Take a laser alignment system as an example. It is a major investment, a system can cost several thousand euros depending on what you want it to do. But if it is used correctly at the right time, it will soon save you far more than it has cost.
Do you keep track of maintenance costs?
A machine that is not installed in the correct way will, in all likelihood, generate significant service and maintenance costs. Did you know that the purchase price usually only accounts for around 10% of the machine’s total life cycle cost? Instead about 75% of the costs are for maintenance and electricity consumption. The right knowledge can significantly reduce that amount.
Start with the basics
The maintenance industry has lots of very capable professional men and women, but we often see examples of poor machine installation. At Easy-Laser we often say that it all starts with the machine base; it is the most important basis for a stable and reliable machine installation. Take soft foot for example, which is a constantly recurring problem. With the correct knowledge of why soft foot occurs it is easy to avoid it from the start, when the machine is installed. And if, as in so many cases, the problem has already occurred – it is then important that the correct action is taken to rectify the problem so that it does not occur again.
Sandbags can be useful for many things, but they are not the best for holding your machine in position.
With rotating machines in particular, there are a number of problems that can occur from the machine not being installed correctly. Vibration, leaking seals, bearing failure…the list goes on. Of course, this directly affects the machines that have broken and need new parts, but in the worst cases these problems can also bring an entire production facility to a standstill, which can be enormously expensive. And the service company is busy and cannot get to work before the weekend …
It then becomes easy to appreciate the fact that training your own staff, so that they can install and then continuously maintain the machine park, is a rewarding investment. With the right knowledge the investment made in the alignment system is quickly repaid through lower consumption of replacement parts and fewer unplanned stoppages, and in the long-term reduced energy consumption. Good for the wallet and, not least, the environment!
We help you with training
We and our partners offer custom training courses within all types of measurement and laser alignment, both for beginners and for professionals that need to expand their areas of expertise. Contact us and tell us what you want to learn!
