When it comes to industrial machines such as cutters, maintenance is extremely important. These machines are not cheap. They cost money to run every time they are turned on or off. If misused, they can become costly and more of a liability than an asset. There are steps you can take to help make sure that your machines are maintained properly and your employees are using them properly. Here are some tips to help you with the maintenance of your business’ waterjet.
First, use clean water with your cutting machine. It is quite likely that you are not running muddy water through your machine, but you might be using ordinary tap water. This is also fine, but can eventually become problematic if you live in an area with particularly dirty or hard water. Eventually the minerals in the water can cause issues with the nozzles or other areas of your machine that deal with high pressure. Eventually this can cause your machine to be less accurate and even crack parts of your machine. If you are worried about your water, use a water softener to help keep the water clean before it enters your machine.
The nozzles quickly take a lot of wear on just about any waterjet. As such, it can actually be a good practice to check and even change the nozzles every day. In addition, practice keeping your machine and parts clean by rinsing them thoroughly before disassembling them and storing parts in places where they will not gather dust.
It is also important to get into the habit of keeping important emergency parts on hand. You don’t want a part to suddenly break and then have to wait several days for a new one to be shipped in. This results in loss of production, which results in loss of money. Instead, keep a few emergency parts on hand and still order a new part when one gets broken. This way you can still keep up with the work even while waiting for that new part.
Try to use consistent pressure with your machine as pressure cycles can damage the metal. A pressure cycle happens every single time you turn the pressure on and off. You can help reduce the pressure damage on the metal of your machine by operating it at a consistent and lower pressure. You should monitor any parts of your plumbing that deal with high pressure as these will eventually wear over time and need replacing.
It’s important to maintain your business equipment well, especially your waterjet machines. Following the tips above can help start you on a good track of keeping your machines in good shape.
