For brand owners looking to maximize productivity and minimize risk in their packaging operations, it is essential to establish reliable access to spare parts for your equipment. The ability to swiftly replace parts on your equipment mitigates several risks including unplanned downtime, product quality compromises and long-term damage to your machinery. A proactive spare parts plan is one of the pillars of a successful aftermarket strategy; one that will bring greater profitability, cost control, manageable cash flow, competitive advantages, and business continuity.
In this post, we will break down industry best practices for how to invest in spare parts and highlight a handful of ways Synerlink is uniquely suited to offer guidance and support for spare parts on our filling and closing equipment.
How to Care for Your Equipment, the guide This is the fourth chapter of a full guide to help you on your packaging equipment maintenance. Subscribe below to receive the chapters as soon as they are launched. You will also receive the complete guide as soon as it is realeased!
|
|
BEST PRACTISES: WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ORDER SPARE PARTS ?
Brand owners experience several common pain points when ordering spare parts including slow delivery times, confusing recommendations from suppliers, and compatibility issues with parts they order from third-party vendors. Each of these will increase your operational expenditures (OPEX). In light of this, Synerlink has developed best practice recommendations for how to address these struggles. Before creating your spare parts plan, here are some questions to ask yourself.
Where Should I Source Spare Parts?
It can be tempting for CPGs to order spare parts from third party vendors, especially when they promise cheaper prices and compatibility with your machine. Although ordering spare parts from a third party vendor may seem like a sound choice for your business, it may pose several different risks for your plant.
One risk is there is no guarantee that the spare parts will be 100% compatible with your machine. If you use a spare part that is not fully compatible with your machine, it can extend downtime or cause other issues to your equipment.
Another risk is that when there is a machine breakdown, your OEM may need to further evaluate the spare part if it is outside of their knowledge base. To troubleshoot the breakdown, your OEM would need information about the quality and specifications of the spare part and would need to determine if the part caused other issues to your machine. During evaluations like this, OEMs sometimes runs into unexpected delays or problems, resulting in more troubleshooting hours from your OEM and additional costs for you.
To avoid the costly risks associated with purchasing spare parts from third party vendors, we recommend ordering spare parts directly from your machine manufacturer.
Which Spare Parts Should I Order and When?
The best time to order spare parts can depend on part type, availability, and your unique situation. In general, ordering spare parts at least eight weeks in advance will help to make sure you will have those parts on hand in time for a replacement.
Not all machine parts are equal and deciding which spare parts you need to order and when you need to order them can be a daunting task for maintenance managers. Synerlink’s knowledge of replacement patterns such as high runners and recommended spare parts kits can help with the process and predictive maintenance.
HIGH RUNNERS
It is not unusual that certain parts typically need to be replaced more often, and these parts are known as high runners. A safe option is to order high runners to have them on hand in the event of an emergency, but this may take up needed shelf space in your warehouse. To proactively address popular replacement needs, Synerlink keeps all high runners in stock and because of this, delivery times will be much faster for parts considered high runners. With Synerlink having high runners in stock, you can free up your shelf space and order a high runner exactly when you need it.
SPARE PARTS KITS
Synerlink understands the challenge maintenance managers face when deciding which are the right spare parts to have on hand for a new machine. To help increase support in the ordering process, Synerlink created spare part kits that are designed for your specific machine and the needs that our experts anticipate you’ll face. Spare parts kits give you only what you need with no surprise or stock.
For example, the maintenance of a subassembly requires several parts. In this case, ordering a spare parts kit with all the needed parts will help you avoid missing any essential parts. Ordering spare parts in a kit is not only more convenient, but it can also help reduce the risk of parts arriving at different times when ordered separately.
Synerlink’s stock of high-runners and our unique service to order spare parts kits designed by maintenance experts are just a couple of ways we address the common frustrations of ordering spare parts. In addition to these benefits, Synerlink provides excellent customer service, a global reach, and speedy delivery times to give you the smoothest spare parts ordering experience aftermarket.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN I ORDER SPARE PARTS FROM SYNERLINK?
Synerlink’s Rapid Response and Global Reach
Synerlink keeps in mind that line closings are costly for CPGs, so they know how important a rapid response time is for a spare parts request. With a dedicated spare parts team, Synerlink can provide an answer in 24 hours.
Across the team, team members can offer service in several languages including French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Brazilian and Polish. They also offer shipment to more than 50 countries and expertise in international delivery regarding customs and tax.
In addition to global reach and expertise, Synerlink offers custom service and assistance including:
- Audits with field service to help with maintenance recommendations
- In-house machining in France
- Engineered solutions for obsolete items
Delivery Times with Synerlink
When you order spare parts from Synerlink, we guarantee that you will receive your parts in an average of 21 days and with an 85% on-time delivery rate. Synerlink has warehouses in France, Spain, the U.S., China, and Brazil.
Currently we have several parts in stock that are based on order history and reviewed regularly to best meet customer needs. Synerlink’s stock has more than 10,000-part numbers in France and more than 700-part numbers in the U.S. The fastest delivery time will happen when a part is in stock and near you. Our large stock of spare parts helps us deliver them as early as two days in case of an emergency.
Reference below the delivery level chart to quickly see a more detailed breakdown of what you can expect when ordering spare parts from Synerlink depending on your situation.
To support production teams in reducing spare parts associated risks, Synerlink is committed to providing excellent service and expertise through fast response times, spare parts recommendations, and consistent delivery expectations.
Did you find this content useful? Click the link below to download our comprehensive guide to getting the most value out of your existing Synerlink equipment.
How to Care for Equipment: Top 5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Packaging Machinery