Why should I take extra care after prolonged periods of downtime?
If equipment is unused for long periods of time, a number of things can happen that will cause trouble during restart. Here are just a few examples:
- Pneumatic and hydraulic filters can be contaminated with water
- Pneumatic and hydraulic valves can stick in one position. This is a serious fault in a moulding machine, as all valves have to work in a particular order.
- Old sand stuck inside the moulding machine chamber and on cope and drag plates (for MATCH machines) is very common and can cause quality issues.
If the shut-down was carried out in a hurry (by simply switching the machines off), these issues are more likely to occur. Therefore, even more rigorous inspection and cleaning will be needed.
What should I check?
Check all safety equipment is working correctly: emergency stop buttons, light curtains, compressed air safety valves, etc.
- Ensure you have all the tools you need.
- Consider your scope of work for restart.
- Start at one end of the line and methodically go through to the other end.
- Start checks at least 2 days before scheduled production starts.
