing solutions to often challenging
tasks and operational issues that go way
beyond cranes and lifting equipment.
Morris has become an important service
provider and we are looking forward to
continuing the excellent working
partnership."
Total crane care package
As its name suggests, this package enables
clients to budget effectively as part of a
comprehensive and fixed price
maintenance contract designed to provide
complete peace of mind. Particularly
suitable for larger organisations where
increased equipment levels
understandably leads to increased risk,
such a package is effectively deployed by
Joy Mining Machinery Limited in
Worcester. It is here that Morris supplies
provision of cover for 50 overhead
travelling cranes and some 120 jib hoists.
As Joy Mining Machinery's Works Engineer
comments: "Morris Material Handling was
selected for its experience and competence.
Given the high risk activities associated with
our onsite cranes and jib hoists, it is essential
to ensure that the lifting equipment is
maintained to the highest standards and in
accordance with manufacturers'
maintenance schedules to ensure safe
operation and optimum efficiency.
"The Total Crane Care Package meets
these criteria. Resident Morris site
engineers carry out daily safety inspections,
routine planned maintenance, reactive
breakdown maintenance and outside
normal hour 'call outs'. The service is
reviewed to ensure that standards are
maintained at optimum cost and to date
Joy has been extremely satisfied with the
service levels provided," he added.
Parts questions
Irrespective of the type of maintenance
support contract a customer ultimately
adopts, it is only likely to succeed if the
service provider has the skills, resources
and infrastructure to support it 24/7. What's
more, the same also applies to its ability to
supply an effective parts programme. The
questions should be asked: is it original
equipment? What is the quantity of lines
stocked? What is their availability?
In conclusion, it is not uncommon for
companies to view maintenance provision
in the same light as an insurance policy;
money being paid out simply to cover the
unforeseen. In reality, however,
organisations are waking up to the
realisation that maintenance and service
contracts, in whatever form they take, are,
in effect, assurance policies: ones that pay
dividends throughout their lifetime by
delivering increased operating efficiencies,
thereby having a resultant positive impact
on competitiveness. What better time for
companies to dig out and review their
policies? More articles from Morris Material Handling Ltd: | 
