Outdated machinery and equipment that isn’t up to today’s standards can be dangerous and, in some cases, even cause injury or death.

It’s essential to make sure that your machinery is always on par with codes and safety standards. It’s easier than you think to modernize old equipment and it pays off.

Have you considered modernization when it comes to your old equipment? Read on to find out more about it.

What Does “Modernize” Mean?

To “modernize” something means that you are bringing it up to the current standards of today.

When it comes to machinery and equipment, you might modernize it by changing its parts or adding parts to it. This keeps it up-to-date and running as it should be by today’s standards.

Update vs. Upgrade

You’ve had your machinery for quite a while, but it’s time to either replace it or fix it. Replacing it costs quite a bit of money and means you may be without a machine until the new one arrives.

In this case, modernizing your equipment might be the better option.

There are many pros to this method. The first is that parts are often readily available, even more so than the full units themselves. That means that you’ll lose less valuable work time when replacing parts.

Aside from saving money and time, modernization is a great way to keep your old machine up-to-date and working its best. Often, old parts will be discontinued, or a better option becomes available. You can install the latest and greatest into your older and otherwise reliable machine.

Many old machines can be updated with the newest technology that enables them to have cloud connectivity. It will keep your machine up-to-date and running the best that it can.

Regular maintenance is also helpful once you have all the parts and add-ons installed.

Before you know it, it will be working and running even better than before.

How Does Modernization Improve Upon Safety?

Safety when working with machinery is a huge priority. It doesn’t matter if you’re a large company or an individual. An excellent resource for keeping safe comes from the OSHA, which talks about how to follow safety standards when working with machines.

By modernizing your machinery and equipment, the parts will help it run efficiently and safely. This minimizes the risk of injury while operating the machine.

Are You Ready to Modernize Your Industrial Machinery?

If your machine is operational but needs an update to keep it running at its best, modernizing might be the right choice for you.

Since it’s cost-effective and accessible, this method will save you money and time in the long run. It will also extend the lifespan of your old machinery and equipment.

Whether you’re in the market for crane wheels, clutches or hoists, Kor-Pak has the best parts to suit your needs. If you want to modernize your machines, have a look at our inventory to find the parts that will keep your equipment running for years to come!

We live in a world where technology is continually advancing. The equipment you use for your business keeps getting new upgrades.

When technology is involved, you’re guaranteed to have it malfunction in some way. When your equipment breaks down, it can be tough to decide whether it needs to be repaired or replaced.

Below, we’ll review what it means to repair or replace your equipment. 

Cost to Repair 

First, check the equipment’s warranty. If you’re still protected, most of the costs associated with the repair will be covered.

Second, review how much it would cost to repair your broken equipment. Some of the costs associated with repairs include:

• Removing the broken part 
• Replacing it
• Installing a new one
• Testing the equipment

Third, consider the ongoing costs associated with future repairs. How often will repairs need to be made?

Fourth, think about whether it will cost you more to repair the equipment than to replace it. As a piece of equipment gets older, the repairs go from minor fixes to more significant problems.

Finally, find out if you’ve finished paying off your current piece of equipment. If you replace your equipment while you’re still paying it off, you’ll be spending a lot more money.

Cost to Replace

Check to see if you’re still under warranty and whether you can get a new replacement.

If you’re no longer under warranty, find out how much it would cost to dispose of the broken equipment. What is the salvage value of it?

Next, consider how much it costs to purchase and then install the new equipment. What’s more, once the new equipment is ready, you need to re-train your employees and go over the safety procedures.

Age

The age of your equipment can help you decide if it needs to be replaced or repaired. Equipment as it ages requires more repairs, leading to higher costs. Older equipment may be cheaper to replace.

Yet, if it’s a newer piece of equipment that has broken down, you may want to opt for repairs.

Safety

Older equipment is more likely to be out of date. Safety can be an issue if you have an older piece of equipment that keeps breaking down. Malfunctions in the equipment can lead to your employee injury.

Regular maintenance can help prevent your equipment from malfunctioning. 

Efficiency

The efficiency of your equipment will help determine if it should be updated vs. upgraded. Technological advancements have led to improvements in machinery. This allows them to run more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Older equipment won’t work as efficiently as new equipment and might be outdated. Older equipment can take longer to get a job done compared to newer equipment. What’s more, the new equipment might do a better job of completing the task.

Furthermore, the new equipment may not need as much power or fuel to keep it running.

Time

Find out how much production time is lost when a piece of equipment is inoperable.

Repairing a piece of equipment means you’ll have use of the machinery quicker vs. if you replace it. If it’s a crucial piece of machinery, replacing it may not be an option. 

If you choose to replace it, there will be more downtime, leading to the loss of production. However, if the equipment continually needs repairs, replacing it might be your only option.

Do You Need to Repair or Replace Your Machinery and Equipment? 

Hopefully, this guide has helped you figure out which is right for you. When it comes to your business, you want as few machine failures as possible. Review our blog to learn how to avoid machine failure in commercial and industrial equipment.

Reach out to us today if you have any questions or are looking to repair or replace your equipment.

Friction, by definition, lives to stop machinery in its tracks. It’s caused by the forces that limit movement between two surfaces. For example, it works to keep your machinery stationary on your floors.

While that aspect of friction can be quite helpful, it’s other attributes hinder the efficiency of your machine. 

Friction between the parts of a machine, however, can be combated by effective lubrication. Specifically, metal lubricant fights to keep friction and heat within a mechanical structure to a minimum. This keeps the machinery at both peak safety and maximum efficiency. 

With that being said, haphazardly adding metal lubricant to your machinery is not the solution. Keep reading for a few tips on how to apply lubricants to metal. 

Using the Correct Lubricant

Lubricants exist to make up for the erosion that friction causes. Because of this, it lengthens the lifespan of frequently used machinery. 

For each type of machinery, there are types of lubricants that are preferred for that particular system. Oils and greases are both effective but have different advantages when it comes to metal lubricant use.

Choosing the correct lubrication, therefore, is done based on the machine’s burden and speed required for the task. For example, according to MachineDesign, light loads require machine oil, whereas heavy loads require a grease with an additive for extreme pressure.

Metal Lubricant Starvation: A Silent Killer

Lubricant starvation is one of the most significant contributions to mechanical wear and tear. It is a prominent issue because it is one that is hidden in the depths of the internal machinery.

Machines require a sufficient amount of the correct lubrication. The absence of adequate lubrication leads to corrosion, which occurs because of excess heat and exposure to metal pollutants like oxidizers. These adverse contaminants can be detrimental to a machine’s integrity.

Lubricant starvation is not easily recognizable or detected. That is why it is described as a silent killer. There are a few signs of lubrication starvation, but those require a deep understanding of the machinery itself. 

However, this can be avoided altogether by the consistent application of metal lubrication.

Avoid Overgreasing

While it is crucial to lubricate the machinery generously, overgreasing the system can be just as harmful as undergreasing. Most of the symptoms of the two are identical. 

On top of that, overgreasing wastes lubricant, which adds an unnecessary expense to your machinery upkeep.

Most overgreasing mistakes occur because of automatic greasing systems. This is not to say that these systems are bad; they just are sometimes overlooked. 

Automatic greasing systems need to be correctly calibrated before they are put to use. Most of these systems are calibrated to supply a certain amount of lubrication for a certain time. One thing that would ensure proper calibration is to fraction this number and apply it more frequently.  

Finding the Best Metal Lubricant

Correctly applying metal lubricants can seem like a daunting task. However, it is all about knowing all that you can about your machinery to decide on the best lubricant. 

Whether you are taking preventative or adjustment measures, Kor-Pak is here for you. If you have any questions, contact us for advice on how to ensure the longevity of your machinery.

You think that you’ve been doing everything in your power to keep your equipment well preserved for it to last long, however, no matter what you do, you can’t seem to escape rust. 

Escaping rust would be easy if we knew what the causes of rusting are. In this article, we break the cause down and also advise on the preventative measures that can be taken to ensure that all owned equipment lasts longer.

Rust and the Causes of Rusting

The causes of rusting no longer have to be a mystery. Rust is the brownish-reddish patches you see on any of your materials made from metal that contains iron. Iron oxidizes from being exposed to air and water, which is when the patches form.

Rust can be detrimental to the longevity of your equipment because it is corrosive, and over time, your equipment will no longer be of use, leaving you to invest in new machinery. 

How To Keep Equipment From Rusting

To see rust form on your equipment can be frustrating and can cause huge holes in your pocket if you don’t get ahead of it. Here are some tips and tricks to keep the rust off your materials. 

Clean and Dry

Keeping your equipment clean and dry is a great way to start attacking rust from forming. Any kind of debris clinging to the equipment can bring moisture, which is where the oxidization process can begin to form, so making sure to regularly clean equipment and dry it off.

If you live in a humid area, expect to see more rust form on your equipment. Humidity allows moisture to form, which is all rust needs to grow.  If your equipment is stored in a humid area, it essential to make wiping equipment down a routine. 

Purchase a Dehumidifier

In case you do store your equipment in a humid area, purchase a dehumidifier, which will lessen the amount of moisture your equipment gets exposed to. Continue to dry off your equipment as the extra mile in combating rust. 

Prevent and Treat Scratches

Scratches in equipment provide an area where water and moisture can cling to. Making efforts to be more careful with equipment is the first step. If you notice equipment is scratched up, try to repair them, so you don’t lose the equipment to rust. 

Apply Rust Protective Coating

There are many protective coating sprays or wipes out in the market that can be used on equipment to prevent rusting. Investing in these added protective measures will help in the long run to protect corrosion occurring on equipment. 

Regular Maintenance

Like an infection, rust spreads. When rust forms and isn’t treated, it can spread to other parts of the machinery leaving the equipment useless. The moment rust is noticed, all efforts should be made to remove it.

You can scrape it off and then apply warm water and soap to the affected area. After that, use the rust protective coating on it to prevent it from coming back. In the case that there is rust in places you can’t get to, it’s best to call in a professional who can repair it for you. 

If you feel that a part is too rusted to save, it’s best just to cut your losses and then invest in a new one. 

Start Prevention Now That You Know

So now that we know the causes of rusting, we can follow the tips above to prevent rust forming and sacrificing our machinery. Taking the time to incorporate these steps to your routine will show results of little to no rust and will increase equipment life. Rust can be destructive to machinery if not treated immediately.

Contact us for more information on how to combat rust formation!

When working in the mining industry, it’s only right that workers are equipped with the tools needed to do their jobs properly. In this article, we will discuss the necessary mining equipment to ensure the efficient performance of daily mining tasks.

Without the proper tools, time and efficiency will be sacrificed, decreasing the production of work. There are specific tools that are needed to mine the precious rocks lodged underground or under the sea.

Mining Equipment: Earth Shakers

A tool called the earthmover is needed to ensure that waste and other debris don’t build-up on the construction site. The heavy machinery is a staple in the mining industry and works in correlation with a bulldozer to move soil from one place to another in large masses.

After the debris has been removed from the work site, it allows miners to extract minerals without having added issues. Once the earth-shaker has completed it’s part of the job, other machinery can move onto the site and get to work on performing their jobs.

Mining Drill Equipment

Having access to a drilling device is essential when working underground to extract precious materials. When minerals and other rocks are trapped deep below the ground, drills need to be utilized to bring them to the surface.

The specific job carried out by the drills is to shake loose the material that is encasing the minerals and make it easier to remove the mineral from the surrounding rock. The drills use a series of charges that create the effect that loosens the area.

Another reason why a drill is a useful tool is that it is used to create a hole for miners to travel underground to mine. If the gap is not big enough for workers to pass through, it can prove problematic as work gets underway. Workers won’t be able to pass from the surface into the ground, and excavating mined minerals will be challenging to bring to the surface.

Crushing Machinery

Crushing equipment is used to break down rocks and make it easier to move from one place to another. If the rock and gravel aren’t broken down, it could cause a build-up of waste because it would be challenging to move large pieces of material.

Depending on the operation, there are different ways that the waste is brought to the crushing equipment. If the work is being done underground, a conveyer belt will deliver the material that needs to be crushed to the crusher.

Various haul trucks will pick up and transport the material to the crusher if the work is being done above ground.

Crushing equipment helps reduce the amount of equipment that is needed on-site, which can help a company cut unnecessary costs by having only a few pieces of machinery on-site during the project.

Weight feeders

A weight feeder is a piece of equipment that is used to deliver materials to other machines to be disposed of. The weight feeder ensures that the mining site is kept free of materials that could make getting the job done more challenging to complete.

Without the use of weight feeders and other conveying equipment, there is no control over what flows in and out of the mining area.

Ensure that the belt is kept lubricated so that it continues working well. If the belt isn’t lubricated, it can cause a backlog of traffic holding up the mining job.

Do You Have Your Tools?

When a list of equipment is being made that is needed on-site, the equipment listed above must be present during work hours. It will make the production of work run smoother than if the equipment wasn’t on site.

Check out the products offered on our site if you’re looking for reliable and durable equipment. If you’ve got any questions about products on our site, contact us at any time.

A warehouse with heavy equipment and machinery can be a dangerous place to work; that’s why many often display the number of days that have passed since the last accident. In America, forklifts alone injure around 34,900 people each year. 

Working in a warehouse can be dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be. Following some essential safety tips can drastically reduce the number of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. Government agencies enforce many safety tips, and following them will keep the company in compliance with the law. 

To learn some essential forklift safety tips, carefully read the guide below. 

1. Provide/Attend Safety Training Sessions

According to OSHA standards, all employees who operate a forklift must be trained appropriately. The company training program must cover specific content, like safety rules, working with the models of forklift available, examples of hazards, and OSHA guidelines. 

Forklift training should ideally be a hands-on educational experience. Videos and lectures are supplemental, but the best learning will come from employees working with the equipment themselves. Don’t forget to demonstrate essential procedures like how to conduct daily inspections or maintain load stability. 

Make sure that all employees update their training every few years. Even the most experienced forklift operator is susceptible to mistakes. 

2. Regularly Check and Inspect

While an in-depth inspection of mechanical parts and electrical performance occur monthly or quarterly, there should still be daily inspections of essential functions. Before any employee operates a forklift, they should check it for hazards. 

Employees can check the water, oil, radiator, tires, fork, brakes, lights, horn, and steering wheel for issues. Ensure fluid levels are appropriate, and there are no malfunctions or deformities. Evaluate the surrounding area for potential danger, like uneven ground or obstructions. 

3. Awareness and Accident Prevention

Maintaining awareness while operating a forklift is one of the best ways to prevent accidents. Knowing the most common causes for injuries — load problems, pedestrians, and inadequate space — helps prevent them.

Some necessary awareness includes exercising extra caution in intersections, paying attention to workplace signs and floor markings, and checking that a load doesn’t block eyesight. 

4. Monitoring Capacity and Stability

Load instability is a significant cause of forklift injury and fatality. Never overload a forklift, and stay within the stability triangle. Loads should be placed as close to the wheels as possible to avoid tip-over. 

Keeping the forks low to the ground also helps with stability. Make sure to drive slowly and take care around corners to maintain balance. 

5. Floor Marking Different Areas

Floor marking in a warehouse is as important as road markings outside. They alert pedestrians and drivers where to go. This helps prevent accidents. 

Floor marking should indicate paths that should not be blocked, differentiate between different areas like docks and doors, and indicate parking areas. They should help control the flow of traffic and try to keep pedestrians and forklifts separate.

More Forklift Safety Tips

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the ways to safely work with a forklift. Additional measures like establish visual communication methods and LO/TO are also a good idea. Don’t forget to share these tips with coworkers, friends, and family that work around forklifts. 

For more information on working with industrial equipment, make sure to visit our page.

Preventative maintenance of equipment reduces the risk of on the job accidents. Here’s a clean-cut way to design an effective preventative maintenance program. 

What is Preventive Maintenance (PM)?

Preventative maintenance is routine maintenance performed on equipment to ensure its efficacy. This type of support is especially crucial for any business that uses heavy machinery like iron and steel. Preventative maintenance reduces the chances of breakdowns and saves engineers stress and money. 

A reliable preventative maintenance program saves companies from unwanted downtime. And, it allows companies to maintain productivity levels.  

Effective preventative maintenance programs use maintenance planning and scheduling before parts experience issues. (PM) also accounts for data from the past, such as previous breakdowns and maintenance reports. 

Noticing the potential for these small problems increases productivity. It also saves engineers cash and labor costs. 

1. Develop a Plan

Before putting a PM plan into effect, establish who performs the tasks. Choosing who conducts your PM plan is just as important as the plan itself. Maintenance managers are an excellent choice for PM workers. 

Maintenance technicians are good workers to place underneath maintenance managers. However, it’s important to manage employee workloads.

Sometimes workers are overworked and not interested in the preventative maintenance program. In that case, you’re spending precious labor hours for nothing.

First, figure out who performs the maintenance. Then, decide what support your company needs and the program’s schedule.

An example of a PM maintenance project goal is reducing maintenance costs by 15% in the second business quarter. 

2. Inventory Facility Equipment/Assets

The most time-consuming aspect of setting up a preventive maintenance program is setting an accurate inventory. Setting an inventory is also the most critical.  

Taking an inventory allows employees to create a routine out of their preventative checks. With an inventory, employees can cross each item off a list as they finish tasks. 

3. Create Preventive Maintenance Procedures

After creating an inventory, create the specific maintenance procedures for each inventory item. Create a frequency number to accompany the task to tell workers how often they should perform maintenance checks.   

4. Create Preventive Maintenance Schedules

Creating a preventative maintenance schedule involves designating high-priority items and low-priority items. These designations communicate that certain parts are more susceptible to breakdowns than others. It also identifies the impact of a piece breaking down.

5. Training Your Maintenance Team

A preventative maintenance program is useless without proper training. Your plan could be the most brilliant, but if your employees don’t understand it, it’s futile. It’s not you who runs the preventative maintenance program; it’s your maintenance staff. 

6. Analyze – Adjust – Improve

A company’s ability to adapt defines its success. Equipment changes and maintenance methods vary with the machine. Staying on top of the best procedures for your company’s equipment keeps your preventative maintenance program consistent. 

A Preventative Maintenance Program Makes a Huge Difference

In an industry where performance is everything, it’s essential to have protection measures in place. Constructing a preventative maintenance program saves your company time and increases its production output. 

Click here to discover how else you can respond to your industrial needs!

The modern era has ushered in a wave of new technology. Much of that technology is targeted squarely at one thing: improving mass production capabilities. 

Ever since the Industrial Revolution kicked off back in the 18th century, the engineering design process has been completely overhauled. Nowadays, you must use technology to achieve the best designs possible.

Technology doesn’t make up for lack of skill. Here are some essential tips to improve your capacity as an engineer to design high-quality products.

Identify Success Criteria

Before you fire up your CAD program or start building solutions to any of your engineering problems, there’s one crucial step to know. That step is identifying success criteria. These success criteria should outline what a completed project will look like.

The success criteria should be given to you by the final recipients of the completed project.  

You need to have a very clear picture of what function you’re trying to support and what result you’re trying to create before you begin designing.

Outline Constraints

With any engineering project, you will have a set of parameters that you will have to adhere to.

These will be your constraints. Such a limitation could be a limit on the power that the unit you design draws or specific dimensions that it must be able to fit into.

What happens when you don’t know your constraints? You might design a perfectly-functioning unit that can’t be used in the real world. So, when you identify your success criteria, take the extra effort to understand the key constraints you’ll use to guide your design.

Consider Manufacturing Capabilities

During the engineering design process, one has to be aware of the limitations that exist in the manufacturing world. Each piece of industrial equipment that will be used to manufacture your engineering creations has specific restrictions on its outputs.

For instance, a specific piece of equipment may only have a tolerance to the nearest inch. Thus, a design that has to be built precisely to the nearest half-inch could not be appropriately produced using that equipment.

Before you start designing, make sure that you consider the manufacturing limitations. Check the restrictions on the industrial equipment that will be used to produce your design. As a bonus, talk to those who operate the equipment. Operators often can provide a great picture of what designs can and cannot be produced on the equipment they operate.

The Engineering Design Process, Made Simple

There you have it. With these critical tips under your belt, you should have a clearer understanding of how the engineering design process works in the corporate world.

Always remember to identify success criteria and outline constraining parameters before you design the project. Design the project within the limits of the manufacturing equipment you have to work with, and you’ll be good to go.

For more engineering advice, be sure to check out the rest of the articles available to read on our website!