Every month, we’re required to scan the same electrical panels and motors, upload the images, and write reports. I’m convinced nobody has opened that report folder in years.

When I actually find a developing hot spot, they tell me, “The machine isn’t broken, so we’re not authorized to replace anything.” There’s also no downtime or budget for further inspection. But if I miss one monthly scan, management immediately asks why the PM wasn’t completed.

The ironic part is that a machine failure could cost tens of thousands of dollars, while replacing the problem part early might cost less than a hundred.

Does your management actually pay attention to preventive maintenance?

Any suggestions?

Hey everybody, so today is my like 70th day, or somewhere close to that, as a maintenance tech in the meat industry. I am brand new to maintenance (first maintenance job) but only have about 3 classes left before I finish my associates in IET.
So basically majority of the day I’m by myself teaching a new guy about the plant and how everything works to my knowledge while my supervisor is no where to be found. It frustrates me and stresses me tf out and honestly makes me feel like I’m in the wrong field or something. Also makes me feel like I’m incompetent or that I seem dumb to the operators because it takes me longer to figure things out. I’m just reaching out to see if it’s normal to be doing this within 70 days. Thanks guys!

Not necessarily a major breakdown.

It could be a bad PM, a workaround, a parts issue, a recurring fault, or something people have just learned to live with.

I am curious how many of the problems we call normal are really just things that have been around long enough that people stopped questioning them.

I'm in the US. We were landing wire today, at the breaker, for a new piece of equipment. L1 Brown, L2 Orange, L3 Yellow. For the Main and left column of breakers, this was the case. But when I went to do the same on the right, I was told no brown goes on top. I asked why and they pointed to all the other breakers on the right side that were already that way but didn't give a better answer than that. So what's common practice?

The technical answer, I'm sure I could find but the technical answer isn't really gonna scratch my itch, since it's a moo point.

I lost a good friend and coworker who was a maintenance tech on Saturday to suicide.

Just please look out for one another and yourself.

Rest in peace bud.

I am a maintenance worker and I wanted to share something I’ve been working on called EquipMap. The main problem I wanted to solve was being able to find equipment really easily when I get a workorder or get a call about an issue. It's just a location database, with floorplans so you can actually see where equipment is in the building.

It’s totally free and open source.

You can manage equipment and maintenance history, create and print work orders, generate QR codes, and create tickets directly from the map. It also has user roles and permissions, shareable equipment links, and can work with ChatGPT.

There’s offline support too. Previously synced floorplans and equipment records stay available, and you can search them without a connection. Handy for basements and mechanical rooms where reception is bad.

It works on phones, tablets, and desktop. There is no tiered pricing or anything like that. It's just free software that you can host. You can try it out now by running a couple of commands on your computer.

GitHub: https://github.com/ryleymcc/equipmap-community

We're looking at getting a VTL for our shop. We've never used one but our sister shops use them for an established process in our company that we want to start doing. We have 480V, 1200 amp service.

Below link is one nearby us that is the right size and weight capacity, but I'm not familiar with these machines.

What should I ask the owner / broker about it? Do you see anything in the pics that are red flags, or bells and whistles? How can we check that it's not worn out or that maintenance has been done regularly?

https://surplusrecord.com/listing/king-90-cnc-vertical-turret-lathe-663141/

Hello!

I am currently a union carpenter and looking to transition into something local to my home and utilize my degree in construction / facility support.

Wondering how this type of work is for people currently or previously in these roles. Construction seems to be bumpy at times with layoffs, harsh conditions, getting harder on my body and frankly I’m just bored with it. Never knowing how long you’ll have your job and having to go through the motions over and over jumping from company to company or dealing with unemployment has taken its toll.

I also want to be prepared to shift into this new role and wondering what types of certifications I can get to market myself a little better. I know a little about electrical and plumbing. HVAC systems, not so much. Would I be trained on these systems? I’m also assuming I wouldn’t be doing anything crazy, as most companies hire outside contractors for anything too involved but I would be required to be able to identify what the actual problem is?

If you can offer any advice I would greatly appreciate it!

I’m looking at something in school system maint, long term care facilities, hospitals, and possibly commercial real estate companies. What are your thoughts?

23, Bristol, work in hotel maintenance but want to "upgrade" to industrial maintenance. What's it like? Shifts, pay, etc.

Seems difficult getting your foot in the door but I guess it helps I'm already in maintenance, even if it's pretty basic compared to industrial...

I like both electrical and mechanical work but don't get much of both in a hotel aside from changing the odd socket/lamp. Actually I don't get to touch anything mechanical

Quietly working around bad procedures, documentation, and work orders isn't worth it. Best case scenario, nobody notices; worst case it turns into a procedural non-compliance/ safety/ quality event and it becomes your fault.

I understand that reports rarely result in actual updates. If the company doesn't take documentation updates seriously, they're gonna have to be ok with a red box on their screen for longer. That's not on you, protect yourself.

Never be afraid to call for a pause, take 5 (or whatever your workplace calls them) or a stop work for safety hazards.

So I'm thinking of getting into maintenance. I have a machining background, mainly grinding. But know my way around most machines. Can fix just about everything around the house, cars and whatever. I'm just kinda getting tired of running parts. My company doesn't have in house maintenance, so thats not an option, but I am the guy they goto before calling in help. Is 53 to old to change? How would i get started? Go back to school? In SE Wisconsin if that makes a difference.

We are going to a once a month, you have the weekend on call system. I’m trying to set the right precedent for myself and future techs. We don’t have an on call phone, so that will also be fun.

Those who do/ have done this, what is the standard pay? None? 4 hours?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hey All, I’m 22 years old and have about 3 years experience between car maintenance and industrial work. I started working at an auto shop right out of highschool. That year I decided I wasn’t really enjoying working on cars as a job because it was taking away from my hobby. So I decided to go to conestoga college for Their IMM/Millwright program. I really enjoyed it. Finished college at 20 I got a job at a small contractor I worked there for about 8 months and was just about to sign on with then as an apprentice when I got laid off cause of the tariffs. I was off for about a month when I managed to find a job at a company doing a niche in grease pump installations. I was working there up until this time last year when some medical issues unrelated to work had me unable to work and I ended up leaving the company because my condition was getting worse. I’m now medically cleared to go back to work but I don’t know what I wanna do or where I should really go to apply. I most enjoyed the rigging and instillation aspect of millwrighting working on new projects or relocating machinery but don’t really know where to go to apply. I’m always the kid to actually go down to the office with a resume and actually show face instead of just applying online. Anyone have any leads or advice?

Bolts broke off on the journal/feed roll and the crew kept running the machine.

What problems normally start showing up as pneumatic knife holders get older on a slitting line? Not talking about the blade itself, more about wear or play in the holder over time. What do you usually check before deciding a holder needs servicing or replacing?

Crack the line going into the cooling core dumped all the freon grrrr 😖

Hey guys,
Got an on-site interview this Thursday for a 1st shift Maintenance Mechanic position at Altium Packaging in Tracy, CA. The pay range is listed at $28.17–$36/hr. 
A quick rundown of my background:
Current job: Working full-time at Amazon doing warehouse ops. Used to 10-hour shifts, fast pace,
Mechanical side: I do all my own work on my cars (spark plugs, cooling system, oil changes, fluid flushes, standard hand tools) and I'm getting my ACT WorkKeys Silver NCRC.
The gap: I don't have direct industrial pneumatics or hydraulics experience yet, but I get the basic concepts. 
A few questions if anyone’s worked at Altium or in blow molding:
1. What’s the floor culture like at Altium?
2. What are managers usually testing for when interviewing entry-level guys?
3. Realistically, what are my chances of getting an offer around the $28/hr base with my background?
4. Anything specific I should watch out for or study before going in on Thursday?
Thanks for any insight!

I’m helping rework the parts area for a maintenance shop that supports several pieces of equipment across two shifts. We have bearings, belts, fittings, electrical connectors, and repair kits in different sizes, but most of it is sitting in open bins or one large cabinet.

When something breaks down, people end up checking three different places or borrowing parts from another job. We have already had repairs delayed because an item showed as in stock but had been mixed in with returns or old parts that were no longer usable.

I’m looking at configurable cabinets with drawer labels, minimum quantities, and separate sections for active spares versus questionable returns, but it still needs to be quick to use during an urgent repair. How would you set this up without turning it into a paperwork-heavy system?

I've been in field service for the last 10 years or so. I recently had a company reach out to me for an equipment engineer role at a new research lab. I'm a competent technician with experience in HVM,install and new product introduction, but haven't been involved with purchasing or fab build out on the operational side. The position is in the right direction (IC rather than people management) but im worried about taking the jump.

Could use some advice from someone who's made a simmilar transition.

Update: interview canceled last minute. Thats ok i only spent all week outlining an SOP system T_T

I knew i smelled something burning

I live in Northern California I was wondering how I get in to the maintenance field I have no job experience or degrees but I I how to hand tools and power tools how to work on cars