Copy the downtime log
Copy these headings into your spreadsheet. Use one row for each stoppage.
| Date | Shift | Machine / station | Work order | Start date and time | End date and time | Duration (minutes) | Category | Reason code | Action taken | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enter both the date and time for the start and end. This keeps the duration calculation correct when a stop crosses midnight.
Leave the end and duration blank while a stop is ongoing. Record what is known in the notes; use **Unknown / needs investigation** until the cause is verified. Mark timestamps entered later as estimates.
Calculate downtime duration
When the start and end cells contain spreadsheet date-and-time values, calculate minutes with:
Duration in minutes = (End date and time − Start date and time) × 1440
The multiplier converts days to minutes. Leave the duration blank if either timestamp is missing, and flag an end time earlier than the start time.
Classify stoppages
Agree on categories with production and maintenance teams. Keep the definitions consistent when comparing periods.
Suggested planned stops:
- Scheduled maintenance
- Tooling or setup change
- Scheduled cleaning or handover
Suggested unplanned stops:
- Mechanical or electrical fault
- Jam or material feed blockage
- Material or component shortage
- Unscheduled staffing or quality hold
Keep an **Unknown / needs investigation** option. Add a reason code when the cause is confirmed, and adapt the list to the events on your shop floor.
Review the log
At handover, review incomplete entries without closing a stop that is still in progress. At a regular review, group completed entries by machine, shift and reason. Compare both total duration and number of stops: one long stop and many short stops call for different investigation.
For a reporting period, count only the portion of each stop inside that period. Count overlapping stops on the same machine only once when calculating total downtime.
Calculate availability
Define scheduled production time and excluded pauses before comparing periods. The following is one consistent approach:
Planned production time = Shift duration − Excluded scheduled pauses
Operating time = Planned production time − Planned stops within planned production time − Unplanned stops within planned production time
Availability = Operating time ÷ Planned production time
Subtract each stopped minute only once. Leave availability blank when planned production time is zero. Format the result as a percentage if needed.
A downtime log supports the availability calculation; it does not by itself provide a complete OEE result. Performance and quality data are also needed.
From a spreadsheet to camera-based tracking
Manual logs provide a place to record reasons and actions. Entries can also be delayed or missed, so their usefulness depends on consistent recording and review.
FactoryVision counts finished parts and tracks downtime. It uses one camera per machine, with no sensors attached to the machine and no wiring into it. Its models run on a small computer in the factory.
Station status is shown against the daily target: green is on track, yellow is at risk and red is behind. FactoryVision is designed for countable, discrete parts; continuous processes such as extrusion are outside its counting scope. It is not an ERP, MES or SCADA system.
FactoryVision runs in a Turkish door and furniture factory.
Sources and claims
| Claim or figure | Source |
|---|---|
| “Machine downtime tracking”: 140 estimated monthly US searches | `docs/seo/keyword-research-2026-11-12.md`; Ubersuggest/Google Ads figure, rounded, recorded 2026-11-12. This is keyword research, not a product result. |
| FactoryVision counts finished parts and tracks downtime | Founder facts, 2026-11-13. |
| One camera per machine; no sensors or machine wiring; local processing; station status colors; discrete-part scope | Supplied house-style sample, `count-finished-work-with-one-camera`. |
| FactoryVision is not an ERP, MES or SCADA system | Founder facts and supplied house-style sample. |
| FactoryVision runs in a Turkish door and furniture factory | Founder facts, 2026-11-13. |
| Purchase starts with an introductory call; setup follows the company’s machines and processes | Founder facts, 2026-11-13; introductory-call link. |
| Duration, availability and logging instructions | Spreadsheet arithmetic and the explicitly defined method in this template; no external benchmark or customer result is claimed. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate machine downtime duration in a spreadsheet?
Enter both the start and end date and time for each stop. Multiply the difference between the end timestamp and start timestamp by 1440 to convert days into minutes: `(End date and time − Start date and time) × 1440`.
What is the difference between planned and unplanned downtime?
Planned downtime covers scheduled events such as preventive maintenance, tooling changes, and cleaning or handover. Unplanned downtime covers unexpected interruptions such as mechanical faults, material feed jams, component shortages, and unscheduled staffing holds.
Does a machine downtime tracking spreadsheet calculate complete OEE?
No. A downtime log provides the operating time and planned production time needed to calculate availability. Complete Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) also requires performance and quality data.
How does FactoryVision track downtime and count parts without machine sensors?
FactoryVision uses one camera per machine connected to a small computer running locally in the factory. It counts finished discrete parts and tracks downtime visually without wiring into machines or attaching physical sensors.
What types of manufacturing processes does FactoryVision support?
FactoryVision is designed for countable, discrete parts. Continuous manufacturing processes, such as extrusion, are outside its counting scope. FactoryVision is not an ERP, MES, or SCADA system.
Talk to FactoryVision
Book an introductory call. After the call, we get to know your company so the setup fits your machines and processes.