The Importance of Machine Health Assessment in Indexer Maintenance

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The #1 cause for indexer failure is stopping out of position and lack of maintenance/ Health Assessments.

Health Assessments are Important Part of the Longevity of your Indexer.

  • A Motion Tech can inspect and determine the current health your indexer is in and can recommend any preventive measure.
  • Breakdowns cause a long down time and lots of money for the customer.

Stopping out of Position Causes an Internal E-STOP Condition.

  • This causes Cam follower to hit against the barrel cam on every stop. Which will lead to major damage
  • Adjust lever cams on output shaft accordingly. ( Motion Tech can show you how to do this effectively)

Manufacturing disruptions can occur for a variety of reasons in the high output manufacturing setting. Halting production because of natural disaster or supply chain problems can be a very expensive inevitability, but is one that is ultimately out of the hands of the manufacturer. One disruption that can be controlled and usually avoided is machine failure on the manufacturing line. It is widely agreed upon that an assembly line should run like a well-oiled machine, so shouldn’t the machines on the line should be well-oiled, too?
From Indexing tables to Lift and Transfer units, Lift and rotate units to Precision link conveyors, must be maintained and calibrated by an experienced technician. A regular and maintained schedule of services will insure the longevity of the machine while protecting against unexpected failures and expensive production shut downs. This is why Motion Index Drives is diligent in sending its Engineering technicians around the country to perform routine health assessments as well as onsite support. With the cost of total production shutdown in the range of millions of dollars in large, high output assembly lines, the value of health assessments are quickly realized.

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Damaged top dial bearing due to not being properly maintained/greased.

Health Assessment Checks Include:

  • Motor brake gaps
  • Cam-followers are inspected for wear
  • Backlash on top dial
  • Verify applicable VFD settings
  • Adjusting limit switches if needed
  • Oil is inspected for contaminates
  • Belts and pulleys where applicable
  • Pre-load of top dial
  • Each position is evaluated for any backlash

It is Important to Have Spare Parts on Hand

  • A Motion Technician can replace parts that need replacing upon discovery during Health Assessment.
  • No unnecessary down time.

SPARE PARTS

  • Cam followers (amount of followers vary depending on indexers in plant).
  • Seals
  • Belts and Pulleys
  • Ball and Race assemblies (under top dial)
  • Spare Indexer (sometimes depending on the amount of damage it’s faster and easier to replace whole unit.)

Author: Nick Szadyr
Motion Index Drives Service Technician

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