Stop Problems Before They Start: How Planned Maintenance Maximises Uptime in Post-Harvest Processing

In the world of post-harvest processing, equipment reliability isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. From heavy soil to high volumes, the day-to-day demands placed on your machinery are intense. And when the season peaks, the last thing you want is a breakdown that stalls production, delays delivery, and eats into your profits. 

Planning maintenance is one of the smartest investments you can make in the long-term performance of your line. This means proactively scheduling inspections, servicing, and part replacements to align with your production cycle. The goal is to reduce the risk of unexpected breakdowns, minimise downtime, and keep your equipment running at peak efficiency.

Wyma’s service capability spans the world, with dedicated offices across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and established service partners in the Americas and Asia. No customer is too far away. Whether it's in person or via remote access, Wyma’s teams can reach wherever they’re needed to provide expert support.

Wyma’s dedicated teams in each region work closely with customers to build maintenance strategies tailored to their unique environment and schedule. Danny Burns, After Sales and Service Manager for Wyma New Zealand, and Petr Peltan, After Sales and Service Manager for Wyma Europe, share their insights throughout this article.

Why plan ahead?

Danny Burns, Sales and Service Manager for Wyma New Zealand:

"Our aim is simple, we want maintenance to have zero impact on our customers’ production schedule or rates. That means working around their seasons, their daily operations, and the life cycle of each component."

Petr Peltan, Sales and Service Manager for Wyma Europe:

"The key is to build a consistent routine that supports peak performance without causing disruption. For many of our European customers, this means planning maintenance between crop cycles and keeping essential spare parts on site to respond quickly when needed."

It’s a proactive approach that pays off. Rather than reacting to breakdowns, Wyma’s global teams work closely with customers to create tailored maintenance plans that fit their operation. This includes scheduling work during downtimes and off-seasons to minimise disruption.

Designed to handle wear, and designed for support

Even the most robust equipment has parts that wear. In fact, some components are intentionally designed to do so.

Danny Burns:

"We build sacrificial parts into our machines. These are cost-effective elements designed to wear out before more expensive components like motors or gearboxes are affected."

The idea is simple. Contain wear in areas that are cheaper and easier to service, reducing your overall cost and risk. 

Petr Peltan:

"This approach also makes it easier for customers to stock the right spare parts, ensuring they have the most likely wear items on hand and reducing the impact of unexpected breakdowns."

Preventative maintenance in action

Every customer’s line and environment are different, but Wyma’s preventative maintenance programme is designed to adapt. It typically includes:

• Inspection during operation and downtime to see and hear how the machine performs
• Adjustment of belts, chains and tensioners to restore optimal function
• Cleaning, greasing, and oiling to ensure long-term reliability
• Wear part replacements based on run hours and performance data

It’s not just about replacing parts. It’s about optimising your entire line. That includes advising customers on product flow, identifying bottlenecks, and even resetting machines to their original commissioned settings if incremental changes over time have reduced performance.

Early warning signs to look for

Want to know if your line might need attention? Here are five red flags Wyma’s engineers frequently observe:

• Unusual sounds: A noisy bearing might be obvious to a technician but invisible to an operator used to the sound.
• Excess dirt build-up: Indicates lack of cleaning or possible wear issues.
• Gradual slowdown: Production drops can be hard to spot without a benchmark.
• Overloading machines: Trying to increase throughput by pushing machines too hard can lead to reduced output and greater wear.
• Small changes adding up: Incremental tweaks by multiple people can gradually degrade line performance.

Smarter technology, smarter maintenance

As more Wyma equipment comes online with remote monitoring, maintenance planning is getting even smarter. By tracking motor and gearbox run hours, vibration patterns, and torque analysis, Wyma can help detect early signs of wear before they become failures. This allows us to fine-tune your maintenance schedule more precisely.

Your investment in machinery is significant. Getting the best out of it requires a long-term view and a maintenance partner who understands the demands of your environment.

Danny Burns:

"We’re on a journey with our customers. Yes, we can fix breakdowns. But the real value is in preventing them."

Wherever you're based, Wyma has you covered. With Wyma’s dedicated service teams and tailored maintenance programmes, Wyma is here to help you get the most from every harvest.

To learn more about Wyma’s preventative maintenance programmes, or to connect with your local service team, visit here.