Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 18

How to Inspect & Maintain Foundry Equipment JERRY SENK President Equipment Manufacturers International, Inc. ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • Equipment Lubrication – reduces wear and tear • Inspection, & Recording – prevents downtime S upply chain issues, staffing struggles, and inflated prices...hit all businesses hard. Keeping your foundry up and running is hard enough without these challenges. However, none of these head-winds should be altering your maintenance procedures—but we all know that they do. Too often we see very basic yet critical equipment maintenance ignored and subsequent Band-Aid fixes applied because—“everyone is too busy.” Today’s foundries are operating a wide age of equipment; from 50’s era squeezers to highly complex high pressure molding systems; none of which can afford a Band- Aid fix. Each end of the spectrum requires the same attention to detail, consideration of spares inventory, and procedures for maintaining your equipment. The first step is ownership of your machines and systems. The same initial enthusiasm when the equipment was first installed—needs to be maintained. Anyone that has gone through Value Stream Mapping can point to waste drivers from equipment slowdowns, lost equipment manuals, trial-and-error fixes, defective parts, and of course production downtime. Sharing the knowledge with everyone regarding the high costs associated with not maintaining equipment, can help drive the continued enthusiasm for equipment that is operating at its highest efficiency. To begin, compile a list of production machines and equipment directly involved in the manufacturing process. That equipment list should be grouped according to their importance to the production process. Then, locate all of the operation manuals for this equipment. I. Indispensable machines are defined as those whose breakdown would interrupt one or more steps in the entire production process and for which no standby unit exists, or whose function cannot be performed temporarily by alternative means (for example, a single cupola). II. Marginal equipment contributes indirectly to the production process but its breakdown would not be a major inconvenience (for example, a clean-up truck). This method of classifying machines is similar to the process used in network analysis to determine (critical) and (non-critical) activities. The equipment components, which should be located and clearly identified when setting up a maintenance program include: A. All lubrication points B. All electric motors or driving mechanisms C. All electrical control equipment D. All hydraulic and pneumatic components E. All mechanical parts of assemblies subject to appreciable wear MACHINE LUBRICATION While many think of lubricants as only needed to make parts ‘slippery’ –they are far more important than that. Lubricants reduce friction, absorb shock, and reduce noise. Less friction also means that less heat is generated, helping to reduce part wear and tear. All of this of course lowers the risk of component or equipment damage and helps to keep your machines running. 17 HOW TO ISSUE Continued on next page