Direct answer
Begin with the first abnormal event, not the final alarm or pile-up. Time-stamp stops, preserve machine state, distinguish blocked and starved conditions, and rank causes by lost good packs before running a controlled corrective trial.
Why this matters
Packaging lines propagate faults. A feeder mispresentation can trigger a capper alarm, an upstream stop and a downstream queue. Recording only the final alarm directs maintenance to the wrong machine.
Decision table
| Field | Record | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Initiating event | First abnormal condition or alarm | Root-cause direction |
| Duration | Stop start and stable recovery | Lost time |
| State | Running, starved, blocked, faulted or waiting | Line interaction |
| Product and format | Recipe, batch and packaging lot | Correlation |
| Evidence | Photos, trend, reject and repair result | Verification |
Information to collect
- Synchronise machine clocks where possible.
- Use a short controlled cause list.
- Record micro-stops as well as breakdowns.
- Preserve alarm history before reset.
- Capture material and packaging batch changes.
- Measure stable recovery time, not only restart time.
Practical method
- 1
Build a Pareto by lost good packs.
- 2
Trace the top event to the earliest abnormal condition.
- 3
Test one corrective action.
- 4
Confirm the fault rate over a representative run.
- 5
Update maintenance, settings or training only after verification.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using “operator error” as a root cause.
- Changing parts before checking the process condition.
- Counting many short stops as insignificant.
- Merging different failure modes into one code.
- Closing an action after one successful pack.
Questions people also ask
What is a micro-stop?
A short interruption that may not trigger a formal downtime event but reduces performance when repeated.
Should downtime be measured by minutes or event count?
Use both, but prioritise lost good output and business impact.
What is the difference between blocked and starved?
Blocked means downstream cannot accept product; starved means upstream is not supplying product.
How long should a corrective action be monitored?
Long enough to cover representative products, packaging batches, replenishment and normal operator changes.
Continue from the requirement to the equipment
Use the specialist route that matches the product, pack and process. Final suitability requires representative samples, output targets and site information.