Doesn't it seem like something always breaks right before, or even during, your busy season? While sometimes that is just going to happen, oftentimes breakdowns can be avoided by scheduling regular maintenance check-ups for your equipment and machinery.

 

To create a basic maintenance schedule, you can use a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel and create a simple tracking sheet. Column headings could include machinery name and/or serial number while the rows list the date a check-up is needed. Then, the employee overseeing the maintenance or check-up would initial in the corresponding box. You could use the different tabs to divide out your equipment by department, or if it’s easy to fit all equipment on one tab you could use a different tab for each year. We’ve created a very basic sample to help you get started. As a starting point, we have inserted monthly checks but we recommend checking the manufacturer’s guidelines for each of your equipment to make the best plan for your company.

 

In addition to avoiding untimely breakdowns, equipment maintenance programs also ensure your product and consumer’s safety and reduce unexpected maintenance repairs. Be sure to check out this website on preventative machinery maintenance for thorough advice and reasoning for creating a complete maintenance program for your company.

 

One last thing: Don’t forget about regular check-ups of office items as well, including printers, carts, etc. You don’t want the copier or printer broken just as you’re about to print invoices for the month or reports for the year; or the two-wheel cart needed to transport product from store to store to be found with flat wheels.

 

Do you have tips for scheduling maintenance check-ups? Leave us a comment below!

 

Are you trying to figure out how to avoid cross-contamination of allergens in your small space? How do you store peanuts, sugar and the rest of your ingredients and separate allergens while trying to save space? At our recent Spring Regional Institute, many of our members learned a valuable tip we’re passing along to you:

 

Take advantage of the height in your facility and store items vertically. Then, go a step further and be sure your allergens are kept on the bottom. If you spill from a bag of pecans, at least they will fall to the floor rather than all over everything under the bag on their way down. This keeps you from contaminating the sugar and other ingredients that you use on nearly all of your products, those with and without allergens. Of course, this is just one step in putting together a plan for avoiding cross-contamination of allergens, but we thought it was a great one to get you thinking about the process.

If you’re considering a new floor for your confectionery manufacturing facility, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind.

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to consider when choosing flooring for your facility but it’s a great place to start. You can learn even more by attending our Spring Regional Institute in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida, April 17-20, 2012. We'll have two education sessions presented by Silliker Labs and devoted to Good Manufacturing Practices. Click here for the full schedule and how to register.