Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 10

Step 3: Understanding High Wear Parts Usage Know your high wear parts. Typically the blades/vanes, control cages, impellers, liners and wear plates are the most consumed parts. Having a record of these parts, the part numbers, and when you last replaced them will help determine how fast you go through these parts. Create a Preventable Maintenance inspection list for your maintenance team to check on a daily or regular basis. The main components to inspect would be… _ Blades / Vanes _ Seals _ Abrasive Valves _ Elevator Buckets _ Impeller Case / Control Cage _ Wheel Housing _ Flights / Slats _ Head & Boot Pulleys _ Impeller _ Housing Liners _ Links & Pins _ Wear Plates _ Bare Wheel/Outer Runnerhead _ Motor _ Elevator Belt _ Cast Nuts _ Hub _ Sheaves & Belts _ Elevator Splice _ Hardware components Documenting the hours of use is truly the only accurate costing analysis system. Other things to consider and document is the use of application and the media used. This information is very helpful to both determine when you will need to replace your next wear part, and to understand when parts will not be up to par. 13 Contact: JAMIE BURT jamie@northstarusa.net Documenting the hours to determine wear life will also help give you an idea if there is any quality issues with your product. If you notice a significant decrease in the preforming hours, contact your parts supplier and address any quality issues you may be facing. Knowing the average hours per part can also open the door to comparing replacement parts from other providers. With advancements in the manufacturing process, wear resistant parts have the opportunity and ability to last longer. Keep an open mind about testing wear life performance, it may save you time and money in the long run. Step 4: Stocking Parts After you have determined your common parts list and the rates they are used, keep extra pieces on hand. Depending on your usage, you could see some cost savings when larger quantities are ordered at once. This of course also saves on shipping costs in the long run. Holding large amounts of inventory is of course not the name of the game. However, keeping enough on-hand to get you through a couple change-outs, is always the most responsible option. We also recommend working with your supplier to understand their stocking policies regarding your high wear parts. At the same time, ask them for the parts that are not stocked what their average lead times are. Then, you will better understand which parts need your highest level of attention to avoid expensive downtime. Your supplier also might have an inventory management program to avoid any outages, and manage this for you. Step 5: Updating Equipment If you’re having a hard time finding the wheel replacement parts you need, it may be time to update your equipment. Upgrading your machine doesn’t mean you need to get rid of the whole blast machine. Changing the head of your machine to a more common one may be the easiest and cheapest option. Retrofitting the shot blast head to an existing machine does take some technical help and knowledge to understand which wheel heads are compatible with each machine. This is often done with wheels where the replacement parts are very hard to come by, have extremely long lead times, or are very expensive. If your company has exhausted every avenue and cannot seem to get what you need, this would be a great option. Using the above steps when preparing your next replacement part order will reduce downtime, reduce overall maintenance costs, and importantly enable you to make your deliveries on-time. If needed information is not available, contact your replacement part supplier for help. HOW TO