- 29th September, 2025
- By Adam Gatt
Why Regular Plant Maintenance Is Key to Machinery Efficiency and Longevity
In a manufacturing plant, operating at full capacity is critical. Machine breakdowns are not only costly, but they can also affect your production, deliveries, and reputation.
As electrical contractors for commercial plants, we’ve seen these scenarios happen too often. It’s the reality many businesses face when plant maintenance is treated as an afterthought rather than a necessity.
Maintaining your plant should be considered more than “just another cost”. It’s a business-critical investment that safeguards your operational safety, compliance, and efficiency. It also builds trust among your suppliers and employees, as better machinery is more reliable and produces consistent output.
In this article, we’ll explore what plant maintenance really involves, why it matters, and how businesses can implement a program that delivers returns.
What Is Plant Maintenance? A Quick Overview
Plant maintenance refers to the ongoing servicing and inspection of machinery, equipment, and infrastructure in industrial and commercial facilities. This regular service is done to keep assets running safely, efficiently, and reliably in your plant.
At Austech, we classify plant maintenance into a few key types:
Preventative Maintenance:
Scheduled servicing at set times (i.e. every 6 months) to prevent equipment from failing.
Electrical Systems Maintenance:
Monitoring and inspecting electrical systems, including switchboards.
Reactive Maintenance:
Emergency repairs after equipment has already failed. This is usually the most disruptive and expensive approach, and we should try to avoid having to do this.
In reality, the smartest businesses schedule regular preventative maintenance programs for their plant equipment and machines. This approach allows operators to stay one step ahead of potential failures, minimising downtime and costly repairs.
How Regular Maintenance Extends Equipment Lifespan
Industrial equipment is a long-term investment and should be regularly serviced to maintain its lifespan. Without proper maintenance, even the most robust machinery can wear down quickly.
Routine servicing helps by:
- Reducing wear and tear: Lubrication, cleaning, and calibration prevent components from grinding, overheating, or falling out of alignment.
- Catching faults early: Small cracks, leaks, or electrical faults can be repaired quickly before they escalate into more serious equipment failures or hazards.
- Optimising energy use: Well-maintained motors, compressors, and conveyors run more efficiently, reducing your plant’s energy costs.
Industry data shows that well-maintained equipment can reduce downtime by 30-50% and increase the life expectancy of equipment by 20-40%. Over time, that saves your business thousands in replacement and repair costs.
Safety First: Maintenance as a Risk Management Tool
Neglected machinery isn’t just inefficient, it’s also highly dangerous. Here are some common risks in manufacturing plants:
Mechanical hazards: Faulty hoists or lifts can drop loads unexpectedly.
Electrical hazards: Outdated switchboards or damaged wiring can spark fires.
Operational hazards: Misaligned conveyors or jammed machinery can cause slips, trips, or crush injuries.
We constantly advocate maintenance as a frontline risk management strategy. Legally, businesses are also required to comply with safety standards such as AS/NZS 3000:2018 (Wiring Rules) and ISO frameworks and keep their equipment safe and serviceable.
By embedding regular maintenance into your operations, you not only protect your workforce but also reduce the likelihood of fines, legal action, and increased insurance premiums.
The Financial ROI of a Preventive Maintenance Program
We’ve seen how many plant managers hesitate at the upfront cost of maintenance, but there’s also an indirect financial return for their efforts. Preventive maintenance can help you reduce:
For example, a quarterly maintenance plan for a scissor lift may cost around $600 per year. If neglected, that same lift could fail and require a full replacement costing $9,000 or more, not including labour and downtime.
What Equipment Typically Requires Routine Maintenance?
Every commercial and industrial facility is unique, but here are some equipment categories that typically require more servicing:
Material Handling Systems: Freight hoists, dock levellers, scissor lifts. These are critical for logistics and safety.
Electrical Infrastructure: Switchboards, distribution panels, and backup power systems.
Mechanical Systems: Motors, compressors, and conveyors.
Automation & Safety Systems: Machine guarding, safety sensors, programmable logic controllers (PLCs).
Each equipment type has its own recommended servicing schedule. For instance, conveyors may require weekly checks, while electrical switchboards may need annual thermal imaging to identify any abnormalities.
How to Implement a Reliable Plant Maintenance Schedule
A successful maintenance program requires planning and accountability. Here’s a simple approach you can use in your plant:
Daily/Weekly:
Operators should inspect their equipment and machines visually, check lubrication levels, and look for obvious wear.
Monthly:
Functional testing of machines, calibration, and minor servicing.
Quarterly:
Professional servicing, safety system verification, and component replacement.
Annually:
Full compliance audits, thermal imaging, load testing, and certification checks.
We recommend keeping digital logs and maintenance records to make this process sustainable. Your logs should provide a history of inspections, with personnel in charge of ensuring they are up to date.
For many businesses, outsourcing your commercial plant maintenance to a qualified maintenance provider will give you the best mix of reliability and cost control. At Austech, we can provide a tailored plan that’s specific to your unique machinery and equipment, so they are always routinely serviced.
Conclusion
Regular commercial plant maintenance protects your assets and your people. At Austech, we always encourage our customers to follow and complete a periodic maintenance schedule. We also provide customers with a maintenance journal that helps them track when their machines require servicing.
For over 40 years, we’ve helped plants in various industries with high-quality and reliable maintenance programs. If your plant is scheduled for maintenance, contact our team for a friendly quote.