How to Take Care When Restarting Equipment

May 6, 2020

Why should I take extra care after prolonged periods of downtime?

If equipment is unused for long periods of time, a number of things can happen that will cause trouble during restart. Here are just a few examples:

  • Pneumatic and hydraulic filters can be contaminated with water
  • Pneumatic and hydraulic valves can stick in one position. This is a serious fault in a moulding machine, as all valves have to work in a particular order.
  • Old sand stuck inside the moulding machine chamber and on cope and drag plates (for MATCH machines) is very common and can cause quality issues. 

If the shut-down was carried out in a hurry (by simply switching the machines off), these issues are more likely to occur. Therefore, even more rigorous inspection and cleaning will be needed.

What should I check?

Check all safety equipment is working correctly: emergency stop buttons, light curtains, compressed air safety valves, etc.

  • Ensure you have all the tools you need.
  • Consider your scope of work for restart.
  • Start at one end of the line and methodically go through to the other end.
  • Start checks at least 2 days before scheduled production starts.