Preparing for the purchase of a new machine is an exciting time. Your company is seeing growth, production is looking to increase and now the expense has been approved by management. As purchasing has quotes come in from different OEMs, often times the only real deciding factor is price. When comparing apples to apples the most economic choice will win the day. But when it comes to staying up and running in production there is much to consider.
Will the machine builder be around in ten years?
The first thing to consider is the stability of the machine builder you are buying from. The very worst thing that can happen is that your company ends up with a machine with zero support and unfortunately the most common cause of this is companies going under. Check into the company by looking at how their profits have been over the years. Are they a publicly traded company? How long have they been in business? Questions like this will give you an idea on where the company is headed and will they be around down the road when you really need them.
What is the support structure like?
Another important thing to consider is what the support is like when there is a failure? Important factors can be things as simple as where the company is located. If the company is overseas how hard is it to communicate with them? Do they have a parts department in the US? What is their response time? A series of test calls can enlighten you on what it will be like if you truly have a problem after you purchase the machine. Make a couple calls to their tech support. Ask yourself – How friendly were they? How quickly did you get a response back? How knowledgeable is their staff?
Can I get replacement parts?
When deciding what machine to buy we recommend the following three things be “must haves”.
- The first is that the machine must have a parts breakdown. If the company does not provide a parts breakdown of individual components this is a red flag. The reason is that at any time a maintenance crew must be able to swiftly identify the faulty part, and either get it repaired or replaced quickly. If the machine OEM does not provide parts list then they are only interested in selling new machines, not keeping their current ones up and running.
- The second is that parts must be guaranteed in stock. Ask questions on how long your machine will be supported from the time of purchase. Most companies will have a certain number of years that they will guarantee they will have parts in stock for any given machine. A good number would be ten years. Be wary of machines that only have support of less than five years. This could spell trouble down the line.
- The last consideration is programming and parameters. If the machine builder will not share these and demand that only they support or service the software: walk away. This is a guaranteed problem. One of the most basic ways to troubleshoot a machine is to reload all software and parameters. If the machine OEM will not give the machine programming out or makes you jump through hoops or pay to get them, it greatly undermines what you can do in a down situation.
While buying a new machine is expensive and price is definitely a factor, your company’s success relies on that machine staying up and running. Doing a little homework on the company that made the machine can prevent some major headaches. But if you do have a failure remember that Global Electronic Services Inc. is here to help! 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 YouTubepage and Like Us on Facebook! Thank you!