--- title: Building a Maintenance Strategy Around Production Demands description: Unplanned downtime costs UK manufacturers millions. Discover how Rittal’s 360° Service helps prevent failures and keeps your production running. image: https://blog.rittal.co.uk/hubfs/RI_CL%20-%20Chile/RI_CL%20-%20Imagenes%20emails/Mantenci%C3%B3n.png --- [![Rittal](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Rittal_Theme_Feb2023/images/header-mb-logo.png)](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en) - [Products](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/products) - [Software](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Software) - [Solutions](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Solutions) - [Configuration](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Rittal-Configuration-System) - [Services](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Services) - [Company](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Company) - [References](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/References) - [Make An Enquiry](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Company/Main-Contact) [![Rittal Logo](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/hubfs/Logos%20Rittal/Rittal%20Logo.svg "Rittal Logo")](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en) - [Contact](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Company/Main-Contact) - [Feedback](https://lohservices.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3gBNr9lypSetg0Z) - [Blog](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/) - Rittal UK - [UK,EN](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/) - [Rittal International](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Laenderauswahl) - [Login](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/shop/my-rittal) - [Shopping cart](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/shop/cart) - [Products](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/products) - [Software](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Software) - [Solutions](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Solutions) - [Configuration](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Rittal-Configuration-System) - [Services](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Services) - [Company](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Company) - [References](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/References) - [Make An Enquiry](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/Company/Main-Contact) ![](https://www.rittal.com/imf/x1280/80_912/) The platform for everything. Infinite possibilities for industry and IT. [Find spare parts](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/uk-en/Services/Spares-parts-management)[Configure products](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/uk-en/Rittal-Configuration-System)[Login Online Shop](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/shop/login) # Blog ![Building a Maintenance Strategy Around Production Demands](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/hubfs/RI_CL%20-%20Chile/RI_CL%20-%20Imagenes%20emails/Mantenci%C3%B3n.png) ## Building a Maintenance Strategy Around Production Demands 02-11-2026 # Why pay attention to your enclosure cooling? Making time for planned maintenance can be difficult when your production schedules are tight and you’re faced with short turn-around times for order fulfilments. It’s easy to understand why routine service checks can be simply deprioritised and rescheduled for another time, especially if there is no obvious indication that the equipment in question needs immediate attention. But this strategy can store up problems for the future, because once it becomes a cycle of repeated postponements, it can mean relatively minor tweaks quickly develop into faults. And faults almost inevitably occur when you don’t want them! This means that any effective maintenance strategy must find available timeslots, while considering production pressures and periods of peak demand. So, a large part of planning your maintenance schedule involves deciding which equipment deserves priority as well as using the condition of each piece of equipment to help determine when to schedule downtime. ![Rittal Service2](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Rittal%20Service2.jpg?width=647&height=432&name=Rittal%20Service2.jpg) ## Why does planned maintenance for industrial equipment get postponed? Planned maintenance can get postponed for a number of reasons. Firstly, order fulfilments will almost always take priority over a routine maintenance time-out. Secondly, your maintenance teams may be juggling multiple competing demands, particularly if they support a large installed base across an active manufacturing facility. What’s more, some equipment can only be accessed safely during a shutdown and if planned production stoppage times are relatively infrequent, this will restrict maintenance opportunities. None of these constraints means you have failed to recognise the importance of maintenance. They are simply the reality when it comes to maintaining critical equipment that underpins your business. Problems arise when these postponements become embedded in a company’s culture, such that maintenance intervals are only ringfenced if there is any spare time that rarely appears. ### What happens when maintenance keeps moving down the schedule? Planned maintenance gives you the advantage of deciding when your engineers inspect equipment and carry out any necessary servicing or repairs. Scheduling these activities during an agreed maintenance window allows you to address potential problems at a convenient time, avoiding the disruption that deteriorating performance could cause during normal production. Unfortunately, unexpected equipment faults remove any sense of choice almost entirely, and mean that your operation has to accommodate a repair, which may take while. Certainly, far longer than any maintenance would have needed, particularly if your engineers have to source replacement components or seek specialist technical support before production can restart.   ### How can maintenance work around production schedules? A workable maintenance programme starts with identifying the windows within your production schedule, rather than assuming equipment can simply be turned off when its maintenance becomes due. Seasonal production patterns are one example, particularly if demands may vary during the year. Your business might use those quieter periods to identify work in advance and ensure your engineering teams are available. These maintenance periods will require some forward planning because short shutdowns will leave little time to call upon specialist support or order spare parts, if required.   ### What level of monitoring identifies which equipment needs attention? Let’s consider what you might usefully monitor when it comes to enclosure cooling equipment. In this instance, helpful information may include the internal temperature of an enclosure, or noting if you’re experiencing recurring alarms. In addition, a rise in energy consumption could indicate that your cooling unit requires longer to maintain optimal temperatures inside an enclosure. This data should help you identify equipment that may need further investigation during the next available window. Maintenance records add useful context because engineers can see when equipment last received attention and whether previous inspections identified developing concerns.   ### Where can a service partner help with maintenance planning? External service support can be particularly useful if a maintenance window is short or several pieces of specialist equipment need attention at once. Rittal service engineers can support planned maintenance on Rittal equipment, allowing work to be scheduled around agreed production requirements. The aim, as we’ve indicated, is to retain as much control as possible over when maintenance happens, rather than allowing an equipment fault to determine the timing for you. Book [a Rittal maintenance planning review](https://www.rittal.com/uk-en/service) to identify service priorities and plan maintenance activity around your production requirements.   [![Service CTA 2026 2027](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2675301/interactive-225049742851.png)](https://blog.rittal.co.uk/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJ0nBTpDQ%2Ba3gf4LQeKJx5ykZMNfwEuw%2F1zJ6AP3EqqV6V2RMNTuCvnJPlvSHmbT5LKL%2FfECyW9fR6933djtklGuuql4J4d2Facatitz6TE30cRLfutWHHa7svP8wcESD%2Fhpi%2BKNjjL8ExuRzB1n5OPy9s2YvGgQ06MkKM8XcKx5hJFiTQeV5nyuxNDBGsWriyLEcoYcva69OL6&webInteractiveContentId=225049742851&portalId=2675301) --- ### FAQ's How can manufacturers plan maintenance without disrupting production? Manufacturers can use planned shutdowns and quieter production periods to schedule work around operational requirements. Prioritising production-critical equipment and reviewing its condition beforehand helps maintenance teams plan these periods better, and prioritise work that delivers the greatest operational benefit. What is risk-based maintenance prioritisation? Risk-based prioritisation considers the consequences of equipment failing, as well as its condition and operating environment. 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