SCREENING MAINTENANCE
technicians find the issue , the cost of the initial part fix could be greatly multiplied and could be much higher than what the OEM counterpart would have cost .
The original equipment manufacturer can offer an in-depth knowledge of an operation ’ s vibrating screen along with accountability and fast , reliable problem solving
strong warranty program . Not only do some manufacturers offer warranties on new equipment purchases , some guarantee parts for up to a year if an operation uses OEM certified technicians and parts and performs regular maintenance . Any fabricated parts introduced to a machine during a warranty period will void the entire machine warranty .
Fabricated parts ’ hidden price tag
While at first a fabricated component seems to make sense because it can often cost less than an OEM part , those savings are often short term . Minor imperfections in the part or lower tolerances for the stress placed on the machine can cause the component to fail prematurely , resulting in additional replacement costs on top of unscheduled maintenance . Even while the part is functioning , it often adversely affects the production of the machine , diminishing the throughput and limiting profit potential .
But the potential damage from an imperfect part doesn ’ t stop there . Those imperfections could start a chain reaction that leads to the damage of a series of other parts . This is especially true for shaft components , which form the heart of a vibrating screen . For example , if the shaft shoulders are not machined within the OEM tolerances , an operation could see problems within hours of operation . This slight difference in size can cause the shaft assembly stack up to be too tight or too loose , leading to excessive heat
and / or wear of the shaft components . This can cause bearing failure or premature breakage of shaft components or body components .
This chain reaction of issues could result in maintenance costs far greater than the price of the fabricated component , but the cost is compounded
Fabricated tension rails , if not built to original equipment manufacturer tolerances , may not correctly tension screen media . This could lead to broken screens and thousands of dollars in new screen media and downtime before the operator realises the problem
by the fact that rarely is the heart of the problem diagnosed on the first pass . Most operators miss the true cause of the problem and begin fixing the symptoms – a cracked panel , a cross member or sections of screen media . Then the damage is destined to repeat and those parts must be replaced again . These symptoms might become obvious within 48 hours ; while the root cause might take a month before it ’ s realised . By the time
Case example
Take tension rails , for example . A customer might wonder why his screen media is breaking after just a week of use , where before it lasted a month or more . An OEM representative visits the site and finds the operation has been buying tension rails from a local fabrication shop to save money . The tension rails looked right but were not tensioning the screen media properly across the screen deck , causing the sections to break . What saved the operation a few dollars up front on new tension rails cost them thousands of dollars in screen media and downtime for change-outs . In addition , if the faulty part caused the vibrating screen to operate incorrectly , there ’ s a good chance that the stratification didn ’ t occur correctly and that materials may have to be rescreened or discarded .
If operators do notice a problem soon after installing a fabricated part , they can prevent further damage by shutting the machine down quickly . However , this still results in costly downtime , as mechanics order parts and make repairs . Any time the vibrating screen can ’ t run will bite into profits , particularly for operations in the midst of production season or a mining operation , where a few hours of lost time can result in tens of thousands of dollars of profit losses . This cost alone would quickly offset any savings from choosing fabricated parts .
Stick with OEM
While it ’ s good business practice to find ways to save money , site managers should not compromise on the quality of vital equipment . The risks of expensive repairs and time wasted are just too high . Choose carefully when looking at replacement parts . While fabricated components are usually cheaper and may appear to work correctly , any variance could cause damage and downtime down the line . Continue to work with the original equipment manufacturer to guarantee a supply of reliable parts and the backing of a company with the resources to solve problems quickly . The right choice means more uptime , more profits and the assurance that a part will only make a machine run better . IM
Imperfections in fabricated shaft components can lead to excessive heat , resulting in bearing failure and premature wear of other components
SEPTEMBER 2016 | International Mining 131