The period during which a manufacturing system is not operational, specifically due to equipment failure, maintenance, or other stoppages.
Downtime in manufacturing refers to any interval during which production equipment is inoperable and not producing goods, often as a result of unscheduled maintenance, equipment failures, or planned maintenance activities. It significantly affects the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by reducing availability, hence impacting production schedules, cost efficiency, and throughput.
A CNC milling machine (e.g., HAAS VF-4) experienced a spindle failure resulting in a downtime of 6 hours.
This is common in high-precision engineering workshops where unplanned spindle failure can halt production lines, requiring immediate intervention from maintenance teams.
A scheduled maintenance shutdown of an automated assembly line (e.g., Siemens SIMATIC-controlled line) occurs every month for 4 hours to ensure optimal operating conditions.
Regularly scheduled in automotive manufacturing plants to perform exhaustive checks and prevent future breakdowns.