Minor and major centrifuge service visits are staples for keeping your production line running. Because these visits require our technician to complete all of the work at your facility, there are a few things you’ll need to prepare for prior to the day of your service.
Check your parts inventory
We don't believe in cluttering your shelves with repeat parts (or sending you parts you'll just end up throwing away). So, before we pull together the parts needed for your separator service, you'll want to assess your current parts inventory for any centrifuge parts you already have on your shelves.
We can source and ship just about any centrifuge part through our parts department. But letting us know what you have on hand in advance can save some money. Whether you have a full minor kit on hand, or a few essential parts taking up space on your shelves, take a moment to review your existing parts inventory. You'll better understand what you have for inventory, and you can save a bit of budget. It's a win-win.
Complete required documentation
When it comes to centrifuge service and maintenance documentation is necessary on both sides of the partnership.
Typically, Separators will provide our insurance and safety certifications before scheduling your service visit. During this time, we'll also inquire about safety information, training materials, insurance requirements, contact information, and uniform requirements.
Safety information and training materials
Our service technicians undergo safety and technical training as a routine part of their profession, but our safety and training practices don’t always match a customer’s safety and training requirements.
Based on your facility, industry, or regulatory guidelines, on-site technicians may need to hold a special certification. By letting us know these requirements ahead of time, we can ensure that we send you a technician with the proper training to work in your plant.
Insurance requirements
Complying with insurance requirements protects your business, personnel, and anyone who comes on-site to work in your facility (including our field technicians). Identify any and all necessary insurance requirements prior to us arriving on-site for your service visit.
Day-of-service contact information and uniform requirements
On the day of the service, our technician must have contact information for all the personnel they will be working with within your plant. For example, our technician likely needs contact information for your plant maintenance supervisor, the safety coordinator, and an employee who regularly works with your centrifuge equipment.
We'll also need to know about any uniform requirements for your facility. If certain types of clothing, footwear, or protective coverings are required, it’s important for us to know ahead of time so our technician can arrive prepared (and not waste time).
Prepare machinery and equipment
While our service technicians show up prepared with the right parts and training to get the job done, they do need to rely on you and your facility for some equipment and information needs. This is especially true for machinery that doesn’t travel well.
As we prepare to visit a customer facility for a service visit, we’ll need to verify that the following equipment and tools are available when our technician arrives.
Functioning hoist
We’ll need to verify there is a proper, functioning hoist over the machine. Without one, our technicians cannot properly complete their work. Make sure it’s positioned over the centrifuge when our technician arrives to ensure prompt service.
If the hoist is elsewhere and needs to be located, transported, or positioned, those efforts will add unnecessary time to your service visit.
Tool verification
In addition to the hoist, there are a handful of tools we look to the facility to provide for a service visit. These include:
- Frame specialty tools
- Hydraulic press
- Large Gear Puller 7 Bearing Heater
Before your service visit, make sure that a team member verifies that all these tools are available and functional. (As we all know, tools often go missing or become damaged — and you usually find out the hard way when you go to grab it for a service.)
On the day of the visit, these tools should be near the equipment to be serviced and ready to go.
Centrifuge model and previous service details
When scheduling your service, we'll gather the make, model, and serial number of the centrifuge being serviced.
The last bit of information we ask for is a copy of the machine’s most recent service report. If your unit was last serviced by Separators Inc., we’ll have your most recent service report on file. But, if you previously worked with a different service provider, we'll need a copy of the report to uncover valuable information about the current state of your centrifuge. This will allow your technician to better assess the current state of your equipment — and ultimately provide more thorough service.
Electrical needs
It’s essential for a facility to properly disconnect electricity to the centrifuge’s main motor before we work on it. It is not enough for a centrifuge to be turned off — it must have its power source disconnected. This helps ensure a safe working environment, which is always a priority.
Note that any equipment or processes relying on the same connection will be affected during the service visit. Knowing this in advance, you can assess your workflow needs.
Designate support staff
On the day of your technician’s visit, you'll need to provide at least two staff members to assist the technician. One staff member will be a designated helper, while the other will assist the technician with various tasks and needs throughout the day.
These extra sets of hands aren't just helpful in getting the job done faster — they're essential to getting your centrifuge in tip-top shape. Having someone to help with tasks like cleaning and washing parts allows our technician to complete their work much more quickly, restoring your centrifuge equipment to full functionality faster.
Prepare cleaning products
A good, thorough cleaning is an important part of minor centrifuge service. We advise our customers to use white Scotch-Brite pads only for cleaning surfaces.
Note: Do not use red or green Scotch-Brite pads on discs for cleaning. Many facilities may already have red or green pads on hand, but these are not appropriate for cleaning centrifuge discs. Only white pads have the correct grain.
Complete your pre-maintenance checklist
Finally, you'll want to complete your pre-maintenance checklist. We created this asset to help give your team peace of mind that everything is in place and ensure that our service technician can get in and out of your plant as quickly as possible.
Our checklist details documentation requirements, machinery and equipment needs, and cleaning/preparation instructions. These preparations will help ensure everything goes smoothly on the day of your visit.
