Six-feature guide offers advice on evaluating independent companies that can help support the maintenance efforts of manufacturing facilities.
Technical Expertise, Reliability Key to Choosing Best Repair Firm Service Pulp & Paper Magazine
Today, an efficient repair system for manufacturing facilities is more important than ever, and cost is the driving force. Spares have gone up in value during the past ten years, some as much as 100%, and the cost of downtime has risen, making it unacceptable to send out a faulty part and wait months for the repair. Furthermore, as manufacturing technology becomes more sophisticated, the repair of manufacturing equipment becomes more expensive, making the savings provided by an efficient repair system crucial to a company's profitability and competitive position. For maintenance departments at most facilities, the main source for repair is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that sold them the component. OEMs are sometimes equipped with a repair service to cover the products. However, their main interest is to sell or exchange new equipment, so the repair services are not usually comprehensive.
Also, a major limitation occurs with their warranties, since OEMs provide static warranties rather than in-service ones. Another disadvantage is that OEMs sometimes abruptly end service support for a product. For example, it is not uncommon for a manufacturer to notify a facility that a certain product is obsolete and that service is no longer available for it, suddenly leaving the facility with no repair option. Increasingly, maintenance departments are discovering a cost-effective alternative to OEM repair: independent repair firms. Since these firms specialize in repair, they are generally in a position to offer lower repair fees than OEMs. They also offer other cost-saving benefits, such as quick turnaround and greater flexibility.
However, there are significant differences in the services and capabilities of individual repair firms, so it is important to thoroughly evaluate the available vendors before a commitment to use one is made. In the course of such an evaluation, considering six critical features can help determine a reliable and efficient repair service.
Offering an in-service warranty. The first required feature for a repair firm is that it should offer an in-service warranty. This is far more beneficial than the static warranty offered by OEMs.
Under a static warranty, the clock ticks each day from the repair date, regardless of whether the component is used or sits on a shelf. More than likely, maintenance will have already replaced that component while it was away for repair. Therefore, the facility would not immediately need the repaired component when it is returned, so it would be stored on a shelf. Again, the warranty ticks away.
In three months, the facility may need to use that repaired component, but, by that time, the warranty period has expired. So if the component needs repair again, the facility will have to pay for it. The bottom line here is that the static warranty provided no benefit.
In contrast, an in-service warranty clock ticks only when the component is being used. Even if it sits on a shelf for six months after returning from repair, the component is still covered for its full warranty period when brought to the shop floor. If the component needs repair again, the warranty covers it.
The availability of an in-service warranty can often justify the repair of a component over the purchase of a new one. As a rule of thumb, the cost of repair is about half the cost of a new purchase. But, if the repair saves half the purchase cost and the in-service warranty saves an additional $500-$2,000 over the OEM's static warranty, then the repair would be much more cost-effective than the purchase.
System testing of components. To restore tight tolerances and specifications, repair firms should use testing and inspection equipment that rivals that of the manufacturers themselves, providing complete system tests for that component. For example, servo motors, encoders, and resolvers should be fully tested with a complete loop of feedback components, including machine motors and mechanical loads. Programmable logic controllers and circuit boards should also be tested in the loop of actual machine components.
High-resolution equipment is often critical to the restoration of mechanical components, such as ball screws and bearings, that require inspection by such equipment to ensure that dimensions are faithfully restored. In addition, the technicians performing the tests are just as important as the equipment used. Testing and inspection of components should be performed only by certified technicians.
Wide range of expertise. Some independent repair firms specialize in repairing a certain type of component. Others specialize even further handling only one or two brands of a component.
However, you should avoid a wide range of firms to support a wide range of components, instead choosing a firm with a wide range of expertise. The firm that restores ball screws or bearings should also be able to tackle mechanical assemblies, hydraulics, and circuit boards and instrumentation. It is also important that the firm have the expertise to handle the differences between manufacturers of the same type of component.
Restoring damaged components. A repair firm should have manufacturing capabilities to restore severely damaged components. After disassembling a failed component, the firm should evaluate each part individually. If any part needs to be remanufactured, it should meet or exceed the manufacturer's original specifications. Restoration work of mechanical components should be done on CNC machinery in a controlled environment.
A firm should also employ certified technicians in the manufacture of the components. Furthermore, the firm should operate under established quality control measures, such as those outlined by ISO certification.
Setting up cost-avoidance programs. Even the best-run facilities sometimes do not have the resources to efficiently manage the hundreds of components in their inventory. An independent firm with expertise in inventory control can help facilities save a significant amount of money by setting up cost-avoidance programs.
With the hectic pace in most facilities, spare components end up scattered over the shop floor, in cabinets, closets, and forgotten stashes. Studies have shown that only about 30% of spares are kept in a secure stores area. As a result, facilities pay for redundant components because they do not know the exact number of a certain component in stock. They also pay an extra amount for downtime if they do not have a working spare on hand when a component malfunctions. Facilities often do not know which components work and which do not. And, probably most aggravating of all, a facility too often pays for repairs that are still covered under warranty.
A well-implemented cost avoidance program can help facilities eliminate these unnecessary expenses. In fact, such programs have been known to yield savings of 20-25% in facilities' repair budgets.
For example, a cost avoidance service called Repairable Asset Control (RAC) tracks usable inventory. As it eliminates redundant spares while keeping essential ones stocked and ready for installation, RAC helps a facility cut downtime. Also, by tracking a component and keeping an exact number on hand, the facility does not have to pay for redundant replacements. In addition, the RAC data base tells maintenance how much time is left in the warranty period for each component, helping the facility to avoid paying for covered repairs.
Included in such a program may be free certification of all spares. When spares are found outside the stores system, they are sent to the firm's home office for testing to determine if they are in working order. Those that test correctly are cleaned, packaged, and sent back to the mill to be placed in RAC's working inventory. Bad units are given a repair cost and the client decides whether to repair them or not.
Tailoring services to changing needs. To keep pace with today's technology, facilities regularly invest in new equipment, and a repair firm should be able to tailor its services to the changing needs of a facility. Make sure the mill's repair firm has the resources to support that next generation of equipment, while also requiring the firm to have the expertise for system testing such equipment in-house. On the flip side, if an OEM abruptly ends its service support for an older machine or components, your facility should not be penalized. Make sure the repair firm has the resources to support this supposedly obsolete equipment.
