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There are some other basic facility maintenance steps that should be planned during this downtime as manufacturing facilities all sustain a certain amount of wear and tear that may need repairs. Take a look at the walls and floors for any significant damage and schedule any needed repairs.
Use this opportunity to take a look at your process systems as well. They could require minor or major annual, semi-annual or bi-annual maintenance during this maintenance shutdown. With Biologics facilities, take a look at bioreactors, filtration systems, and chromatography skids, while at pharmaceutical facilities, it might be synthesizers and separation systems. In addition to required maintenance, you can also use this facility downtime to make any desired modifications or upgrades to systems.
Maintenance shutdowns are typically scheduled for two to four weeks’ time, although this will vary depending on the size of the facility and the demands of the manufacturing schedule. It is important that the maintenance activities are planned to ensure that the events go as smoothly as possible. To ensure all repairs are made during this important time, it is best to contact your service vendors in advance so they can schedule time to be available onsite during your shutdown.
Schedule your planning and coordination meetings as it is important to involve the different facility stakeholders. Arrange for planning meetings with the stakeholders to discuss any proposed projects and their impact to the shutdown. Develop a schedule of activities and ensure that it is communicated throughout the organization. Schedule daily coordination meetings to track activities as they occur and make updates to the shutdown schedule.
Allow time for a restart of your facility and process systems and be on alert for issues. Schedule the cleaning and environmental monitoring for the manufacturing areas as this will likely be required before the facility is released for manufacturing.
By planning your facility shutdown in advance, you can look forward to a smooth shutdown, longevity of your systems, smooth uninterrupted operations, maximum efficiency, and cost savings to your systems by preventing expensive repairs and facility downtime.
Industry example:
Read about Ben Venue's extension of their manufacturing maintenance process.
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Published by Murtaza Kapadia | Senior Manager, Enterey
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