Case study

Promens Zevenaar Uses eMaint to Reduce Maintenance Backlog by 40%

Customer Since: 2018 | Industry: Automotive

Automotive

Customer since 2018 5 min read

Promens Zevenaar, a major automotive parts manufacturer, leveraged eMaint CMMS to slash maintenance backlog and enhance efficiency in managing over 650 molds and 26 machines at its Netherlands plant.

Summary

Promens Zevenaar, formerly a division of Berry Global, a global plastics manufacturer with more than 250 facilities worldwide, was acquired by the SAPA Group in Italy in January 2024. Promens specializes in producing large plastic parts for trucks.

High production demands and the limitations of digital spreadsheets for maintenance tracking at the facility prompted the team to pivot to eMaint computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) to improve operational efficiency.

With eMaint, Frans Stokman, Promens CMMS project leader, was able to reduce maintenance backlog, improve efficiency in mold maintenance, and streamline workflows. With the help of eMaint CMMS, Promens:

Reduced backlog by 40%
Streamlined inventory management of 650 molds and 26 Injection Molding Machines, auxiliary equipment and spare parts
Optimized asset upkeep through preventive maintenance task scheduling

BACKGROUND

Promens Zevenaar is a plastics manufacturer. The company’s plant in Zevenaar, Netherlands, specializes in manufacturing large exterior and interior plastic parts for trucks. Serving major automotive companies across Europe, Promens has established itself as a key supplier in the industry.

Given the high production demands at the Zevenaar plant, where workers make over 900 unique plastic parts for vehicles, the limitations of digital spreadsheets for maintenance tracking became glaringly obvious. Realizing the need for a more capable system, the company purchased eMaint CMMS and brought Frans Stokman on board as CMMS project leader and administrator.

CHALLENGES

Streamlining Operational Workflow
At the Zevenaar plant, driving operational efficiency at every stage of the production cycle was essential. Key to achieving this goal was robust tracking of assets and inventory, and making sure preventive maintenance (PM) tasks were regularly scheduled. The limitations of simpler tools underscored the necessity for a more sophisticated system capable of providing comprehensive insights and efficient management of critical assets.
Reducing Maintenance Backlog
Using digital spreadsheets also caused a manufacturing backlog at the Zevenaar facility. Customers frequently inquire about backlog status during audits. Without an organized, dynamic system in place, this caused limitations in the team’s ability to update customers about their expected order fulfillment time.

IMPLEMENTATION

Stokman served as the main point of contact during the CMMS implementation and led training sessions across departments to facilitate knowledge transfer.

“Yes, there was a period of adjustment as everyone had gotten used to spreadsheets,” he says. “But once the technicians saw the advantages of the program, such as the ability to easily look back at past repairs on specific machines and understand how issues were resolved, they really started to appreciate the value of the system.”

RESULTS

Backlog Reduced by 40% Using eMaint CMMS
Stokman highlights how the simplified and organized overview of maintenance data in eMaint keeps operations running as smoothly as possible.

“[Thanks to eMaint CMMS] you know exactly what to do,” he says. “It highlights which molds need to be maintained and everything that has to be checked.”

Additionally, the ability to log checks, remarks, and personnel names facilitated straightforward issue tracking and follow-ups. This leads to more precise work orders and higher-quality output.

Promens’ newly streamlined maintenance management has reduced the backlog of some assets from years to mere months.
Color-Coding Mold Maintenance Boosts Efficiency
The Zevenaar plant uses hundreds of specialized plastic molds to manufacture parts for their customers. That’s why it’s critical for the team to know the location and exact condition of each mold to keep production on schedule.

The team used eMaint CMMS to manage mold maintenance using a color-coded label system for immediate status recognition:
- Red label: Mold is not usable by the production team.
- Yellow label: Mold has issues but can be used with caution.
- Green label: Mold is in good condition and ready for use.
“If a work order is created with a mold that is tagged yellow, then the team is alerted that there’s an issue with it and can check it before using it,” explains Stokman. “If an order is created with a mold tagged red, then the team knows they have to wait until the maintenance department has repaired the tool. It’s very useful.”

PM Scheduling Keeps Equipment and Plant Automation at Peak Performance

Stokman and his team set up automated PM work orders to prevent unplanned downtime and increase overall reliability. Technicians are alerted when PMs on an asset are due, streamlining the workflow, and reducing the chance of oversight. For example, when it’s time for the batteries on a molding machine to be changed after a set number of years, a technician will receive an automated PM work order from the system to begin maintenance.

PM scheduling has also been central to keeping the plant’s robotic automation up and running. It is used across manufacturing processes, from material handling and assembly to treatment and coating.

“This requires regular checking and maintenance so PMs are automatically set up for this,” Stokman says.
Better Inventory and Spare Parts Management
With eMaint CMMS, Stokman is able to track and manage the facility’s large inventory, which includes 650+ molds and 26 machines, plus spare parts, efficiently and accurately. With a simple click, he can pull up detailed information on all assets and spare parts in the facility, including location, specifications, and supplier data.

This real-time visibility allows his team to make sure that they have the right part in the right place at the right time so that they can respond to work orders quickly and efficiently. Here’s how the system works:
- Easy Tracking of Spare Parts: The location of each part is logged in the CMMS, down to the drawer number in the storeroom, making retrieval simple and quick. “Previously, technicians struggled to find what they needed,” says Stokman. “Now they know exactly where to find it, so that’s a very good thing.”
- Prompts for Reordering: When inventory drops below set levels, eMaint CMMS automatically sends an email to Stokman notifying him that it’s time to purchase additional parts. This helps the facility avoid shortages and associated downtime.
Insight-Driven Maintenance Through Analytics
With the CMMS, Stokman can conduct deep dives into equipment performance, such as analyzing the correlation between short shots and maintenance failure. This provides a data-driven foundation for discussions with decision-makers at Promens.

“The eMaint system is working well. PMs are coming regularly, and we can create complete plans for them.”

– Frans Stokman, CMMS Project Leader, Promens Zevenaar

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