| Two years ago, I began the process of opening a small manufacturing company in rural Minnesota. My idea was to open a factory that would produce prototypes for inventors. Six months ago, I made my first payment on a facility that contained most of the machinery that I needed. Having the equipment included in the sale was definitely convenient, not to mention a big cost savings. The only negative was that most of the equipment had not been used in years, and was badly in need of repair and restoration. My first priority was to get the mechanical systems up and running. I began searching the internet for companies specializing in AC motor repair.
I found several websites, but one impressed me in particular. This was http://www.lselectric.com/acrepair.html . The machinery I purchased represented a huge investment for me, and I was nervous about trusting just anybody with its care and repair. Unlike other websites, http://www.lselectric.com/acrepair.html actually took the time to detail the exact steps they take when performing AC motor repair. This included information on how each component is disassembled, inspected, refurbished, and finally tested. Customers have the option of having the work done on site or off site with a guarantee of satisfaction either way.
Because of the size of my equipment and the number of units that needed repair, I opted to have my repairs done on-site. Since I was going to have a technician on-site, I thought it would be a good idea to begin planning for predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance is used to forecast future equipment needs in the area of repair and maintenance. When predictive maintenance is utilized, it is possible to include maintenance costs in a budget in a far more accurate manner than is possible when repairs are done on an “as needs” basis. I was able to learn a lot about this subject at the company's website - http://www.lselectric.com/PredictiveMaintenanceServices.html.
The technician spent two weeks on-site performing AC motor repairs. His repairs were all completed within the time frame promised and well within the budget they had outlined for me. Seventy percent of the AC motors at my facility were able to be fully refurbished. This left only thirty percent needing to be replaced. I had predicted a much higher replacement percentage and was very happy with the result. In addition, I was able to witness and sign off on all quality assurance inspection and testing.
After the AC repairs were completed, the technician and I sat down to discuss predictive maintenance. We finalized a plan that would include a technician visiting on a regularly scheduled basis to perform maintenance and equipment analysis. I was then able to get with my accountant and work this expense into my quarterly budget. If this service were not available, these costs would have to be taken out during the first quarter of each year for the entire previous fiscal year. My investors and I both will be happy to dodge that financial hit.
AC Motor Repair, Predictive Maintenance |