The plate rolling machines that roll and bend a shop's parts are among its most valued assets. Without them, there are no parts, there are no customers and there is no business. As a result, machine maintenance must be a top priority.
Like all machines, plate rolling machines require some level of basic maintenance, but fortunately a significant portion simply revolves around cleanliness.
"About 90% of keeping a plate rolling machine maintained centers on keeping it clean and just generally taking care of it," said Bryan Noack, Davi Inc.'s National Service Manager for the United States and Canada. "Our machines, for example, are fairly simple and designed with the end user in mind, so there is very minimal maintenance."
Rolling carbon steel, for instance, produces a significant amount of mill scale-the tiny pieces of metal shavings that flake off and fall onto and into the machine. Allowing mill scale to build up will cause excessive and premature wear on some plate roll components. Shops can vacuum the scale, blow it off with compressed air or wipe down machines with a rag and lubricant, depending on what is available.
According to Noack, paying attention to the shop's environment is important-especially what processes are occurring elsewhere in the facility. Rolling aluminum is a fairly clean process; however, if a polishing application is occurring across the shop, airborne particles and contaminates can still affect the otherwise relatively clean aluminum rolling operation.
Shops must also monitor the condition of rollers and the plate material itself. Plate cleanliness is part of the machine maintenance and obtaining the desired result with the roll. Plates heavily laden with mill scale can cause the scale to bind to the machine's rolls that then leads to surface divots when rolling softer metals such as aluminum. Carbon steel mill scale can also contaminate the rolling process for stainless steel if the rolls are not kept clean.
Many plate rollers use linear movement on the side rolls that incorporate bearing blocks along the length of the machine frame. Debris and contaminates can accumulate in these areas and cause wear issues as well. However, Davi's machines use three wear plates that are not as prone to accumulation as bearing blocks, and all bearings are pre-greased with high-temperature lubricant and sealed from the factory. This keeps them maintenance-free for virtually the life of the machine.
In addition to regular cleaning, a plate roll's hydraulic system will also require preventive maintenance. Much like changing the oil and filter in an automobile, keeping the machine's hydraulic system clean is central to a long working life.
Shops should follow manufacturer recommendations for hydraulic fluid changes and, in the case of Davi machines, the fluid in the roller's planetary gear boxes, which are like an automobile transmission. Davi recommends changing gear box fluid annually or every 2,000 operational hours on its machines.
Whether shops can perform routine maintenance themselves depends somewhat on whether they have sufficient personnel for the tasks. Some simply do not have the manpower and will have to contract the work with the manufacturer or a service provider. However, for those that do, Noack recommends that maintenance teams get involved at the time the machine is installed.
"The more you know, the less we go," Noack said of Davi's 12 U.S.-based service technicians. "Being self-sufficient for routine and minor maintenance issues saves money and allows shops to address maintenance issues faster and on a schedule that conforms to their production needs. Scheduled maintenance is the key to success."
Noack advises shops to schedule downtime for plate roll machine maintenance to inspect it and take care of any issues. This will ensure the machine will work properly when the shop needs it. Unfortunately, many shops focus on their immediate production needs as opposed to planning and scheduling routine maintenance, which takes a lot less time than reactive emergency maintenance.
Routine maintenance, such as checking fluid levels, fitting and bolt tightness and looking for leaks and residue buildup, allows shops to catch minor issues before they become big ones.
In addition to saving production time by avoiding unplanned outages, regular ongoing maintenance practices can enhance the rolling process by providing operators with valuable information as to how the machine is performing. When outside help is needed, however, maintenance teams like Davi's have the ability to access machines remotely to diagnose and solve many problems, and they can also talk shops through repair processes over the phone, if needed.
"It depends on customers' level and how far they can go," Noack said. "We try to solve problems quickly over the phone if we can, but if that does not work, we can get a tech out there quickly."
As plate roll machine technology evolves, so does its maintenance protocol. Davi now has an optional "Failure-Free Mode" that uses artificial intelligence (AI) in its control to analyze machine performance and predict the potential for failure. As advanced as AI technology is, it is simply the latest twist on an established philosophy-regular preventive maintenance simply cannot be overlooked.
"Often, a plate rolling machine is not just a capital investment-it is an investment in the stability of the shop," Noack said. "Plate rolling is typically involved in the first or second step of the component process, and if the machine breaks down, it is going to cause a huge disruption. Shops must take care of that investment through proper routine preventive maintenance."
For more information contact:
Davi Inc.
888-282-3284
davi-inc.@davi.com
www.davi.com