How to buy equipment; the lists you need to know--before and after--you purchase major equipment for your assembly operation.Purchasing new equipment is a big responsibility. You hope the system will work correctly and serve your needs for years to come. Purchasing industrial equipment and properly integrating, with existing equipment and processes requires a technical proficiency pro·fi·cien·cy n. pl. pro·fi·cien·cies The state or quality of being proficient; competence. Noun 1. proficiency - the quality of having great facility and competence that is not commonplace. However, as in so many areas, experience and, more importantly, the ability to ask the right questions may help you sleep better at night during the selection and start up process. You Are Purchasing Services Let us list out what you are really buying. You are obtaining: * someone to install or help install the equipment and set it up--this need may involve other service people if you are integrating into a production line, as each manufacturer's expertise is exclusive to its equipment. * a technical instructor to teach your folks how to use the equipment. * a service technician See PC technician and software technician. to come out and repair the equipment or to help your technician via phone support to repair it. * a software person to update or configure See configuration. (software) configure - A program by Richard Stallman to discover properties of the current platform and to set up make to compile and install gcc. Cygnus configure was a similar system developed by K. software as needed as needed prn. See prn order. in the future. * a manual that may or may not accurately reflect the actual piece of equipment you have in terms of the right part numbers or drawings. These operating instructions may have been written either for a rocket scientist Rocket Scientist In the world of finance, these are people with science and math degrees who work in the finance field building highly advanced quantitative finance models. These models help banking, insurance and investment firms to price financial instruments. or a monkey monkey, any of a large and varied group of mammals of the primate order. The term monkey includes all primates that do not belong to the categories human, ape, or prosimian; however, monkeys do have certain common features. . * a service contract in some cases. * a gremlin gremlin, in American folklore, malicious, airborne supernatural being. Gremlins were first heard of during World War II as creatures responsible for unexplainable mechanical failures and disruptions in aircraft. that will break your shiny piece of equipment at the time when you will need the equipment the most. Also, do not forget about the ongoing costs associated with consumables used by the equipment, the least of which may be the electricity it consumes. It may also need regular change out of bits and pieces, chemicals, oils, fluids and whatever resources go into and come out of it. Installation If you are becoming serious about a particular piece of equipment, now is the time to ask for addresses of installations of the supplier's equipment in your area. Ask for installations done last year, the year before and recently, no matter if these installations are of older models. The real issues with the equipment will be readily apparent when you visit the two year old installations; the "newly installed" problems will be fresh on the minds of the folks at the more recent installations. Questions to ask include: * Would you buy this equipment again? * What costs popped up? Questions concerning installation to ask your supplier include: * Are pre-installation instructions available? * Are there specific issues concerning electrical, plumbing plumbing, piping systems inside buildings for water supply and sewage. The Romans had a highly developed plumbing system; water was brought to Rome by aqueducts and distributed to homes in lead pipes—hence the name plumbing from the Latin word plumbum , exhausting, pressurized pres·sur·ize tr.v. pres·sur·ized, pres·sur·iz·ing, pres·sur·iz·es 1. To maintain normal air pressure in (an enclosure, as an aircraft or submarine). 2. air, floor loading, physical size, telephone or data lines, weight, environmental waste streams, temperature and humidity humidity, moisture content of the atmosphere, a primary element of climate. Humidity measurements include absolute humidity, the mass of water vapor per unit volume of natural air; relative humidity (usually meant when the term humidity requirements? (Request a copy of the manual at this point if you have narrowed down your choices.) * What is expected of you during the installation and of the dealer? Who will coordinate and has the capabilities to physically perform these activities? * How long will your production be hampered, assuming the installation goes as planned? If installation problems occur, how long is needed to receive the parts that will render the equipment operational? * What accessory accessory, in criminal law, a person who, though not present at the commission of a crime, becomes a participator in the crime either before or after the fact of commission. equipment will need to be installed at the same time, and who will do it? Other items to consider include establishing a written agreement that states that, for example, if the equipment is not fulfilling its purpose within a certain period of time, then the seller will remove the equipment and the sale will be considered null A character that is all 0 bits. Also written as "NUL," it is the first character in the ASCII and EBCDIC data codes. In hex, it displays and prints as 00; in decimal, it may appear as a single zero in a chart of codes, but displays and prints as a blank space. and void. You should include this agreement to protect yourself, especially with the latest model of equipment. Unfortunately, the manufacturer may use you as an extension of its research and development department, so, if you are replacing old equipment, do not throw it out until you are sure the new machine works! Also, consider whether or not you have the loading dock and moving equipment necessary to remove the old equipment and bring in the new equipment. Last, but not least, make sure that, when the equipment is delivered to your facility, a thorough visual inspection is conducted of the crate(s). If you see any damage or that tip-and-tell and/or and/or conj. Used to indicate that either or both of the items connected by it are involved. Usage Note: And/or is widely used in legal and business writing. G-force g-force A force acting on a body as a result of acceleration or gravity, informally described in units of acceleration equal to one g. For example, a 12 pound object undergoing a g-force of 2g experiences 24 pounds of force. indicators attached to the outside of the crate have become activated activated a state of being more than usually active. In biological systems this is usually brought about by chemical or electrical means. Commonly said of pharmaceutical and chemical products. , you must note your observations on the documents signed for acceptance from the shipping company. The copy the trucker takes away must be identical to the one you keep, as that will be the shipping company's proof that no damage was noted at acceptance. The Instructor Questions to consider concerning training include: Who will do the training on the equipment? Will the installer do it, and, if so, is the training something he/she does at the last minute before running for the door to catch a flight to the next emergency he/she is called upon to solve? Other training considerations include: * Determine how long training should take and make sure your folks are there to learn. Do not rush the training. Training is critical to your future use and up-time of this equipment. * Make sure the training covers all the things you are expected to do, including, not just how to turn the machine on and off, but how to clean, change filters, take things apart and perform minor maintenance like changing a fuse. You should also go through the software menus to make adjustments. * Ensure the trainer does not do the tasks while your folks just look on; make sure your employees are involved in a hands on approach to learning. * If the trainer says, "Clean so and so at the end of each shift," find out what products are used to do the cleaning. * Make sure the trainer specifically explains any safety features and why they are important to operator safety. * If passwords have been established, make sure they are recorded in the equipment manual. * Ask for a simple checklist or sequence listing to help your operators initially operate the equipment once the trainer leaves. * Find out if 24-hour technical support is available; at about 8:00 p.m. your time, call that number and ask a question to see what kind of response you get. * Find out those few and critical need-to-know items that the trainer or installer has learned; he/she will be glad to tell you if you show an interest. * Find out if the factory provides schooling and the costs associated with the school. The Service Technician The service technician may also perform the installation or come after the equipment is in place. Questions to ask him/her include: * What year the technician went to school on your particular piece of equipment? * Are all parts stocked in your local region or must they be ordered from overseas? This point is critical: For example, if you are in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. and all your supplier's parts and support comes from Europe, your supplier may have already gone home for the day, due to the time difference, when you need its support. * What is the average minimum and maximum time the technician takes to arrive at your door after you have called for help? * How many calls a year does the technician respond to on this equipment? * Which model does the technician think is the best to buy, and why does he/she think so? This answer is the most critical one you will receive from the technician. * How well does the manufacturer support the technician on the phone when he/she has technical questions? How long does he/she wait for a call back from the manufacturer? * What are the most critical issues to know to ensure the equipment runs smoothly? * What are the number one, two and three parts the technician sees that fail on this equipment? Consider stocking some spare parts Spare parts, also referred to as Service Parts is a term used to indicate extra parts available and in proximity to the mechanical item, such as a automobile, boat, engine, for which they might be used. Spare parts are also called “spares. . * What are the charges for out of warranty service, per hour travel and per hour on site? Software Updates These days, most equipment seems to need software updates. On more complex systems or with changes made to connecting systems or equipment, software changes are often required for proper interfacing. Software considerations include: * if you have to pay for software updates * if you can download To receive a file transmitted over a network. In any communications session, "download" means receive, and "upload" means send. The download/upload often implies a big/little scenario, in which data is being downloaded from the "big" server into the "little" user's computer. and install them yourself * how many software updates or versions come out every year, on average * if a modem connection to your equipment exists, which allows for remote diagnosing and minor adjustments or tweaks * ensuring that the software you have installed is compatible with your processes * the length of time that occurs before a software technician An individual who is responsible for keeping users' computers running and up-to-date. Their functions are similar to a system administrator, but are more support oriented. They provide technical support to users and may do minor hardware repairs. is at your door after you call for help. Consumables All equipment consumes resources. From electricity to eventual wear out of moving parts Moving parts are the components of a device that undergo continuous or frequent motion, most commonly rotation. "Parts" only include the mechanical components which does not include fuel, or any other gas or liquid. , you should know what is needed to keep your shiny widget Pronounced "wih-jit," for decades, the term has been a popular word for a generic "thing" when there is no real name for it. It is often used to describe examples of made-up products along with other fictitious names; for example, "10 widgets, 5 frabbits and 2 dingits. running. Beware be·ware v. be·wared, be·war·ing, be·wares v.tr. To be on guard against; be cautious of: "Beware the ides of March" Shakespeare. v. of requirements for periodic overhauls and find out just what the costs are for both time and materials labor and materials (time and materials) n. what some builders or repair people contract to provide and be paid for, rather than a fixed price or a percentage of the costs. . Other considerations include: * Find out who supplies the consumables you need in your area, such as fluids, oils or whatever materials your equipment uses to operate. Get the phone numbers. * Determine what sort of supplies you should have on hand and figure out how to measure how much your equipment consumes per hour or day. * Find out how to dispose Dispose is design pattern which is used to handle resource clean up in systems which use garbage collection. See also
tr.v. re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling, re·cy·cles 1. To put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment. 2. To start a different cycle in. 3. a. the wastes produced by this equipment. * Make sure you have an alternate source of supply for consumables. Be aware of equipment that will work only with one specific consumable A material that is used up and needs continuous replenishment, such as paper and toner. "The low-tech end of the high-tech field!" provided by only one vendor. * Investigate to find out the normal wear out cycle for brushes, motors or whatever is used in your equipment. * Really savvy buyers will obtain a manual for review, pick a part number from the manual, such as a control panel, motor or the main on/off switch, and call the dealer to find out the price. They will then call the competitors and ask them the price of this particular item. Replacement part costs vary by hundreds of percent between manufacturers for the same type of part. This cost is especially worth considering for parts that wear out easily. Manuals After all the dust clears, you may find yourself alone with the equipment manual. The quality of this manual determines how long you will need to make the equipment respond as far as performing changes, settings or in house repairs. Considerations include: * Does the manual have a troubleshooting Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving. It is the systematic search for the source of a problem so that it can be solved. Troubleshooting is often a process of elimination - eliminating potential causes of a problem. section that goes into more detail than "check to see if it is plugged in" when the equipment does not work? * Are there drawings and schematics in the manual? * Does the manual have an illustrated parts breakdown that you can use to determine parts numbers? * Are adjustments and alignments clearly described in the manual? * Does the manual apply specifically to your equipment or is it a generic manual? (Look at the illustrated parts breakdown.) * What are the operator/owner responsibilities as outlined in the manual? * What does the manual say about the warranty, and what does it say will void the warranty? Service Contracts and Warranties I am astounded a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, to find out how much equipment is purchased without carefully reviewing or even asking for the written warranty. A few quick phone calls to other manufacturers will help you determine the accepted warranty duration and coverage for your particular type of equipment. If purchasing a newly introduced model of equipment with very few previous installations, consider a limited service/repair contract for the first year. Other considerations include: * What is the response time from your call for help to technician arrival under the warranty, and who do you call for warranty repair? * What parts are excluded from the warranty, and why? * Exactly what parts are considered normal wear and tear items? * Who will fulfill ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. the warranty? * Ask the dealer what he/she can do in addition to the warranty, and get the response in writing. After all, a dealer's mark up is supposed to be providing you with value-added service A value-added service (VAS) is a telecommunications industry term for non-core services or, in short, all services beyond standard voice calls and fax transmissions. . Conclusion Equipment selection and installation requires an active approach from the buyer. Asking the correct questions, negotiating with dealers and obtaining written agreements are part of a mutually satisfying experience for all concerned. The dealer or manufacturer who is eager to work with you in this manner will also be capable of working with you in the future. A common expectation is that the quality of today's equipment is high. However, the prompt delivery of tangible services really distinguishes the solution providers from the customary hardware providers. Tom S. Jones is the owner of Signalex Llc, Watertown, WI; email: tom@signalexllc.com. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion