A New Year's resolution is a decision a person makes on the first day of a year that will somehow improve themselves. Despite being a mainly Western tradition, there is evidence that people as far back as the ancient Babylonians practiced this annual ritual, with promises to return borrowed objects and pay debts. The most common reasons for failing to follow through on resolutions are unrealistic goals or simply forgetting about them. One very realistic resolution that should never be forgotten is the correct maintenance of an industrial dryer.
Too much is riding on the proper operation of these dryers for a business to allow unplanned downtime to enter into the mix. Much of a maintenance program’s effectiveness stems from keeping accurate dryer maintenance records, and using those records in planning. That planning entails recording the dryer’s performance and normal operating conditions and scheduling dryer inspections and regular preventive maintenance. This record can be used when deciding whether to repair, rebuild or replace an older dryer.
This applies to many different types of dryers. Rotary Dryers are considered the workhorses of the powder and bulk solids processing industry, able to handle a broad range of material from powders to sludges. Fluid Bed Dryers cause the material they process to act like a fluid. Flash Dryers process high-moisture, temperature-sensitive material. Conduction Dryers indirectly dry and/or cool bulk solids at low temperatures. These industrial dryers are very intricate machines, and something is bound to go wrong at some point. Proper maintenance records can mean the difference between an easy fix and several days of downtime.
As long as a maintenance record is organized, complete and up-to-date, its physical form isn’t critical. Hard copies of information can be organized into a filing system or bound into record or log books, or the information can be consolidated and transferred to a computer database.
Current records should be arranged and filed for efficient retrieval and handling. Deciding how to file records does not need to be complicated. Begin by taking a careful look at the records currently in use. Are they already filed in a way that allows for quick access? Is the current system logical, consistent, and reasonably convenient? Could a newcomer interpret and understand it? If so, there is probably no need to change the system. An existing system that works well for the organization should be left in place. On the other hand, if the existing system is cumbersome, idiosyncratic or even non-existent, then the records require some type of orderly filing system.
The information in the maintenance record should include:
1. Legal Documentation
2. Operations and Maintenance Manuals
3. Drawings
4. Parts Lists
5. Daily Maintenance Procedures
6. Special and Emergency Maintenance Procedures
7. Safety Procedures
8. Baseline Operation Record
9. Operations Log
10. Maintenance Log
11. Lubrication record
12. Annual Turnaround Procedure
Establishing and maintaining a complete maintenance record that includes elements such as these can make a dryer maintenance program more effective. A maintenance record can help workers to quickly spot abnormal dryer operation, identify the problem’s cause and correct it. Referring to the maintenance record can also help determine whether an older dryer needs to be repaired, rebuilt or replaced.
Heyl & Patterson understands how costly a breakdown can be. Our company has provided advanced inspections and field services for more than a century, with consulting on maintenance recommendations, spare parts installations, outage planning, comprehensive upgrades and start-up assistance. With the goal of extending the life of your machinery, our advisors can provide onsite mechanical, structural and electrical inspections to help you maximize efficiency, productivity and safety.
For further information on how to properly maintain records for industrial dryers, click here.
New Year's Resolution: Maintain Better Industrial Dryer Records
A New Year's resolution is a decision a person makes on the first day of a year that will somehow improve themselves. Despite being a mainly Western tradition, there is evidence that people as far back as the ancient Babylonians practiced this annual ritual, with promises to return borrowed objects and pay debts. The most common reasons for failing to follow through on resolutions are unrealistic goals or simply forgetting about them. One very realistic resolution that should never be forgotten is the correct maintenance of an industrial dryer.
Too much is riding on the proper operation of these dryers for a business to allow unplanned downtime to enter into the mix. Much of a maintenance program’s effectiveness stems from keeping accurate dryer maintenance records, and using those records in planning. That planning entails recording the dryer’s performance and normal operating conditions and scheduling dryer inspections and regular preventive maintenance. This record can be used when deciding whether to repair, rebuild or replace an older dryer.
This applies to many different types of dryers. Rotary Dryers are considered the workhorses of the powder and bulk solids processing industry, able to handle a broad range of material from powders to sludges. Fluid Bed Dryers cause the material they process to act like a fluid. Flash Dryers process high-moisture, temperature-sensitive material. Conduction Dryers indirectly dry and/or cool bulk solids at low temperatures. These industrial dryers are very intricate machines, and something is bound to go wrong at some point. Proper maintenance records can mean the difference between an easy fix and several days of downtime.
As long as a maintenance record is organized, complete and up-to-date, its physical form isn’t critical. Hard copies of information can be organized into a filing system or bound into record or log books, or the information can be consolidated and transferred to a computer database.
Current records should be arranged and filed for efficient retrieval and handling. Deciding how to file records does not need to be complicated. Begin by taking a careful look at the records currently in use. Are they already filed in a way that allows for quick access? Is the current system logical, consistent, and reasonably convenient? Could a newcomer interpret and understand it? If so, there is probably no need to change the system. An existing system that works well for the organization should be left in place. On the other hand, if the existing system is cumbersome, idiosyncratic or even non-existent, then the records require some type of orderly filing system.
The information in the maintenance record should include:
1. Legal Documentation
2. Operations and Maintenance Manuals
3. Drawings
4. Parts Lists
5. Daily Maintenance Procedures
6. Special and Emergency Maintenance Procedures
7. Safety Procedures
8. Baseline Operation Record
9. Operations Log
10. Maintenance Log
11. Lubrication record
12. Annual Turnaround Procedure
Establishing and maintaining a complete maintenance record that includes elements such as these can make a dryer maintenance program more effective. A maintenance record can help workers to quickly spot abnormal dryer operation, identify the problem’s cause and correct it. Referring to the maintenance record can also help determine whether an older dryer needs to be repaired, rebuilt or replaced.
Heyl & Patterson understands how costly a breakdown can be. Our company has provided advanced inspections and field services for more than a century, with consulting on maintenance recommendations, spare parts installations, outage planning, comprehensive upgrades and start-up assistance. With the goal of extending the life of your machinery, our advisors can provide onsite mechanical, structural and electrical inspections to help you maximize efficiency, productivity and safety.
For further information on how to properly maintain records for industrial dryers, click here.
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