Introducing preventive maintenance in a family-owned plant

Our metal stamping plant has always repaired machines only when they break. Unplanned stops now cost us more than ever because customers expect shorter lead times, and the two senior technicians who knew every machine are close to retirement.

We listed critical equipment, gathered manufacturer recommendations and created a simple weekly checklist that operators complete at the start of each shift. The harder part is protecting maintenance windows when sales pushes for urgent orders. How did you convince management to treat planned downtime as an investment?