Preventive Maintenance

Hello, everyone, and welcome.
Today we're joined by Marc Lavoie from International Glass Products, better known as igp, Inc.
Marc, it's great to have you with us.
Hey there.
Thanks for having me on the show.
Really excited to be here.
The pleasure is all ours.
Mark, you wanted to talk about a topic that at first glance might seem a bit technical.
Maybe even dry machine maintenance.
Yeah, exactly.
And that's kind of the point.
It's in manufacturing.
There's this common reflex, this if it ain't broke, don't fix it mindset, you know?
Right.
We think it's an expense wasted time.
Precisely.
We think it's time we're not spending on production.
But today, I really want to show you, with hard data and concrete examples from our operations, that it's exactly the opposite.
Preventive maintenance is one of the best investments you can make.
An investment, not a cost.
I love that perspective.
Set the scene for us.
Absolutely.
One of our critical machines, our double edger.
It polishes both sides of glass simultaneously at high speed.
And then right in the middle of a production run, bang.
It just stops.
Ouch.
I can almost feel the collective groan on the factory floor.
Exactly.
And it's not just one machine that's paused.
Our entire production line is paralyzed.
The financial hit is immediate.
Major industry studies from firms like Deloitte estimate that a single hour of unplanned downtime can cost a manufacturer tens of thousands of dollars.
That's a staggering figure.
It really is.
And that doesn't even account for the ripple effects like delayed client orders.
At igp, we've built our reputation not just on the quality of our glass, but.
But on the reliability of our commitments.
A sudden breakdown jeopardizes the trust our customers place in us.
So the solution is to prevent it from breaking in the first place?
That's exactly it.
It's about acting upstream.
That's preventive maintenance.
Instead of being firefighters running around putting out fires, we're architects designing for stability.
We plan, we inspect, we replace, wear parts before they fail.
I can already hear the objection, but that still costs money and time.
And it absolutely does.
But let's talk about the return on that investment.
A landmark study by Jones Langlasselle found that a well run preventive maintenance program delivers an average ROI of 545%. Wow, 545%. That's an almost unheard of return in any business context.
And when do you do this maintenance so it doesn't hurt production?
Good question.
It takes us a few planned hours, often at night or weekends.
The cost is minimal compared to wasting a pallet of glass.
Or worse, stopping the machine for major repairs during an urgent order.
I see.
And you have another example that's even more critical.
Yes.
The beating heart of our safety glass production.
The tempering furnace.
That's a beast.
That works relentlessly at extreme temperatures.
A breakdown there is a disaster scenario.
So preventive maintenance is absolutely critical.
We check the insulation, heating elements, ceramic.
Rollers, and beyond reliability, are there other benefits?
Enormously.
A well maintained furnace is much more energy efficient.
Our internal data shows we save about 15% on the electricity bill just for that equipment.
And beyond money.
A perfectly calibrated furnace ensures uniform tempering, so stronger glass without optical distortion.
It's a direct quality guarantee we pass on to our customers.
So if I understand correctly, this message is addressed as much to your teams as to your customers?
That's exactly it.
It's about transparency.
So everyone at IGP understands the value of this work, but it's also a direct message to our customers.
When you buy an IGP product, you're not just buying a piece of glass.
You're buying.
You're buying a promise of quality, durability, reliability.
And we keep that promise because we take jealous care of our equipment.
That's a beautiful way to see it.
Your rigor and maintenance becomes our quality assurance.
Exactly.
The next time you see one of our technicians working on a machine that seems to be running perfectly, don't think we're spending unnecessarily.
Think that we're investing in our productivity, in quality, and above all, in the trust our customers place in us.
Here's a question for our listeners in your organization.
Is maintenance seen as a cost center or as a profit center, a strategic investment?
Think about it.
Marc Lavoie from igp Inc.
Thank you so much for being with us.
My pleasure.
Thank you for having me.