If it doesn't exist, you don't have to maintain it.

As the industry hits a soft spot, I have been thinking a lot about maintenance.  Many managers use the excuse during busy times that goes like this.  "We'll get to proper maintenance when times are slow."  Of course, they never do.

I have written about this in my PaperMoney column this month.

So, as we think light, it is important to always ask the question, "Do we really need this?"

Equally important when we do rebuilds is to consider how much old equipment, piping, tankage, and cables can we remove.  This dead material is nothing but a future liability.

It is like my 1964 Corvair.  Left in the garage, it quickly becomes dead material.  My policy is to drive it at least 20 miles every two weeks.  Even though it is a convertible and I seldom put the top up, I drive it at least every two weeks, year round.  Otherwise, old cars like this will soon rot.  

It is the same with abandoned equipment in your mill.  Take it out...in the long run, you'll have a safer and more economical mill.

Of special note...

In a couple of months, we will be moving this column to the Light Green Machine Institute website. There is not much there right now, but you might as well get signed up and start thinking about moving over there. It is at www.lightgreenmachine.institute.