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Tech Tip March 1996

Auxiliary Equipment:

I know this has been brought up in the past, but I continue to come across shops in the molding area who still treat the auxiliary equipment much as we do the refrigerator at home. That is, we plug it in and use it until we have a problem, or it does not work, breaks, etc. I can understand this and am guilty in the past of doing the same. Yet, as we become more competitive in business and are selling that time, we cannot afford to have problems in this area.

All equipment comes with instructions and maintenance schedules and many maintenance software programs have schedules, etc. in them to take care of the service for auxiliary equipment. The first step is to number/letter/name the pieces and put them into the schedule.

Dryers: filters, air flow, temperature, regeneration, hoses should all be checked to name a few.

Mold heaters: pump seals, GPM, temperature gauges, hoses, fittings, etc.

Grinders: blades, clearance, belts, safety, screens, etc.

Auxiliary power: hoses, pressure gauges, fluid condition, etc.

As you can see I haven't listed everything, but by maintaining the unit and keeping it in good working order you can setup a job quicker. You are not waiting for the belt to be replaced, or coolant to be added. You know when you turn it on it will perform as you wish and that area of concern is gone. Basically it is paying attention to detail.

A further thought about process, check the calibration of the units that could use it, store the units in a set location, and use red tags, green tags or some sort of system that helps in knowing that a unit is in good working order or poor.

Thanks for the time.

Steven L Silvey
Sr. Technical Service
General Polymers