November 2023 Volume 5

MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE

Conclusion Repair and rebuilding projects on forging and stamping equipment will usually take longer than you planned. There is frequently an unknown issue that comes up during a project. Through proper planning and acting ahead of time, you can minimize the length of any delays. Performing a complete inspection to try to identify the problems before the project begins, as well as being thorough during the disassembly, inspection and engineering phase of the project, will help you to utilize the resources you have to the best of your ability. Jeff Fredline Sales Engineer MECO Email: fredline.jeff@gmail.com

One way to calculate the timeline is to divide the project into three phases. 1. Disassembly, inspection and engineering 2. Repairs to be completed by outside sources 3. Assembly and startup Establishing a Tracking Method is Critical for Success! There are numerous options available for tracking maintenance in the marketplace. You can utilize Microsoft Project or other electronic management systems if you'd like. Years ago, I was managing a large project on the rebuild of a 3,000-ton Danly Press. I used the large Post-It notes, similar to ones that are used in presentations. I had a separate note for each assembly (component) on the wall of my office with the working scope for each written on the Post-It note. We held a daily staff meeting and reviewed the notes on the wall. This manual method kept the information in front of the team daily and helped us to define the next steps for each phase of the project. It also kept the project to the timeline better than any system I have ever used.

Example of manual Post-It note used for project tracking.

FIA MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 17