will create more friction, adding stress and heat to each piece, shortening the life of that part. It is important to inspect and clean the parts so the system can run without excess wear.
Stretch wrap is also found on moving parts. This film can wrap around the sprockets to the point that the sprocket cannot move. The strength of the drive motors have no problem overpowering the sprocket. The chain then starts to act like a chainsaw and grind down anything that is in its way. Proper maintenance can catch the issue early, instead of turning into a larger problem.
L – Lubricate
There are many moving parts to an AS / RS that need to be properly lubricated in order to reduce the friction, minimize wear and prevent corrosion. However, if you add lubricant to dirty parts, it can mix with the debris and lose its lubricating properties. This can turn into a paste that will harm the equipment and cause it to fail. It is best to first clean the parts thoroughly, getting rid of any debris, then apply a thin coat of lubrication.
Be careful not to over lubricate either. When parts are over lubricated, they tend to splatter oil onto surrounding parts, and may even drip onto the floor. The oil can find its way onto the brake pads, rendering them almost useless and the oil on the ground can create a dangerous area for the maintenance team. Make sure your team knows the proper lubrication to use, when to apply it, and how much to use.
A- Adjust
During regular maintenance, the chain condition and tension should be inspected to see if they need to be replaced or adjusted. Loose chains can jump teeth and over-tightening can cause the motors to use extra power to move or bearings and shafts to fail, shortening the life span of the motor. It is also important that parts are assembled straight. A misaligned chain can cause abnormal wear on parts and decrease the life of the chain, sprocket, and bearing.
S- Service
When evaluating automation for your warehouse, discuss a service and maintenance contract and outline expectations. Most suppliers have a recommended service plan that may include spare parts for the machine. A proper service contract can help reduce the down time of your system, assuming spare parts are readily available and a service technician can be onsite quickly. Likewise, with frequently scheduled preventive maintenance inspections, pending issues can be identified ahead of causing unplanned downtime. An AS / RS is a unique and fairly new technology that technicians must be educated on to ensure proper service. Discuss necessities and available options with the system provider to determine which service package would be best for the application.
S- Support
What good is it to have an AS / RS if a problem occurs and there isn’ t anyone available to help? Support, whether it be over the phone, online, or in person is vital to successful production. If a smaller problem or fault arises, typically a service technician can troubleshoot the issue over the phone, and try to propose a solution. Oftentimes, they also have the ability to log onto your software instance from their computer to see what the specific problem is. Proper support is also great to have when there are questions about the equipment. For example, service technicians at Westfalia are experts that work on these systems daily. The ability to talk to one of these people can be very informative and it is likely that they have dealt with your issue before and can give you a quick, concise answer.
Proper maintenance of an AS / RS is important to keep the system running efficiently and accurately now and into the future. It is important to work with your supplier to develop a custom and thorough service plan. Ace your next inspection and prolong the life of your system with these tips.
And the
Award
Goes to...
Westfalia Technologies, Inc. has earned the following awards:
• SDCE 100 Top Supply Chain
• FL Top Green Provider
• Top 10 Food and Beverage Companies to Watch in 2017
• FL 100 +
• SDCE Green Supply Chain
www. WestfaliaUSA. com The Satellite Review 31