In various industries, tubular drag cable conveyors play a crucial role in handling sensitive materials and powders. To ensure uninterrupted production and extend the lifespan of these systems, proper design, installation, and proactive maintenance are imperative. However, traditional reactive maintenance practices often lead to unnecessary downtime and costly repairs.
Fernando Mejia, Director of Product Life Cycle Management & Aftermarket for Automated Handling Solutions (AHS), emphasizes the importance of comprehensive maintenance strategies for conveyors. AHS, combining the expertise of Cablevey Conveyors and Spiroflow, specializes in providing tailored handling and automation solutions for mission-critical applications.
Mejia advocates for total preventative maintenance (TPM) as a proactive approach to reduce downtime and lower Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs. Rather than reacting to individual issues, TPM involves ongoing service and engineering support to maximize conveyor output and equipment lifespan.
With the sophistication of modern conveyors like tubular drag cable conveyors, proactive, preventative, and predictive maintenance is crucial. These conveyors delicately move products through sealed tubes using flexible stainless-steel drag cables, minimizing air use and ensuring gentle handling of materials.
While third parties or in-house teams can maintain these systems, involving an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Supervisor offers significant advantages. OEM technicians possess specialized training and expertise in servicing tubular drag conveyors, ensuring optimal performance and longevity.
An OEM Supervisor can proactively identify installation issues and recommend appropriate spare parts kits or high wear parts, leveraging predictive data to prevent downtime. Additionally, comprehensive annual inspections by the OEM are crucial to detect and address potential issues, ensuring optimal conveyor performance throughout its lifespan.
To further support processors in proactively maintaining their conveyors, AHS is expanding its service capacity and establishing localized service hubs and parts depots. Long-term service agreements will comprehensively cover all maintenance aspects, allowing processors to focus on their core business with confidence in conveyor performance.
In conclusion, adopting total preventative maintenance practices and partnering with knowledgeable conveyor OEMs are essential steps for optimizing productivity and extending the lifespan of tubular drag cable conveyors in today’s fast-paced processing environment.