precision tools

Precision Grinders, Jig Grinding, and Grinding AccessoriesBy Randy Hough

the precision grinders used in a tool and die shop or injection mold making shop are some of the most important machine tools of all. These silent workhorses include the manual surface grinder, CNC surface grinder, and jig grinder.

With the extensive use of wire EDM the need for precision grinding has diminished in volume, but not in importance. There just is not as much work in the grinding department, but the grinding operation is absolutely essential to the overall process of toolmaking.

Some of the typical work done on precision grinders include the basic squaring up of core and cavity blocks, die blocks, finishing core pins and punches, finishing parting lines and shut offs and fitting slide lock angles.

Just imagine not having the capacity to do these few tasks and the entire process comes to a halt. You may be able to hard mill a lot of the details, and the sinker EDM can do a great deal, but surface grinding is still an essential part of toolmaking.

One of the old school precision grinders is the jig grinder. It is a very precise grinder, capable of many different operations, yet it is often overlooked as a viable machine tool. Besides the round holes, such as ejector pin holes or die openings, there are many unusual things this tool can do.

One good use is the adding of radii on components. This is often done by hand, with sometimes questionable results that tend to take a long time to achieve. Think of ejector blades, for example. The top area needs to have a radius in order to fit in the opening it will work in. If you only have a few to do, it is not hard to do them by hand. However, if you have 50 blades and all of them require 4 corners to be fitted, the jig grinder can do this accurately and quickly.

Both the jig grinder and surface grinder need good accessories in order to perform as they should. The sine plates, precision vises, angle plates and wheel dressers need to be of the highest quality. These need to be so trustworthy that they repeat 100% of the time and do not wear out.

A typical grinding area should include a granite surface plate, surface gage and test indicator, drop indicator and stand, height gage for scribing lines, squaring block and indicator, angle plates, magnetic squaring blocks, magnetic and non-magnetic sine plates, and spin fixtures.

You also need gage pins, gage blocks, and much, much more. It is wise to get the best you can afford, so that the toolmaker can work quickly and confidently.

cmm inspection

The Value of Hotel CMMS Preventive Maintenance

By S W Smith

Many hotels continue to face severe financial challenges as a result of disappearing profit margins and the aging of their assets. What many Hotel owners do not realize is that good preventive maintenance software can provide relatively quick financial relief by stopping unnecessary cash drains. Hotels that make use of an EAM/CMMS preventive maintenance programs have a definitive competitive edge because they are able to take reduce unnecessary capital expenditures, lower labor costs as well as increase energy efficiencies.

All assets require maintenance over the course of their useful lifecycle. Maintenance requests grow even faster as assets become older. The reason is as assets age they may require replacement parts, adjustments, lubrication, cleaning or just a fresh coat of paint. This is commonly referred to as preventive maintenance with the intent of extending the useful life of the asset. Of course, the larger the hotel the more assets that will require maintenance. Many hotels defer preventive maintenance either because their staff is too engaged in emergency repair work or they erroneously believe they are saving money.

A CMMS Reduces Cash Drains from Aging Assets

Deferred maintenance is a sign of a struggling Hotel operation. This occurs when Hotel management fails to realize that poorly maintained assets (roofs, kitchen equipment, boilers etc.) breakdown more often when there is a lack of preventive maintenance. In addition, poorly maintained assets are far less energy efficient. In both cases, there are unnecessary cash drains due to emergency repair costs or higher utility bills. The same principal applies to all Hotel assets from in-house laundry operations to office equipment. The solution is adjusting maintenance operations to be more efficient and flexible using CMMS software.

Hotel CMMS software is designed to make sure all hotel assets can easily be scheduled for preventive maintenance as well as inspections. It works by creating a centralized, computerized database of all of the hotel's assets. This database enables all maintenance activities from the initial work requests through work order completion to be scheduled and tracked. By organizing the work flow and subsequently automating the work order process more can be done with fewer resources. In addition, when equipment is subject to regular inspections and preventive maintenance they will require less energy to operate. The bottom line is equipment will costs less to operate and/or last longer. The financial payback comes from not having to replace assets as quickly.

In contrast, labor costs have an immediate impact on a Hotel's financial health. The fastest way to drain cash reserves are to incur needless overtime. Overtime from Hotel maintenance teams occurs most often from emergency maintenance or repair work orders that do not happen during regular operating hours or when the maintenance expert is available. By implementing a CMMS solution Hotels unplanned maintenance becomes a minor occurrence as most maintenance is now planned and scheduled as preventive maintenance or inspections. In addition early problem identification allows issues to be scheduled pro actively instead of waiting for a breakdown to occur. By scheduling the repairs in this manner, the amount of time spent performing emergency work is sharply reduced. The greater maintenance flexibility allows for more work to be done with less resources which is a big win for hotel management for controlling overtime expenses.

Other Financial Benefits of Implementing CMMS Software

Other financial advantages to implementing CMMS preventive maintenance programs include better capital budgeting, quicker response time to customer issues and lower liability. Capital budgeting is improved because the CMMS tracks an assets complete maintenance history so management can better estimate replacement timeframes. Customer maintenance issues can be responded to quicker because of the increased schedule efficiencies resulting in a better customer experience and higher client return rates. Lastly, liability as a result of negligence claims may be lowered because the historical maintenance records can show good maintenance practices.