Keep your scale running with Preventive maintenance + Planned maintenance activities such as calibrations and routine care help to greatly reduce unexpected downtime. However, by having a contingency plan for spare parts and maintaining spare part kits on hand, you also avoid supply chain issues and ensure that you have the right parts ready to be installed in your scale. This helps to eliminate long lead times, travel and installation times and additional labor and shipping costs. Additionally, it is a good idea to speak with your service technician about keeping all equipment up to date. Anticipating the end of your equipment’s lifecycle can help to ensure you’re prepared with a plan for replacement. Replacing old equipment before it breaks down can save significant amounts of time and prevent profit loss. Other parts and replacement Whether you choose to maintain your own wear parts inventory or rely on your service provider to ensure ready access to replacements, it is important to understand exactly what repair services and turnaround times they offer.
Questions to ask include:
- What specific kind of parts inventory do you carry?
- What is the travel time from your spare part location to my scale?
- What are the sequences of tests that your technician performs when faced with a scale that isn’t operating properly?
- How long do these tests take?
- How long does it take to switch out a common part, e.g., a load cell, a cable, a printer, etc.?
- Is service available 24 hours a day?