Electronic credit repair kit

Maintenance managers are repeatedly urged to avoid unplanned downtime by proactively addressing deteriorating mechanisms before they fail.

In some cases this means scheduling the replacement of items that wear at a predictable rate before the wear impacts operations. In other cases, deteriorating or unusual performance indicates the need for attention to a specific machine area.

In either case, it is very important to manage the job so that it can be completed quickly, preferably during a scheduled shutdown.

Project Kits

Often, it is impossible to know what parts will need to be replaced until the unit has been taken apart. Your supplier should be able to tell you which parts in the assembly are likely needed to correct the problem at hand and also what other parts are commonly replaced in that area.

If you buy only the most likely needed parts, there is the potential for facing the dilemma of re-assembling the mechanism with parts that will need replacement soon or keeping the machine down until the other parts are delivered. The alternative is to buy all of the potentially needed parts and be left with stock that may never be used. None of these is a desirable outcome.

One effective solution is to work with your parts supplier on a kit for the particular portion of the machine that is to be disassembled. You purchase the kit that includes all of the parts that are potentially needed with the agreement that the parts supplier will take back the unused parts for credit. That way you can finish the job properly and not build up a large, expensive parts inventory.

Swap Instead of Re-Build

There is a popular finishing machine feeder that uses urethane wheel covers that need to be replaced periodically. The wheel shafts can be removed and replaced quickly but replacing the urethane covers is a bit time consuming.

To fit the job into a normal PM shutdown while leaving time for all the other routine tasks, keep a spare set of shafts and wheels on hand. That way the ones with the new covers can be quickly exchanged with the used ones. Replacing the covers can then be a fill-in job to be done as time permits.

Most flexo ink systems require frequent work on their pump and valve components. A way to reduce downtime when the pump system malfunctions is to set up the plumbing and electrical connections so that they can be quickly disconnected and have a spare system to plug in. That way the flexo unit can be up and running in a few minutes and the defective system can be repaired at leisure in the shop.

Some suppliers offer this feature on new systems but maintenance personnel fairly easily can arrange it on most machines.

Upgrade Instead of Repair

As machinery has developed, solutions have been found to reduce the time it takes to perform many maintenance functions. For example, on certain flexo printing units, it is an all day job to change the anilox rolls. On others the job can be done in a few hours.

When getting new rolls for the difficult to change design, it is relatively inexpensive to convert to the quick-change style.

Electronic Obsolescence

Unfortunately, in the race to computerize box making machinery, many controls were built with components that were state of the art at their time but which are now no longer available.

Conduct an audit of your machinery. Check with your parts suppliers to ensure that all of the electronic components of your machines are readily available. If some items are not available, or do not have one to one replacements, you need to consider replacing the control with one that can be maintained.

The alternative is to operate the machine in manual mode that normally means that setups or operating speeds will be compromised.

Annual OEM Inspections

Most people think that the performance of a machine will deteriorate over time, but that is not necessarily the case.

If you have a service technician from the OEM inspect the machine every year, he can see how something has worn or broken that prevents the machine from performing like it did when it was new. If you then correct those items, you should expect to get "like new" results.

If done annually, the machine can usually be brought back to specification relatively easily and inexpensively.

On the other hand, if you allow problems to accumulate for years, not only will the rebuild be very costly but, more importantly, you will have been operating at a sub-standard level which is probably the much larger cost.

Don't assume that you have to live with time-consuming, expensive maintenance procedures. Try to find ways to eliminate maintenance issues or reduce the time it takes to do them.

The information above references just a few examples of ways to streamline maintenance functions. The basic ideas can be applied to many other situations.