How to Make the Most Out of Your Customer Service Call

Posted: August 26th, 2010 | By: Eagle Tech

Few people understand that a simple call to customer care can contribute to the development of a new product or an update on an old model. In fact, the relationships between engineering and customer care are an important research and development resource. To help companies like Eagle Technologies implement the much-needed changes required to properly improve a machine, customers should try to get more than just a quick fix out of the call.

1. Come to the call knowing that you did everything as recommended.

   Many of the problems the lead customers to call customer care involve shortcuts taken by the customers. Ask yourself a few questions. Did you assemble/install/set up your equipment according to the instructions and manuals provided? Are you using the machinery in the way it was intended (recommended volume, weight, speed, use duration, etc.)? If your answer is no retrace your steps before calling or be prepared to come clean with the customer care agent in order to get to the root of the problem.

2. Record the data well.

   Make a record of the issues, the time they occur, dates, and a complete description of the problem to relay to customer care agents. Augment this record each time the problem occurs. This will help establish problem frequency and will help the company establish a pattern if the problem seems to be widespread. Your record could also aid in developing an update or modification in future models.

3. Stay calm and be specific when speaking with agents.

   Customer care agents can do a better job at helping you with your problem and relaying information to engineers if they are dealing with a respected client. Stubborn, angry clients have the agents scrambling to please, making the fix more important than the problem. In the relationship between engineering and customer care departments, the problem itself is the most important as it leads to product improvement.

4. Document the contact.

   Each time you go to a customer care agent for help, record the name of the agent as well as the solution given. Relay this information to the agents in future contacts.

When your machine is having trouble, think beyond the fix needed to get production running again. Use your contact with customer care to lead the company on to a something that could end up becoming an asset in a future model.

Filed under: Customer Service | Tags: customer care, Customer Service, eagle technologies, Engineering, machinery, maintenance, product development | No Comments »

Two Ways to Reduce Your Spare Parts Inventory

Posted: August 24th, 2010 | By: Eagle Tech

Continuing with last week’s topic of spare parts, today’s post will review maintaining your spare parts inventory in a way that will actually save you money.

Although a spare parts inventory is usually necessary, carrying enough parts to build a whole new machine is not. In fact, the excess non-vital parts within the inventory can actually be a liability on the balance sheet. Fortunately, you can reduce your spare parts inventory without compromising your productivity – here are two ways to do just that:

Prioritize Your Parts

This will take some time, but the results will amaze you. Many companies working without proper inventory controls are also carrying a lot of unnecessary parts in that inventory. So the first thing to do is to intimately understand the spare parts that you carry, and also the machines that you run.

Next, assign each part to one of the following categories: vital, necessary and ordinary.

• Vital parts are those required in order to keep the entire plant operating. These parts are also difficult to obtain and may need to be custom fabricated, taking an exceptionally long period of time to acquire.
• Necessary parts are for machines that are important for operations, but not business threatening. These parts may take a few days or weeks to acquire. They may also be parts that need replacing often.
• Ordinary parts are those commonly found in the local supply store or those that can be bypassed until a new one arrives. Their breakdown only has a minor effect on production, if any at all.

You’ll need to keep a stock of the vital and necessary parts, but the ordinary ones can be downsized after the next step.

Determine how often certain machinery and parts require repair or replacement. An ordinary part may be the culprit, but the part needs replacing frequently. In this case, the ordinary spares should remain in inventory. Similarly, several spares of a vital part are unnecessary if the part is rarely replaced.

Now, sit down with your equipment and inventory managers, maintenance and repair crew to determine which parts should stay and which should go.

Sub-Contract the Job

Larger companies often form partnerships with parts suppliers to avoid the large inventory expenses. The supplier places the spare parts needed for the company machinery within the plant itself. Only when a part is needed is the plant charged. Otherwise, the supplier keeps track of the inventory. This setup has the added bonus of a tech support staff that the plant can access when the there are issues with the spares.

Whatever your company needs may be, spare parts should not become a burden. They are designed to rescue the plant. Contact Eagle Technologies for more information about our spare parts services.

Filed under: Manufacturing | Tags: costs, eagle technologies, factories, Factory Automation, installation, machinery, maintenance, parts suppliers, preventative maintenance, spare parts | No Comments »

The Importance of Spare Parts Inventories

Posted: August 19th, 2010 | By: Eagle Tech

The manufacturing systems that companies thrive on require more than lubrication and maintenance. They also require spare parts. Most manufacturing and processing companies keep an inventory of spare parts. However, small businesses should also consider creating a spare parts inventory as well.

There are several reasons why a company utilizing machinery should have a spare parts inventory. This includes everything from the parts for an office printer to the processing equipment large enough to fill a warehouse space.

Efficiency

Having parts on hand allows companies to get their operations back online, even after a major breakdown. This avoids lost time and wages while awaiting parts.

Expense

Spare parts are a large expense upon initial purchase, but their costs are minuscule compared to the costs of a breakdown without having spare parts on hand. Depending on the parts needed, the affected machines might need to be shut down while awaiting new parts.

Vital parts may require an entire plant shutdown. Workers and production thus cease while the part is ordered, possibly fabricated, packaged, and shipped. This process could take days or even weeks to complete. Meanwhile, the costs mount for the plant that is sitting idle until the part arrives. Missed production deadlines could even cost the company valuable client relationships.

Proper Repair

Stories abound about company employees who, in an effort to avoid a major shutdown, perform a “patch job” on the equipment. The results are usually even more damaging to the machinery or the machine malfunctions in a way that affects product quality. Making the parts available prevents the need for such shortcuts.

Spare parts inventories are a necessary part of running a manufacturing business. When you order machinery from Eagle Technologies, just ask about adding spare parts to your order.

Filed under: Factory Automation, Manufacturing | Tags: Automated system, costs, eagle technologies, Factory Automation, machinery, machinery repair, maintenance, preventative maintenance, spare parts | No Comments »

Top 5 Signs of Machine Failure

Posted: August 17th, 2010 | By: Eagle Tech

Machine failure is a normal, expected part of the manufacturing process. However, it’s also a costly part of factory automation. From line shutdowns to product delays and even product defects due to the machine failure, costs can rise quickly. That’s why you must stay on top of problems, even before they occur. Here are just five of the many indications of an assembly machine’s eminent failure.

1. Listen for abnormal sounds. Manufacturing floors are loud places, but the people who work on them quickly grow accustomed to the sound of the machines they use. Oftentimes, machinery (their motors especially) emanate a sound that differs from its normal noise. The sound is subtle at first and grows as the problem worsens. Stop and inspect machinery at the first sign of an audible change.
2. Take notice of unexplained heat. There are a number of things that cause enough friction to heat up the metals and other materials used in factory automation. In some areas, heat is expected. But, heat rising from an area that is normally room temperature or colder is a sign of a problem. In addition to friction, electrical issues can also generate heat. The machines should be stopped in order to lubricate or perform a repair. Otherwise, the heat could lead to a fire or seizing of the machine itself.
3. Check for cleanliness. Keeping machines clean is key in a factory. In addition to providing a safe workplace, the cleanliness will also help you spot another early sign of machine failure — leaks. Wetness or dust leaking from a seam, gasket, or other part are all a breach in the machinery. So, an unclean machine may not be a signal of lax maintenance staff, but instead the machine’s signal that something is wrong.
4. Monitor production speed. Slowdowns signal machine failure just as automation speed increases do. Resistance due to several factors, such as lubricant leakage, can cause a speed decrease. Meanwhile, loose rings are one cause of an increase in production speed.
5. Feel for unnecessary vibration. Vibration analysis is one way that plant managers and maintenance teams detect mechanical failures in automation machinery. The change in vibration from the norm is a sign that the machine might have anything from loose parts to lubrication issues.

All companies have their own preventative maintenance and inspection procedures to catch problems in the machinery before they reach crisis capacity. However, the assembly line workers, and others around the machinery, on a regular basis should be made aware of these five things and other small signs that the machine is headed for failure.

Filed under: Factory Automation | Tags: assembly machines, Automated system, Factory Automation, machine failure, machinery, maintenance, preventative maintenance | 7 Comments »

5 Efficiency Tools from the Pharmacy

Posted: August 12th, 2010 | By: Eagle Tech

Manufacturing dispensers are used in several places throughout the factory automation process. Eagle Technologies creates dispensing systems for use in various industries, from automotive to food processing, including pharmaceuticals. Keeping dispenser efficiency high is the goal, one that you can reach by taking a few cues from the pharmacy.

In the pharmaceutical industry, drug dispensers are an important part of the pharmacy. They are designed to dispense the appropriate amounts of each drug. Failure to do so can be harmful to the consumer, so the pharmaceutical industry places much time and effort into ensuring that the dispensers work properly. The lessons learned, especially in dispenser efficiency, can be used in all industries that use dispensers as part of their manufacturing process.

1. Consider your capacity. Dispensers place accurate amounts of liquid and solid materials onto the product being made. Refilling them takes time out of the process. Pharmacists place the drugs frequently requested drugs in larger dispensers. This cuts down on the number of dispenser refills, which results in higher production. You can do the same with your dispensers.
2. Monitor usage. Determine which materials are used less frequently. Place them in small dispensers to avoid waste (or spoilage in the food industry) from sitting unused. Pharmacies do this with perishable medications. Measuring the amount of materials that will be used in one day is another way to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
3. Maintain regularly. Improper maintenance can lead to equipment that runs slow and even suffer frequent breakdowns. Cleaning the dispensers clears out obstructions and helps you catch the signs of mechanical failure before they become problematic.
4. Make labels distinct and clear. Errors are another enemy of efficiency. In the pharmacy, an error can result in harm to the customers and at the very least a shutdown until the problem is rectified. The same scenario occurs in factory automation, resulting in line shutdown and maintenance, depending on the materials involved.
5. Check safety controls. Another means of increasing efficiency is to check the safety controls on the equipment. The valves and switches are there to control the pressure and flow of the materials. When at the proper setting, the dispenser is at its most efficient. Improperly set controls can lead to machine malfunctions and delays.

The pharmacy uses factory automation in a way that is not very different from usage on the factory floor. To get the best usage out of your Eagle Technologies dispensers, try thinking like a pharmacist.

Filed under: Factory Automation, Pharmaceutical | Tags: Automated system, dispensers, efficiency, Factory Automation, Food Processing, maintenance, pharmaceuticals, preventative maintenance, safety | No Comments »