If you work with industrial machines, you probably know regularly scheduled and proper maintenance is a must. The maintenance schedule you decide on will be whatever works for you, although more maintenance checks are always better. However, it may reach a point where you need maintenance immediately. How do you know when you are in an emergency situation and it’s time to call a professional?
A maintenance emergency is effectively a service or repair job. What makes it a maintenance emergency is that it may be a small issue, but could become a bigger and more expensive repair job if you leave it unaddressed. That is, your machine may be working, but it’s giving you signs it probably isn’t going to keep working for long. So what are some of those signs?
Signs of Wear
Age is the obvious reason to have a machine maintenanced. Over lengths of time seals dry up, belts warp and gears become worn, when you have these in your equipment watch for alignment issues caused from vibration, call for maintenance at the first signs so further damage won’t occur. After a period of extended use be on the look out for higher temperatures, worn out parts and poor lubrication as these are all signs for immediate maintenance.
Lubrication
This is one of the most important maintenance checks. Always be on the look out for signs of excess oil or lubricant build up in your machines. While we know a machine needs lubricant, too much can cause just as many problems as too little. Experts can even analyze the particles in a lubricant and report back any contaminants that could explain the location of the wear indicating the machines problem area. Don’t forget to make sure the correct lubricant is being used, there are very specific kinds of oil and grease, consult with the manual if your are unsure.
Speed
Not just slower than usual, but faster than usual. Even though a lot of industrial machines look big and bulky, they are precision instruments. Any time one of them is moving considerably slower or faster than they should, it’s a sign that some part isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do.
A faster machine may seem great in the short-term, but if it’s faster because a part fell off that was holding the whole thing together, or because a safety mechanism has failed and it’s getting ready to go off the rails, that’s not a good thing. Get it checked out.
User Feedback
You’ve got employees that work with these machines every day. They’re probably going to know when something’s wrong. Even if they can’t point to a specific problem, they can have an intuitive feel for when there’s trouble. If you’ve got workers coming to you saying they feel strongly that one of the machines needs maintenance, you’re going to want to listen.
If you see any of these signs and your machine is still running, get it maintenanced and repaired. This could save the machine from catastrophic failures or expensive repairs! Whether you need maintenance or repair for any of your machines, Global Electronic Services has the experts who can help. With our highly-trained service technicians and 18-month in-service warranty, we can provide the service you need to solve problems fast, even before they happen.
Be sure to visit us online at www.gesrepair.com or call us at 1-877-249-1701 to learn more about our services. We’re proud to offer Surplus, Complete Repair and Maintenance on all types of Industrial Electronics, Servo Motors, AC and DC Motors, Hydraulics and Pneumatics. Please subscribe to our YouTube page and Like Us on Facebook! Thank you