Why doesn’t equipment “that works for any plant” work for yours?

Every production line has its own throughput, its own product, and its own spatial layout. Standard equipment is designed for a broad range of conditions, not for your specific ones. When it fits, it’s only an approximation: it meets the minimum requirements, not the optimal ones. That means operating below the line’s actual capacity or oversizing a section that didn’t need it. In both cases, the rest of the process pays the price for the mismatch.

The three most common mistakes when the machine isn’t designed for your process

• Incorrectly sized capacity. Equipment calculated based on a generic industry average, not on the plant’s actual throughput, particle size distribution, or production peaks. The symptom isn’t always a breakdown: often, it’s a production ceiling that can never quite be explained.
• Incompatibility with the existing line. Differences in height, connections, or speed compared to the rest of the installed equipment. Every subsequent adjustment—a different flange, an added support—means time and cost that weren’t in the initial budget.
• Complicated spare parts and maintenance. If the manufacturer of the standard equipment isn’t familiar with the rest of the line, maintenance becomes a matter of managing multiple suppliers at once. And when there’s a shutdown, every hour spent trying to figure out who’s responsible is an hour of lost production.

What really sets a custom manufacturer apart

Many suppliers in the industry boast about manufacturing “custom” machinery, but very few of us control the entire process (design, manufacturing, assembly, commissioning, and maintenance). When the same team that designed the machine is the one that maintains it, there’s no loss of understanding between “how it was designed” and “how it’s repaired.”

At DAC Industrial, we handle this entire process with our own workshop and technical team, working on a range of conveying, mixing, and dosing equipment designed for bulk solids processes. It’s the same principle we’ve already explained in detail regarding how we approach each custom project, applied here to the specific problem of equipment that doesn’t fit the production line.

How to Know If Your Line Needs a Customized Overhaul

First and foremost, answer these four questions to help you pinpoint the problem before making a decision:

• Is the production line consistently operating below its theoretical capacity?
• Have adjustments or modifications to the current equipment become routine?
• Is it difficult to find replacement parts or suppliers who are familiar with the installed equipment?
• Does an unplanned shutdown affect more than one stage of the process?

If you answered “yes” to two or more of these questions, the problem isn’t just one of maintenance—it’s one of design. Our specialized technical consulting service begins precisely with this diagnosis. And if the decision you’re facing is broader in scope (whether to continue using the current equipment or replace it), it’s also worth reviewing the criteria for selecting the right machinery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to design custom equipment compared to standard equipment? 

The timeframe depends on the complexity of the process; the starting point is different in each case: we don’t simply choose from a catalog—we size the equipment for the plant’s actual flow rate and available space. That initial analysis pays off later in fewer adjustments. 

Is custom equipment more expensive to maintain? 

Not necessarily. Maintenance costs depend on the availability of replacement parts and the manufacturer’s technical knowledge of the installed equipment, not on whether the design is off-the-shelf or custom. Since we manufacture our own equipment at DAC Industrial, we guarantee full availability of parts and replacement components.

Can I integrate custom-designed equipment into a production line already set up with equipment from other manufacturers? 

Yes, this is common. The custom design is based precisely on the conditions of the existing line, including equipment from other suppliers with which it must coexist.

What information does the manufacturer need to size the equipment correctly? 

Flow rate and type of product to be handled, available space, equipment it must connect to, and plant conditions (temperature, dust, humidity). The more accurate the information, the less room for error. That’s why at DAC Industrial, before we start working in the workshop, we invest time in understanding every last detail of our customers’ needs.

Does your production line exhibit any of these issues? Request a no-obligation technical assessment

En DAC Industrial trabajamos cada día con gerentes, ingenieros y responsables de planta que se hacen la misma pregunta: ¿renovamos ya, o aguantamos un ciclo más? Este artículo no pretende vender. 

Pretende ayudarte a identificar, con criterio técnico, si ha llegado el momento de actuar.

¿Por qué la decisión de renovar maquinaria nunca es sencilla? 

El coste de una máquina nueva es una cifra concreta, fácil de poner sobre la mesa en una reunión de dirección. El coste de seguir con un equipo obsoleto, en cambio, es difuso: se reparte entre horas de mantenimiento, mermas de producción, retrasos en pedidos y pequeñas ineficiencias que, sumadas, pesan mucho más de lo que parece a simple vista. 

Esta asimetría es la razón por la que muchas empresas industriales retrasan la renovación más de lo que deberían. No es falta de visión, es que el coste de no actuar no aparece en ninguna factura: aparece en la cuenta de resultados, diluido entre muchas partidas distintas. 

Por eso, antes de mirar presupuestos de maquinaria nueva, conviene mirar hacia dentro de la planta y detectar las señales que indican que el equipo actual ya ha tocado techo.  

Nueva soldadora láser para DAC Industrial 

7 señales claras de que tu maquinaria necesita una renovación 

Averías cada vez más frecuentes

Cuando las paradas no programadas se han convertido en algo habitual: es desgaste estructural. Si una máquina empieza a fallar con más frecuencia que hace un año, el patrón rara vez se revierte solo con un mantenimiento rutinario. 

Aumento del coste de mantenimiento

Hay un punto a partir del cual mantener una máquina sale más caro que sustituirla. Si el gasto en reparaciones, recambios y horas técnicas crece año tras año sin que la producción mejore, esa curva merece ser analizada con números reales, no con intuición. 

Caída de la producción o de la calidad del producto final

Una máquina envejecida no siempre se avería: a veces simplemente rinde menos. Tolerancias menos precisas, ciclos más lentos o productos que requieren más retrabajo son señales de que el equipo ya no está a la altura de las exigencias actuales de producción. 

Dificultad para conseguir recambios

Cuando un fabricante descataloga piezas o los plazos de suministro se alargan semanas, la dependencia de un equipo antiguo se convierte en un riesgo operativo real. 

Incompatibilidad con nuevos requisitos de producción

Si la empresa ha crecido, ha diversificado productos o necesita integrarse en procesos más automatizados, una máquina diseñada para otra realidad productiva se convierte en un cuello de botella, por bien que haya funcionado en el pasado. 

Riesgos de seguridad o problemas de certificación

La normativa de seguridad industrial evoluciona. Un equipo que no cumple los estándares actuales no solo expone a riesgos operativos, también a riesgos legales y de responsabilidad. Si tienes dudas sobre si tu maquinaria cumple la normativa vigente, es momento de revisarlo con un especialista. Nuestras máquinas cumplen con los más altos requisitos de seguridad. 

La competencia ya ha dado el salto 

Cuando otras empresas del sector renuevan sus líneas de producción, la diferencia de eficiencia no tarda en notarse en plazos de entrega, costes y capacidad de respuesta. No es necesariamente una alarma, pero sí un indicador de hacia dónde se mueve el mercado. 

Renovar, reparar o seguir esperando: cómo decidir con criterio

No todas las señales anteriores significan lo mismo, ni todas requieren la misma respuesta. Antes de decidir, conviene analizar: 

• Vida útil restante real del equipo, más allá de su antigüedad nominal. 
• Coste acumulado de mantenimiento de los últimos 12-24 meses, comparado con el coste de renovación. 
• Impacto en la producción: paradas, mermas, retrasos y su traducción en facturación. 
• Margen de adaptación del equipo actual a las necesidades futuras de la empresa. 

Esta es precisamente la parte donde un diagnóstico técnico externo aporta más valor: permite separar la percepción ("la máquina ya es vieja") del dato real ("la máquina genera un sobrecoste de X euros al mes y un riesgo de parada del Y%"). 

¿Qué aporta una renovación bien planificada (más allá de la máquina nueva)?

Renovar maquinaria industrial no debería entenderse como sustituir un equipo por otro, sino como una oportunidad para rediseñar el proceso productivo con criterio. Una renovación bien planificada permite: 

• Ganar eficiencia real en cada ciclo de producción. 
• Reducir errores y mermas asociadas a equipos desgastados. 
• Optimizar procesos completos, no solo sustituir una pieza del engranaje. 

Disponer de una solución integral, adaptada a las necesidades concretas de la planta, en lugar de una máquina estándar que obliga a adaptar el proceso a sus limitaciones. 

En DAC Industrial no partimos de un catálogo cerrado: diseñamos y fabricamos maquinaria a medida, pensada para resolver el problema productivo concreto de cada cliente, no para encajarlo en un modelo genérico. 

Si reconoces alguna de estas señales en tu planta, el primer paso no es comprar una máquina nueva: es entender, con datos, qué te está costando realmente seguir con la actual. Solicita un diagnóstico técnico con DAC Industrial y te ayudamos a valorar si tu maquinaria necesita renovación, con criterio profesional y sin compromiso. 

Escríbenos y analizaremos tu caso. 

For many companies, the challenge is not just having machinery up and running, but ensuring it maintains stable and reliable performance over time. It is in this context that preventive maintenance is seen not as an expense, but as an industrial management tool.

The real problem when a machine stops

Murphy's Law. A breakdown can happen at the worst possible time: during a production peak, with orders in progress, or when the line is running at full capacity. How we resolve the issue, and the tools we have at our disposal, is what distinguishes companies that manage equipment from those that focus on managing production.

Therefore, if you want to reduce technical incidents in your production plant and their collateral effects (lower efficiency, more errors, increased operational pressure, and a potential impact on overall performance), you must invest in preventive maintenance of equipment and machinery.

Discover the custom solutions we offer at DAC Industrial

What exactly is preventive maintenance?

Preventive maintenance is the set of planned actions taken on a machine or facility to prevent a breakdown from occurring. The goal is to detect wear, misalignments, or anomalies in time and correct them before they turn into an unplanned shutdown.

Preventive Maintenance vs. Corrective Maintenance

The difference is simple:

• Corrective maintenance: action is taken after the problem has already occurred, that is, when the machine has already stopped working.
• Preventive maintenance: it's carried out before the problem impacts production.

In the short term, it may seem more convenient to "fix problems as they arise." But in practice, this logic tends to create more urgency, more improvisation, and less control. 

How to perform maintenance?

Waiting for a breakdown to occur usually ends up being more expensive

When you only intervene when something fails, the cost you have to bear isn't just the repair. There are also costs in terms of:

• diagnostic time,
• loss of production pace,
• replanning,
• possible impact on quality,
• and dependence on an urgent response.

In contrast, a well-defined preventive plan helps you work with more foresight and less operational stress.

How Preventive Maintenance Impacts Production Continuity

The value of preventive maintenance should not be measured only by the parts replaced or inspections performed, but by what it prevents:

• Fewer unplanned downtime. This is the first major advantage. If you regularly inspect a machine's critical points, it's easier to detect symptoms before they turn into a failure. 
• Greater stability in line performance. A production line doesn't just need to run; it needs to do so consistently. When equipment is inspected, adjusted, and properly maintained, the line's performance tends to be more stable and predictable.
• Better equipment lifespan and less premature wear and tear. Proper maintenance also helps protect your investment. 

Signs that your plant needs a preventive plan

There are still many companies that think, "as long as everything is working, there's no need to touch anything." The problem is that the change of heart happens by force and comes too late. Some indicators worth reviewing are:

• Recurring incidents. If the same machine experiences issues repeatedly, no matter how small, it's not a coincidence: it's a warning.
• Excessive reliance on emergency repairs. When maintenance always comes in the form of an emergency, the problem isn't the repair: it's the lack of planning.
• Lack of traceability, spare parts, or clear routines. If there is no defined criteria for what to inspect, when to do it, or which spare parts to have available, the operational risk increases.

What elements should a good preventive maintenance plan include

Not all equipment requires the same level of monitoring. But, in general, a well-designed plan should include at least these points:

• Inventory of critical equipment. You need to know which machines have the greatest impact on production continuity and prioritize them.
• Maintenance schedule. It's not about doing maintenance "whenever you can," but about defining realistic frequencies based on usage, workload, and criticality.
• Lubrication, adjustments, cleaning, and inspections. These types of actions are part of the most basic maintenance, but they are often what prevent major problems.
• Key spare parts and technical criteria. Not all spare parts need to be in stock, but it is advisable to identify the most sensitive or critical components to reduce response time in the event of a failure.

When it makes sense to have external technical support

Some plants have a very capable in-house maintenance team. But there are also cases where working with external support provides additional expertise, specialization, or responsiveness. At DAC Industrial, we offer this additional support with our team, which has extensive experience in machinery repair.

This is usually especially useful when:

• there are custom-made equipment or specific installations,
• specialized technical diagnosis is needed,
• you want to implement a more rigorous preventive maintenance plan,
• or you are looking for a partner who understands both the machine and its production impact.

Conclusion: prevention is protecting production

Preventive maintenance is not just a recommended technical practice; it's a management decision that directly affects production continuity. In a demanding industrial environment, preventing means reducing unplanned downtime, working more organizedly, protecting equipment, and gaining operational stability. At DAC Industrial, this is how we understand our work.

And, above all, it means moving from a reactive approach to a proactive one.

If your company wants to reduce the risk of production downtime and define a preventive maintenance plan for industrial machinery with technical expertise, at DAC Industrial we offer maintenance, repair, and spare parts supply services that work to improve the production of our clients' industries. 

Contact us if you would like us to analyze your case or request a quote. 

An auger conveyor - or screw conveyor - is a mechanical conveying solution that uses a rotating screw to move bulk materials in a continuous, controlled and safe manner. Its mechanical simplicity contrasts with its great versatility: it is capable of conveying cereals, flours, minerals, biomass, sludge, waste and many other materials, regardless of the distance or orientation required for transport.

DAC Industrial Screw Conveyor Models

At DAC Industrial we manufacture a wide range of screw conveyors, each designed to meet the specific needs of each industry and application:

• SSC - Troughed Conveyor: The most versatile solution for horizontal or slightly inclined conveying of powdered or granular materials.
• SCT - Tubular Conveyor: ideal when the conveyed material must be protected from the outside environment or when space is limited.
• SLC - Screw conveyor with casing: Especially recommended for materials that can be trapped in the central core, such as fibrous or pasty products.
• SLD - Desander Conveyor: Designed to separate and remove suspended solids from liquid streams, widely used in wastewater treatment plants and waste treatment plants.
• SLE - Extractor Conveyor: Designed for the controlled extraction of material from hoppers or tanks, ensuring a stable and adjustable flow.
• SLF - Conveyor with filter: a specific solution for applications where it is necessary to filter and dewater the material during the conveying process.
• SLP - Pressing conveyor: incorporates a progressive compression system that allows to reduce the volume of the conveyed material, which makes it very useful for waste or biomass.
• SLI - Injector conveyor: Designed to introduce materials in a controlled way in specific industrial processes.
• SLV - Vertical conveyor: for elevating material in confined spaces where it is not possible to install a conventional bucket elevator.

Key advantages of our Screw Screw Conveyors

Choosing an auger conveyor from DAC Industrial means choosing equipment built to withstand the demands of daily industrial work. Some of the most outstanding advantages:

• Continuous and efficient conveying of bulk materials, with no interruptions in production flow.
• Quality metal construction, with steel plate, galvanized steel or stainless steel, depending on the material to be transported and the hygienic or anti-corrosion requirements of each installation.
• Wide range of screws: light, medium and heavy duty, spiral, without casing... to adapt to all types of materials and applications.
• Long conveying length, allowing long distances to be covered in a single installation.
• Anti-blocking system, which guarantees process continuity even with difficult or irregular materials.
• Integrated rotation and temperature detectors to monitor operation in real time and preventively detect any anomalies.
• Inspection ports for easy maintenance and cleaning, minimizing downtime.
• Optional ATEX certification (EX h IIIA T135 Dc) for installations in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Key technical features

The manufacturing quality of our screw conveyors is reflected in a number of features that make a long-term difference:

• Geared motor or direct motor drive, matched to the optimum power and speed for each application.
• Finishing materials selected at depending on the product to be conveyed: carbon steel for standard applications, stainless steel for food or pharmaceutical use.
• Modular design that facilitates the expansion or modification of the installation without the need to replace all the equipment.
• Compatibility with control and automation systems, allowing integration into digitized production lines.

Industries and applications

DAC Industrial screw conveyors are successfully used in sectors as diverse as:

• Food and beverage industry: conveying of cereals, flours, pulses, animal feed and other bulk products.
• Chemical and pharmaceutical industry: handling of powders and granules under controlled conditions of hygiene and containment.
• Waste management and environment: extraction, filtration and dewatering of sludge and solid waste in treatment plants.
• Biomass and renewable energies: feeding of boilers and combustion systems with wood chips, pellets or other biofuels.
• Mining and construction: transport of sands, gravels and minerals in high-wear conditions.

If your company already uses chain conveyors or bucket elevators, sinfi screw conveyors can perfectly complement your installation to cover specific sections or requirements that other systems do not address as efficiently.

Tailor-made projects: our specialty

At DAC Industrial we do not work with standard solutions; we design each piece of equipment according to the specific needs of your project: the type of material, the production volume, the conveying distance, the environmental conditions and the requirements of your installation. Our technical team accompanies you from the first moment, from the definition of the project to the start-up and subsequent preventive maintenance.

We want your investment in industrial machinery to be profitable from day one. That's why we offer you expert advice, the best after-sales service and we make sure that the equipment is perfectly integrated into your production process. Take a look at our services and discover what we can do for you.

Rely on DAC Industrial's experience

With hundreds of completed projects and a constant commitment to innovation and quality, DAC Industrial is your trusted partner for material handling and transportation. If you want to optimize your company's internal logistics and ensure maximum reliability in the transport of bulk materials, our screw conveyors are the solution you were looking for.

Do you want to know which model of screw conveyor is the most suitable for your project? Contact us and we will guide you to the optimal solution!

For this reason, we would like to share the conclusions of the III Report on the Analysis of University Engineering Studies, presented by INGITE at the beginning of the year, which paints a worrying picture for the future of the profession and, in turn, for the entire Spanish industrial fabric.

The strategic role of engineering

INGITE is the body that brings together the professional associations of the ten branches of engineering in Spain and represents more than 350,000 professionals. Its aim is to promote engineering as a fundamental tool for tackling social, economic and industrial challenges.

From this perspective, the report highlights a profound mismatch between the academic offer and the real needs of the labor market, with direct implications for strategic sectors such as industry.

A drastic decline in engineering vocations

One of the most striking findings of the study is the sustained loss of interest in engineering studies. The number of students enrolled has fallen by 33 % since the 2002-2003 academic year. Whereas in 2002 engineering accounted for 24 % of university enrollments, in the 2024-2025 academic year this figure stands at 16.98 %.

This decline jeopardizes generational succession at a time when industry needs more technical profiles than ever.

Few graduates to meet the challenges of the future

The situation is even more critical if we look at the number of graduates. Only 7.54 % of all university graduates have an engineering degree. In 2006, this proportion was close to 20 %.

According to INGITE, this volume is clearly insufficient to meet the challenges of energy transition, digitalization and industrial transformation, processes that require a high level of technical competence.

A very high dropout rate

In addition to the lack of vocations, there is another worrying factor: around 50 % of students who start an engineering degree do not complete it.

This dropout rate further aggravates the shortage of qualified professionals and highlights the need to review both academic approaches and the orientation of studies.

The explosion of non-qualifying degrees

Currently, 53% of undergraduate engineering degrees do not allow the practice of the regulated profession. In the last decade, this type of degree has grown by 59.4 %.

This means that many graduates cannot assume professional responsibilities, such as approving projects or supervising construction work, without completing additional training.

This pattern has direct consequences for people:

• There are more than 200 000 people affected -between graduates and students- who have completed non-enabling degrees.
• Many are forced to invest more time and financial resources in enabling master's degrees in order to be able to practice fully, which delays their entry into the labor market.

According to INGITE, this situation generates frustration and discourages new vocations.

The positive aspect: greater female presence

The report also includes some positive indicators:

• The presence of women in engineering studies has increased by 36.6 % in the last ten years.
• They now represent 23% of the student body.
• They also have a higher graduation rate (46.9 %) than men (39.4 %).

Nevertheless, significant regional imbalances persist. While some communities are increasing enrollments -often driven by non-accredited degrees- others with a long industrial tradition, such as Asturias, Castilla y León or Extremadura, are seeing enrollments in accredited degrees fall significantly.

A structural solution: an Engineering Law

As a strategic conclusion, INGITE calls for the urgent need for an Engineering Law that:

• Unifies the professional framework.
• Protect the name of engineering by demanding compliance with European standards.
• Eliminate the current confusion between academic qualifications and professional attributions.

According to the organization, this is an essential condition to guarantee the future of the profession and ensure that the industry has the necessary technical talent.

At DAC Industrial, we share this concern. The development of our own efficient and sustainable industrial solutions is only possible with personnel who have the appropriate training, aligned with the real needs of the sector.

We believe that strengthening the link between the company, training and industrial reality is key to ensure a competitive future.

See the main findings of the study