Pneumatic actuation unlocks immense capabilities spanning pushing, pulling, clamping, ejecting and transferring for automated production yet finicky maintenance often plagues availability. Both linear actuators and air motors commonly suffer routine contamination Bindups, seal leaks or if exceptionally unlucky – mid-cycle explosions from improper use or upkeep. But methodical maintenance paired with watchful operation rescues uptime even under 24/7 rapid cycling demands. Here’s how:
Guard Clean Dry Air at All Costs
Frequent culprit behind pneumatic failures, moisture-laden compressed air corrodes internals while particulates quickly abrade precision clearances halting function. Yet removing every last trace remains impractical. Instead deploy a phased protection approach:
- Install industrial water-separation filters trapping >90% of moisture at compressor outlets purifying distribution lines.
- Mount secondary micro-filters on each actuator/motor removing particulates and coalescing stray moisture from the mains down to 3 microns.
- Use stainless steel or coated aluminum components resisting corrosion from residual moisture contact.
- In harsh environments, utilize chamber dessicants absorbing local humidity and oil vapor during idle periods.
While tedious filtering compressed air Baldwin through each phase, the resulting clean, dry supply reliability repays the efforts in uptime.
Lubricate Components – But Judiciously!
Eliminating all friction proves improbable in mechanical motion systems. Minimal lubrication remains key lowering wear rates and resisting rust during downtime but tottering fine lines between enough yet not too much. Heed these tips:
- Consult manufacturer guidelines on lube needs before arbitrarily squirting or the resultant stickiness quickly blocks rather than assists operation.
- Apply only pneumatic tool oils specifically formulated for high moisture contact, NOT standard petroleum greases that oxidize into abrasive gunk.
- Just 2-3 drops of oil every 40 hours of operation generally suffices for small actuators while high throughput packers may need 6-8 drops each morning.
- Alternatively utilize oil-infused air to lightly coat internals during cycles without manual application.
- Wipe excessive wet buildup and redistribute dried interior flakes with every oil application to prevent caking.
Getting lubrication ratios optimized for specific duty cycles and mechanics may require slight tweaks over initial weeks of operations before settling into a groove. But clean, LUBRICATED air motive components demonstrate appreciative reliability.
Detection – When to Service?
Rather than replacing blindly by schedule, savvy maintenance teams spot service approaching failures early via subtle operational tells tale easy to miss amid deafening machinery noise. But tuning into symptoms signaling impending issues pays dividends securing uptime later. Note:
- Sluggish partial extension/retraction during travel denoting contamination binding
- Higher than normal operation temperatures indicating abnormal friction
- Inconsistent cycle completion times designation uneven friction between sides
- Leaking seals orgaskets showing material fatigue/damage
- Unusual noise patterns earring grinding from internal debris
When picked up early, surfaces may simply lack lubrication. But left unchecked, symptomatic troubles rapidly accelerate into catastrophic stoppages. Stay vigilant and get familiar withnormal operational sounds to detect deviations promptly. Even small changes can foretell serious unscheduled downtime ahead.
Why Choose Flexible Assembly System?
In high-tempo manufacturing, uptime reigns supreme. But when pneumatic components inevitability act up, resolving issues rapidly restores production pace. Yet most equipment vendors offer little direct maintenance support stranding owners perusing obscure manuals blindly.
Flexible Assembly System shifts this dynamic through dedicated Around-the-clock service ensuring minimal linear actuator and air motor downtime via:
24-Hour Emergency Assistance Hotline
With technicians standing by every minute, day or night, clients confronting abrupt failures or confusion troubleshooting warnings receives real-time diagnosis and correction guidance directly from pneumatic experts to resume operation promptly.
On-Site Service Dispatch
For more intricate faults requiring hands-on assessment, Flexible Assembly System rapidly sends regional technicians with component repair/swap capabilities for crisis interventions minimizing production lags keeping lines running.
Preventative Maintenance Training
We provide on-location instruction for technical staff on proper components cleaning, inspection, lubrication, and routine servicing between failures enabling self-sufficiency and uptime longevity through early issue detection internally versus discovering during emergencies.
Lifetime Warranty
All pneumatic actuators, cylinders and air motors receive unconditional lifetime defect replacement guarantees providing cost assurance Upton decades supporting initial quality investments further.
Trust Flexible Assembly System as your responsive partner maintaining, troubleshooting and standing behind linear actuators and air motors ensuring continual functionality for the long run. Contact us to evaluate custom proposals optimizing automated pneumatic efficiencies!
