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Both broken: Machine and Solutions

8/12/2020

 
By Bob Tenney for ERS Automation
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​An operator—not a maintenance technician—attempted to perform a maintenance function of cleaning a filter, which required un-wiring two motors, which he did…without first turning off the power. Not good.

Flash. Bang. Smoke. Thankfully, nobody got hurt. (Personal injury attorney can move along. Nothing more to see here….) But the machine wasn’t so lucky; it was very hurt, and stopped all production.

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ERS Designated "Essential Service"

30/3/2020

 

ERS Automation "officially" designated "Essential Service."

By Bob Tenney for ERS Automation
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​Covid update: ERS Automation has been declared by a large customer as “essential to our continuing operations” in a recently received letter. Information from federal and state government is often slow (their own offices are closed due to Covid and therefore their workflow is understandably hampered).
​
ERS will interpret this formal letter from our customer that ERS has been formally designated an “Essential Service” and there we remain officially open for business.
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ERS Coronavirus update for March 13, 2020

13/3/2020

 
By Bob Tenney for ERS Automation
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​Depending upon your location, Covid-19 has arrived or will soon. Containment is mostly yesterday's news. The new term to our lexicon, social distancing—with all the ramifications that brings—is becoming the new norm.
A couple observations:
  • It looks like this will peak in May.
  • It will get better after it gets worse. (Every pandemic ends.)
Where does that leave ERS and our Customers?
ERS Automation is open for business and still having fun solving manufacturing challenges! We are working as much as possible from home, but pressing forward to help our customers press forward. We are staying focused on systems improvement and training during the downtime we now anticipate. It is up to each of our crew to decide what sites to work in and under what conditions. 
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It smoked, Now what?!

30/1/2018

 

...and, it's a new piece of equipment and the vendor can't get a part until tomorrow

By Bob Tenney, for ERS Automation
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Looks OK from this view but...
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Notice the smoke damage on the vent grate.
New saw is purchased from an out of state vendor for a continuous production process. The installation and startup takes much longer than expected.

This line represents most of a plant's production.

The new piece of equipment stops.....again.

The "go to" man in the plant is down with the flu.

A breaker is "tripped", so the operator resets it. 

Smoke comes out of the top of the power supply. (not good)

The OEM is out of state and can't get a part until the next day.

The line operator is told to "call everyone"

He calls ERS at 9:05am

ERS locates a supply and installs it that morning. As the field service team heads to the customer site, engineering is making sure this new supply is correct for the application. 

Questions are asked:

What caused this supply to fail? If there was a short circuit, does this new supply have a "crobar" protection circuit on the output side? Will it fit since it is a different form factor?


Resolution:

After all is verified, the supply is installed and the process is restored. 

 

    Picture

    Bob Tenney, President

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ERS Automation
1428 S 500 E
Columbia City, IN 46725
Phone: 260-341-8114
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> Machine Controller (PLC)
> Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
> Motion Control
> Safety
> AC Drives
News
Contact
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About ERS
    • The ERS Team
    • ERS Testimonials
    • Distinctives: 6th Man
  • Services
    • MMI (Man-Machine Interface)
    • Automated Vision Inspection (AVI)
    • Machine Controller (or PLC)
    • Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
    • Automated Motion Control
    • Safety Automation
    • AC Drives
  • News
  • Contact