Five Tips to Extend the Life of Your Equipment

Annual maintenance is the key to extending the life of your equipment. Here are five practical tips.From cleaning and dusting to lubrication and maintenance, we'll walk you through the key points of equipment maintenance, step by step, to help you reduce the failure rate, save on repair costs, and keep your equipment running smoothly as if it were brand new.

Why is annual maintenance so important?

The equipment we have is like a car. If you don't maintain it, it will break down.Last year, the stamping press in the factory was not oiled on time, and the bearings got stuck, stopping production for three days.In fact, good annual maintenance not only prevents sudden breakdowns, it can also extend the life of equipment by 3-5 years.Remember these three numbers: Maintenance costs for well-maintained equipment are 60 % lower, and energy consumption is 15 % lower. The math works no matter how you look at it.

Don't be lazy about cleaning.

First, they give the equipment a "bath.

First, use a vacuum cleaner to remove the accumulated dust from the control cabinet, especially from the cooling fans.Last week the old man had to replace a burnt-out inverter because the air intake was clogged with dust.Remember to use a soft cloth that won't shed fibers to wipe the exterior, and don't use a damp cloth directly on the circuit board.

No corner is left unturned.

The most likely places for oil sludge to accumulate are the undersides of equipment bases and the gaps in the rails.Use a bamboo skewer wrapped in a piece of non-woven fabric, and don't be lazy and use a metal tool to scrape.I've seen people using a screwdriver to clean the tracks, and in the process they destroy the accuracy.

Lubrication requires care.

Choose the right grade of motor oil.

Check the manual to see how thick the oil should be. Don't assume that more expensive oil is always better.The last time Little Wang added the wrong kind of grease to the precision grinding machine, it caused the main shaft to seize up. Just fixing it cost more than NT $ 8,000.

You have to put just the right amount of fuel in.

The oil should be added until it just starts to seep out. Too much oil will attract dust.For places like linear guides, a syringe is more reliable than an oil gun.Check your oil window once a month, and as soon as the oil color darkens, change it.

Check that the screws are tight.

The most important points are checked one by one.

He uses a torque wrench to check the tightness of all the bolts that connect the motor to the foundation.In particular, pay attention to the shock absorbers, as many loose connections are caused by aged rubber pads.

The belt and chain should be tight.

Check the tightness of the drive system by pressing with your thumb.Last week, the packaging machine in the workshop had a slipping belt, and nearly destroyed the gearbox.

A thorough overhaul of the electrical system.

Replace old lines.

The cables that are most often used are the ones that are most likely to wear out, such as the cables that run along the robotic arms.If it is less than 1MΩ, replace it immediately.Don't wait until the sparks are flying before you get worried.

Cleaning the contacts is a must.

He gently rubbed the contacts with a special piece of sandpaper and sprayed the terminals with an electronic cleaner.Remember to cut off the power when operating! Last year a technician was cleaning the contacts while the power was still on, and he burned up the PLC module.

Keep a record of all maintenance work.

Build an exclusive file.

After each maintenance, I carefully record the parts and materials used.A sticker with a tear-off label is placed in a conspicuous place on the equipment, so that the next time of maintenance and the name of the responsible person are clear at a glance.

They take photos and video to preserve evidence.

Pictures are taken before and after maintenance of key parts and stored in the cloud to be shared with the maintenance team.This makes it easy to trace problems, and allows new employees to quickly get up to speed.

If these five steps are followed, it is very difficult for the equipment to break down.Maintenance is like health care: If you put in the effort when you're healthy, you'll save yourself a lot of grief when you're not.Next month is the annual maintenance period, so let's get our tools in order and get started!