5 Pieces of Equipment that Needs to be Checked Regularly

Running a successful manufacturing business requires the help of some tools. From the lathes and gear shapers to planers and grinders. A number of these tools minimiseour working time by 80% but what’s even more impressive is the precision of their results.

A big manufacturing company can’t rely on manual labor for all of its tasks. This is the reason they leverage the speed of automation equipment. Despite the results these machines provide, we need to be cautious with their usage. Just like humans, these machines might break down if not regularly maintained.

While some machines can run for months smoothly without any maintenance, others need to be checked regularly to ensure they’re in perfect shape before they’re fired up. The first step in extending the usage period of your machine is to separate those which require frequent checks from those who need once-in-a-while maintenance. This guide provided you with 5 of those.

Lathe

A lathe is a metallic machine that consists of a rotating workpiece. This equipment produces symmetrically shaped objects that can be drilled or knurled. When the large works on the metal surface, there’s often friction produced between both surfaces. This friction however is the reason why the machine can deliver a uniform cut that can be reshaped by other machines.

The issue with a lathe is that majority of its part is made from metals and it’s also designed to work on metallic surfaces. For these reasons, lathe machine parts need to be checked regularly for chips and it also needs to be lubricated to aid smooth movement across several surfaces.

Measuring scale

If scales are used frequently – like multiple times in a week, they tend to wear and lose accuracy. If you use your scale week in week out, scale calibration should be carried out regularly to maintain accurate and consistent measurement. This means that you will not be wasting products or wrongly fulfilling orders.

Drilling machines

Drilled machines are glued to a bench and they’re used the same way as hand drills. Except that drilling machines are stationary while hand drills can be moved from place to place. Drilling machines are prone to wear. Since they’re stationary, a lot of things are bound to happen when there’s little supervision. For this reason, they have to check before and after usage. Metallic chips should be swiped off their body after each use as well.

Generator

Generators serve as an emergency power units in most factories. The kind of generator you opt for depends on the number of machines you need to power, as well as their workload. The oil level of a generator needs to be checked regularly to prevent it from shutting down involuntarily in the middle of a task.

Grinders

Grinders come in different forms – belt, bench, or cylindrical. No matter the design of your grinder, it’s recommended you inspect to ensure there’s no wear. Check for bolts or worn-out nuts. It’s important to have every part glued together, otherwise you risk having some parts fall off in the middle of an operation.