Fact or Fiction? Positioner Preventative Maintenance

On the manufacturing floor, uptime is everything – which means preventative maintenance should be too. Positioners require proper maintenance to ensure they’re running at full speed (which means welders and assembly processes are as well). Like getting an oil change for your vehicle, it’s key to think ahead to ensure maximized productivity, performance and long-term return on investment for your assembly or welding positioners.

“Preventative maintenance is so valuable to manufacturers because it can eliminate potential downtime before it even occurs,” Doug Fee, service manager at ALM Positioners said. “So many manufacturing floors are expected to do more with less and simply can’t afford anything but uptime.
That’s why scheduled maintenance is critical to maintaining a high machine uptime consistently.”

We’re taking a closer look at the facts of preventative maintenance to ensure your floor eliminates downtime and stays running smoothly with your ALM positioner.

Fact or fiction: “Scheduling maintenance causes a slowdown that day.”
FICTION.
Preventative maintenance only needs to be scheduled annually, and with ALM Positioners partner-driven approach, the team will work to maintain the machine with flexibility at the forefront, creating a seamless process tailored to your needs. With ALM’s preventative maintenance service, the team comes on site, does the work and provides a report on the status of the machine(s) and work that was done.

“We always work with customers to plan ahead for maintenance and are ready to provide technical support in any way that works best for them,” Kevin Toft, chief revenue officer at ALM Positioners said. “We’re flexible in how we do that – from working during a second shift or even off hours. Being as efficient as possible is our goal.”

Fact or fiction: “Preventative maintenance makes your manufacturing floor more efficient.”
FACT.
Preventative maintenance isn’t about checking boxes – it’s about catching little things before they become big problems. It’s about more than servicing a weld rotator. Done right, it protects uptime, safety and output.

“Preventative maintenance provides confidence that the machine is functioning at its full capacity, and it also eliminates costly surprises in the future,” Toft said. “With evolving safety regulations, our team will streamline the process and even provide consultation or trainings on-site to make sure the positioner is operating as efficiently as possible.

Fact or fiction: “Preventative maintenance for a positioner is basically a checklist I can go through myself. I don’t need a technician.”
FICTION.
While the ALM Positioners team does utilize a thorough 25-point checklist as a starting point, their eye and expertise can also identify additional ways to gain efficiency or eliminate risk in real time. Preventative maintenance removes a future “to-do” from your maintenance department’s list. For example, an experienced ALM Positioners technician will make sure your headstock and tailstock positioners are tuned up and ready for months of operation by proactively and accurately maintaining the machines.

“From an observation standpoint, our team will bring value to any floor,” Fee said. “Sometimes we’re working with equipment that’s 15 to 20 years old. Positioners that old can sometimes have parts that have become obsolete over the years even though they’re still functioning, making a quick parts replacement more complicated if that time comes. Our team can replace obsolete parts while onsite to avoid that altogether.”

Fact or fiction: Preventative maintenance is only about the machine.
FICTION.
Routine inspection is great for the return of investment of your machine, but it’s also a continued investment in safety for your skilled labor. Today, many manufacturers are restructuring and shifting roles to make do during ongoing labor shortages. Ongoing maintenance and training allow your team to be as safe and productive as possible.

“Scheduling preventative maintenance allows maintenance departments to focus on other areas,” Toft said. “Freeing up your team from this responsibility results in saved time and dollars, and confirms the machine is operating safely.”

Fact is, preventative maintenance improves your bottom line.
Preventative maintenance reduces downtime, extends equipment life and keeps production moving – paying for itself in not only dollars, but peace of mind for your team. Heavy duty welding positioners require dedicated service for optimum performance – it’s the most effective way to get the most out of your positioner every day.

Our team is ready to help maintain your positioner to maximize its value.

+++

To learn more about ALM Positioners and our positioner advantages, click here.

Give our team a call at 309.822.2516 to find out how we can improve your operations.

See all our news and testimonials.