3 Reasons Preventive Maintenance Should be a Corporatewide Initiative

By Roger Shelzer, Account Manager February 9, 2017

When you adopt a company Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) plan, you involve everyone in machine maintenance, upkeep, reliability, and overall performance. Main TPM concepts involve improved machine performance, reduced downtime, and improved productivity. These concepts are similar to Total Quality Management (TQM). TPM implementation involves employee empowerment, benchmarking, documentation, and other TQM tools. Nippondenso and other Japanese TPM…
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What Are the Oldest Machines That Still Work?

By GES February 8, 2017

If machines on your assembly line are still functional after long lives of heavy use, it’s time to pat yourself on the back for maintenance well-done. Most machines have expected life spans, after which they’re likely to break down and need to be replaced. But by following maintenance best practices, most machines can provide years…
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Schedule Maintenance to Minimize Downtime

By GES February 7, 2017

Today’s manufacturing sector is more competitive than ever. Line shutdowns cost money, either in lost productivity or — worse — lost sales. Maintenance schedules help manufacturers manage production line updates and repairs. Developing a strategy can help you reduce downtime while keeping losses to a minimum. Base strategy on reality Before you can establish your plan,…
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Still Made In America?

By William Horne, Sales Manager February 6, 2017

Are there manufacturers that started in America and still exist with American made products? Since the start of the Industrial Revolution and the need for mass quantities of goods due to supply and demand, almost every manufacturers main goal is to be as automated as possible. While there are few manufacturers that predate the Industrial Revolution and still exist…
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Technician Talk

By Freddy Bollinger, Senior Sales Manager February 5, 2017

What causes equipment failure is the lifelong question of most maintenance supervisors I know. In my quest for answers I decided to interview a few of our technicians regarding some causes of failure to manufacturing equipment. Typically, most causes of failure can be attributed to power surges, over voltages or just normal wear and tear. Our technicians have…
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Where Humans Will Always Outdo Robots in Manufacturing

By Jacob Smith, Sales Manager February 4, 2017

Robotics in manufacturing isn’t a specialty feature that only applies to select industries. Many tasks have been automated and quality controlled through the use of robotics related to production, cutting costs and improving safety on the product floor. There will always be instances where a human touch is needed, however. Here are a few reasons…
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Use Cross-Training to Boost Your Production Line Productivity

By GES February 3, 2017

Cross-training has been closely connected to athletics for years. Consider quarterbacks: In addition to running to keep their legs strong and limber as well as their cardio strong, quarterbacks cross-train using weights and yoga to increase their strength, stamina, and flexibility. You don’t have to look far to find examples of hockey players, basketball players,…
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How Can Big Data Improve Your Manufacturing Business?

By GES February 2, 2017

We can attribute more profits, increased productivity, and better customer service to big data use in manufacturing. Utilizing big data can be the difference between manufacturers reacting and their ability to take proactive business approaches. Let’s look at how big data is impacting manufacturing in a big way. Yield and throughput Knowing the resources it…
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Ripple Current

By Chris Long, General Manager February 1, 2017

What is ripple? Just about every machine employs at least one power supply between the main voltage and the other components in the system. While many different factors can lead to a power supply failure, one of the most commonly discussed is ripple current in a system. But this mode of failure is not the most easily…
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MRO Budgeting

By Heather Coffey, Customer Service Supervisor January 31, 2017

When planning your MRO budget for the year or month, there are many factors to keep in mind. With repairs, specifically, it’s important to plan for the unexpected, which can be difficult. No one expects their main drive in a production line to fail, but it is bound to happen at some point, and working…
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