The school year has started here in Cincinnati. For some families, it’s the very first year in the school system; for others, it’s the last. Every year in between brings its own mix of emotions. Personally, I look forward to the sports and events, watching the camaraderie grow between my daughters, their friends, and their teams.
This year, we have a 10th, 7th, and 5th grader. One is about to get her learner’s permit, one is trying out for school volleyball, and one is in her final year of elementary. It feels like a big year all around. The pace of activities has been so fast that it’s hard to fully process what’s happening—and that same thing can easily happen in our work lives.
At home, my wife and I often feel like we’re treading water, bouncing from one thing to the next. We use downtime not just to catch our breath, but also to talk through what’s working, what’s not, and how to prepare better for the weeks ahead. When we skip those conversations, tension builds, and we end up storming as a team. The same holds true in a production environment: without regular evaluation and planning, the whole system suffers.
In manufacturing, output rarely stops. Even when a sector halts for a planned shutdown, the project list is carefully managed to minimize disruption. The focus is always on keeping production moving—whether that means picking up speed, adding shifts, or running longer hours. But smooth production depends on proactive planning.
Take compressed air systems as an example. A simple habit like measuring pressure drop across filters can prevent costly downtime. By installing pipe tees and pressure gauges upstream and downstream of filters, you can monitor performance. Once the differential hits 5 psig, it’s time to plan for an element replacement. Adding this to a maintenance schedule and aligning it with your purchasing cycle turns an unexpected expense into a controlled, predictable one.
Just like meal prep and calendar reviews keep our family life running more smoothly, preventive maintenance and equipment monitoring keep production lines efficient. For parents entering the whirlwind of school activities—hang in there. Build a community with the other parents around you. It truly takes a village, just like it takes every department working together to deliver a finished product.
Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF