One of the great things about the equipment that we sell is that it keeps getting easier to use and maintain.  That doesn't mean that you're off the hook completely on maintenance, though! Luckily, our air-cooled systems really only have one thing that needs to be done regularly.  Underneath the power supply are some cooling fans.  Those fans need to be inspected to make sure they are clean and rotating freely.  Depending on your atmosphere and product, you may just have to blow the fans off with compressed air.  In extreme environments, you may have to use a brush and some cleaning fluid.  If you remove the sealing heads from the unit, it make the fans much more accessible.

Of course, the next question you'll ask is:  "How often so I need to do this?"  It depends on your particular setup.  I usually suggest to start by checking the fans quarterly.  Based on how they look, you can adjust your check frequency from there.  I see equipment in for repair every week from customers who never check on the fans, and it always amazes me how much they pay for a repair which could have been prevented with 15 minutes of prevention.

I've been with Enercon since 1998, and have spent a lot of time travelling and doing field service.  One of the things initially surprised with was the amopunt of service calls that related to application issues.  I quickly learned that my "Mr. Fix-It"  hat had to be taken off and replaced with a a detective's hat. 

When I encounter seal problems, I ask a series of questions.  I always start by asking if the sealer is aligned properly for the bottle being sealed.  It's amazing how many customers don't verify this regularly.  I usually recommend checking the alignment at the start of every shift, and after a product change.  A small amount of time on the front end can save you many headaches!

The next big question is: How are your application torques?  Again, "I don't know" is a far too common answer.  Inconsistent torques are a common source of seal problems.  The pressure on the seal created by the torque is one of the critical components for a good seal to happen.  (Pressure-Heat-Time)

Finally:  Has anything changed in your process?  This can be the most frustrating to figure try and find.  A list of possibilities that I have seen includes: Line speed change, Ouput Power change, Cap change, Liner change.  Once you start digging into things, you may be surprised with what you find out.

If you'd like some more information this topic, check out, "Achieving the Perfect Seal."

How much would an hour of down-time cost you?

One of the most common things I encounter when I'm helping a customer over the phone is that they don't have any spare parts. Most of the time, we can troubleshoot a problem to one component. If the customer keeps a stock of parts, they can grab what they need, install it, and be up and running again. If they have to order something, they won't get it until the next day. Depending on when the order is placed, you could lose a whole day of production waiting for parts to arrive.

Even if you have one of our service engineers visit your plant, there still will be a delay between the phone call and the repair. In my mind, it is in your best interest to have some spares on hand 'just in case.' The value of having spare parts can far outweigh the cost.

I'll ask again: How much is it worth to keep your line running?

For information on spare parts for your system, contact us.  Please include your serial and model numbers.