In a recent issue of this newsletter we profiled the series of more practical workshops that will be running alongside sawmilling tech innovations that will be making up the two-yearly technology series ( WoodTECH 2019) being run for this region’s sawmills in September.
As part of the workshop series, USNR will be running a session on primary breakdown machine alignment and maintenance techniques to improve reliability.
Maintaining machine alignment requires skilled mechanics that are knowledgeable about the workings of the machine. Training mechanics or contractors to be familiar with the machine is a good plan of action. Machine alignments are an in-depth part of Preventive Maintenance. Improving reliability cannot be achieved without frequent alignment inspections. Quarterly is frequent.
The workshop will be focusing on techniques used by mills operating at very high reliability record. We will be looking at what they’re doing to achieve such high numbers.
Key Elements to Improving Reliability are often simple, like;
– Improved locking methods for nuts and bolts.
– Identifying what is contributing to high shock loads and reducing or eliminating them.
– Improved monitoring of key elements, knowing what is normal and what is not and investigating root causes of failures are all actions required to increase reliability.
– We will review what is a realistic alignment schedule, what needs to be done prior to the alignment and who should be involved.
– Alignment techniques or methods will be reviewed. Which one is best for your own machine application?
Training for your mechanics will be reviewed. What type and depth of training should be employed? Continuous improvement with mill processes cannot reach their full potential without improving on the education of the people responsible for maintaining the new processes.
WoodTECH 2019 runs in Rotorua, New Zealand on 11-12 September and then again for Australian sawmills in Melbourne on 17-18 September. Full details on the programme for both venues can be viewed on line at www.woodtech.events.
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