Have you ever been woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call telling you a machine at your firm just failed?

Electrical asset failures can really dampen your company’s production. It can also put your workers’ safety at risk.

When regular maintenance doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, it may be time to invest in electrical maintenance programs. 

But what is an electrical maintenance program? How can you build one for your company?

That’s what we’ll be taking a look at today. In this article, we’re discussing the benefits of electrical maintenance programs and how you can build one for your own firm. 

What is an Electrical Maintenance Program?

An electrical maintenance program is a schedule of routine electrical maintenance tests. These programs test and collect data for your assets to detect any potential issues.

Most companies do an annual or bi-annual maintenance check, but this doesn’t cover all the bases. With electrical maintenance programs, you can identify parts of your system showing signs of slowing down. 

This means you and your team can take steps to fix those issues. They can also replace certain parts, preventing unexpected shutdowns and downtime.  

Benefits of an Electrical Maintenance Program

Having an electrical maintenance program means you can pinpoint certain assets that might be breaking down. This allows your team to be more proactive and perform preventative maintenance. 

This gives your company plenty of operational benefits, such as more reliable operations and fewer shutdowns. Since you’ll be experiencing fewer breakdowns, you can better manage your operating costs as well. 

How to Build an Electrical Maintenance Program

Now that we know what an electrical maintenance program is and why they’re beneficial let’s look at how you can build one for your own company. Here are some of the necessary steps:

Evaluate Your Situation

If you’ve already been experiencing asset failures and downtimes, you’ll already have a good idea of what your situation might be. 

When it’s clear that your situation needs improvement, start looking at your current maintenance approach. How efficient do you want your program to be? 

If this is out of your element, you can always contact a company that provides electrical maintenance services. 

Engage Your Electrical Work Group

Once you’ve fleshed out several maintenance strategies, talk to your electrical workgroup or management teams. They’ll probably know your plant or firm better than anyone else. 

Communicate your goals, and they can help develop your electrical maintenance program. Use their insights to craft a comprehensive plan. 

Understand Electrical Assets and Train

Next, gather all the information you can on your electrical assets and their history of failures. This helps you prioritize which asset failures should be addressed first. 

Once you’ve crafted a comprehensive electrical maintenance plan, create a schedule and begin training your employees. 

Leverage Electrical Maintenance Programs Today

If you work with heavy industrial equipment or in a plant, maintaining your electrical assets is key for efficient production. Use this article to build electrical maintenance programs so you’ll never have to work through constant delays. 

Are you looking to achieve peak efficiency for your heavy industry machines? Contact us, and we can get started on the right solution today!

Predictive maintenance software helps businesses learn about flaws before they occur. The idea is that if the problem is predicted, then failure can be avoided. 

Due to a heavy focus on corrective and preventive maintenance, this type of software is oftentimes undervalued by businesses. But by neglecting this software, however, they could be doing themselves a disservice. 

Predictive maintenance software is helpful for several reasons, and we’ve taken the time to outline why. Read on to learn more about the key benefits of the maintenance software. 

The Purpose of Predictive Maintenance Software 

Before we dig deeper into the benefits, it’s important to understand how it works.

Predictive maintenance software is a comprehensive management system that evaluates equipment. The software uses collected data to monitor equipment and make predictions based on functions. 

It evaluates several aspects of machines. Using real-time performance monitoring, work order analysis, and inventory usage, it’s able to develop a prognosis of the equipment. 

It can be used to monitor the following: vibration analysis, oil analysis, and equipment observation. 

Reduced Downtimes 

Now that we’re clear on what the software is, we can explore its key benefits.

One of the main benefits of using predictive maintenance software is the reduced downtimes. Downtimes can lead to a long list of your business problems that can be difficult to recover from. That’s why having a system to help control this issue is important to a company’s success. 

The regular maintenance that the predictive software provides will lead to less of a need for repairs. It’s been reported that through the software, people saw a sixty percent decrease in downtimes. 

Saves Money

Less downtime is significant for business. Not only does it increase productivity, but it also increases profit. Maintenance software allows you to save the money that would otherwise be allocated to repairs and focus more on producing. 

Over time, you’ll be able to increase profits and spend less on the operational side. This will help your business continue to grow in the right direction. 

Increased Lifespan

As a result of the system, you can also expect your company equipment to last longer.

Predictive maintenance software is a condition-based program. And it focuses on pointing out potential threats and stopping them before they affect the machines. Its sole purpose is to monitor equipment and prevent machine failure.

By implementing the maintenance software, you’re investing in your operation for the long haul. 

Predict to Prevent 

Predictive maintenance software provides many benefits for companies that can help reduce machine failure and maintenance costs. The biggest key is reducing downtimes, which acts as the catalyst for the rest of the benefits. 

Regular monitoring and analysis are essential to your business’s success, and predictive maintenance software should be apart of that routine. 

Are you in need of more supplies and equipment? Then contact us today for more information on how we can help you with your business needs. 

It’s not an easy task finding the right industrial lubricant for your machines. After all, lubricants come in countless varieties and formulations. On top of that, most industries have their own regulations and standards regarding which lubricants can be used.

And when it comes to increasing your industrial equipment’s life span, safety, and efficiency, choosing the right lubricant is critical. Before choosing a lubricant for your machine, we advise you to talk with a supplier who has the knowledge to point you in the right direction.

However, if you’re looking for a basic understanding of industrial lubrication for your routine maintenance service, then this guide is a good place to start. Keep on reading to find out how to keep your regular maintenance smooth. 

Oil Lubricants

If your piece of equipment is the type that requires being lubricated regularly, then a general-purpose oil (petroleum) is typically used. Generally speaking, an oil lubricant contains 95% base oil and 5% additives. 

Grease lubricants contain base oils—usually mineral oils—and a mixture of soap to form a solid consistency. On the other hand, pastes consist of base oils, additives, and particles of solid lubricant.

Waxes are also an industrial lubricant and comprise of synthetic hydrocarbons, water, and emulsifying agents. These become fluid when a specific temperature is reached. 

Synthetic Oil Lubricants

Synthetic oil lubricants are made from artificial compounds. These artificial compounds have different properties than petroleum. Synthetic lubricants have higher purity and uniformity than petroleum-based lubricants.

For example, petroleum oils’ viscosity index rarely exceeds 100, while synthetics can rate higher than 180. Oxidation, stability, and color of synthetic oils also differ. 

Choosing a synthetic oil for your machinery usually means you need a lubricant with properties superior to traditional petroleum oils. When equipment is “lubricated for life,” then synthetic oils are often used. Here are some benefits that industrial synthetic oils provide:

• better viscosity performance
• less evaporation 
• less friction
• less wear
• better efficiency
• more chemically stable
• less oil sludge issues
• longer life 

High-quality synthetic lubricants can last up to five times longer than petroleum-based lubricants. For this reason, they tend to cost more. The higher cost of synthetic oil is often worth the extended performance life. 

How to Choose the Right Industrial Lubricant

Let’s say your need to find an industrial crane lubricant. What are some factors that will influence your selection of lubricant? 

The main requirement for choosing the right lubricant for your crane is the base oil viscosity. So how do you know the appropriate viscosity? You’ll need to answer a few questions first:

1. What is the operating speed (variable or fixed)?
2. What type of friction (example: sliding or rolling)?
3. What are the load and the conditions of the working environment? 
4. What industry standards apply?

Giving this information to your supplier will help them determine which lubricant is best suited for your equipment. For example, they may suggest a PAG oil for sliding mechanisms or a PAO oil for mechanisms where rolling friction occurs. 

Resupply Machine Parts

After reading this article about choosing the right industrial lubricant, you may realize you need new parts for your equipment. If you need a resupply of machine parts or custom solutions for your industrial equipment, then give us a call. You can request a quote from us today!

The Industrial sector makes up hundreds of thousands of American jobs. 

Every day they use tools and machinery that experience immense pressure and industrial friction. To help manage possible damage, they require specialized resources. 

One of the key ways to prevent damage is to use flexible low friction material.

If you’re a professional working in manufacturing or another industry in the industrial sector, then keep reading. In this article, we’re going to breakdown different types of low friction materials.

First Up: Green Gripper Woven

Green Gripper Woven or GGW is the Holy Grail of anti-friction materials. 

Known for its impressive wear rate, this non-asbestos blend material is perfect for high friction environments. What makes this material the industry standard is its complete recovery and ability to handle a range of temperatures. It also possesses outstanding fade resistance.

Able to perform in static and uniform frictions, this material is currently used on dry brakes and industrial brake linings. However, it works with many other industrial tools where medium to high frictions exists. 

GGW is a molded friction material available in roll form, flat sheets, or custom shapes. 

Gemini Woven (for the Money Minded)

Developed in 2009, Gemini Woven is a more price conservative option of non-friction material. But, you can still expect high-quality results.

Similar to GGW, it’s an asbestos-free material with a low wear rate. It’s resistant to oil, grease, and water, making it the ideal alternative to the premium Green Gripper Woven.

This flexible low friction material is molded and comes in roll form and custom shapes. Common applications include industrial brakes and clutches, mine winches, and elevators. It’s also popular in water-intensive machines such as fishing boats and oil drilling rigs due to its resistance factor. 

Gatke Phenolic Bearings 

These non-asbestos phenolic bearings are wholly different than the above friction materials. 

The way it’s pressed gives it unique strength and long-lasting characteristics. These bearings can withstand the harshest environments. They can survive repeated shocks and blows that would normally destroy plastics and metals. You can use them without lubrication and fear of scoring. 

Phenolic bearings are common in the transportation industry for freight and passenger trains. They’re also great for agricultural machinery and work well in the steel industry. 

The bearings can be custom made to meet any friction, strength, and size that’s needed. 

Low Friction Materials: It Doesn’t Stop Here

The options gone over today are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to low friction material technology. From molded to phenolic to sintered, there’s much to explore. To gain a full scope of what material is best for you, contact a professional.

We hope this article was helpful and provided a better understanding of available friction materials. Here at Kor-Pak, we aim to help and educate others in the industry. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us or check our blog for regular updates!

Humans dump around 14 billion pounds of trash into our oceans yearly. Not many people know that 50% to 80% of the world’s oxygen production comes from our oceans. It also feeds the human world population with over 200 billion pounds of food annually. 

We understand the importance of our oceans. That’s why MHE-Demag has partnered with The Ocean Cleanup.

They will be helping with the engineering design of Intercepters 005 and 006. Intercepters 005 and 006 are two machines designed to remove trash from rivers before reaching our oceans.

Who Is MHE-Demag?

If material handling is the game, then MHE-Demag is the name. Established in 1972, MHE-Demag has been a world leader in engineering, manufacturing, and maintaining cranes, hoists, and other various warehouse equipment.

With 11 factories in Southeast Asia, MHE-Demag has built over 27,000 industrial cranes. They hold quality certifications ISO 9001, EHS 14001, and OHSAS 1800. You are guaranteed all equipment produced by MHE-Demag is of the highest standard.  

Who Is The Ocean Cleanup Organization?

The Ocean Cleanup is a Dutch non-profit organization. They develop advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. 

The Ocean Cleanup research has shown that most of the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are larger objects. Removing the larger debris will prevent them from breaking down into microplastics.

It is their goal to remove 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. They want to reach this goal in 5 years and maintain plastic-free oceans by 2050. They’ve partnered up with companies like DHE-Demag to build third-generation Interceptors. 

The Interceptor 005 and 006

According to The Ocean Cleanup team’s studies, more than 80% of plastic and garbage that ends up in the ocean comes from 1,000 rivers around the world. The Ocean Cleanups’ goal is to create a global fleet of river Interceptors to catch the garbage before it flows into our oceans. The Interceptor 005 and 006 will play a crucial role in meeting the ocean clean-up goal.

From Engineering Design to Production

The Ocean Cleanup organization is addressing the urgent problem of plastic in our oceans. They’re deploying Interceptors on a large scale around the world.

MHE-Demag has technological expertise in material moving. They also have production capabilities that will help lay the groundwork for an Interceptor global scale-up. 

MHE-Demag’s engineering team is helping with upgrades to the Interceptors. These upgrades will impact how effective the Interceptors are at catching, removing, and storing rubbish found in rivers.

MHE-Demag and The Ocean Cleanup

MHE-Demag and The Ocean Cleanup group’s partnership marks the beginning of a global effort to rid the world’s oceans of plastics. MHE-Demag has produced the highest standard of material moving equipment for almost 50 years and will undoubtedly help The Ocean Cleanup team meet their organization’s goals. From engineering design to production, MHE-Demag is helping lead the way in ocean plastic removal.

If you found this article interesting, read about the environmentally sustainable hardware we offer in our blog section.

There are almost 800 deaths per year on average caused by industrial equipment. Your heavy lifting equipment represents a significant investment in life and property. To keep it functioning, you need to conduct regular preventive maintenance.

Having a main preventive program keeps a machine operating at its full capacity for the entire duration of its long lifetime.

What constitutes a successful preventive maintenance program for industrial equipment?

Start With a Preventive Maintenance Checklist

A preventive maintenance checklist allows you to be sure that all your ducks are in a row. There are many templates available online for maintenance logs. Choose one that fits your needs and the needs of your business.

Keeping a log is essential. It allows you to know what maintenance and repairs your machinery has received. It also shows when the next scheduled maintenance interval is to take place.

These are essential documents for your business to have on hand in the event of an accident or lawsuit. If you can’t prove that you serviced your machine at appropriate intervals, you may be liable.

Develop and Use Your Preventive Maintenance Plan

You first need to come up with a plan. You can use the following steps to create a simple one or custom-tailor it to your machinery. 

The first step is for you to assess your machinery’s maintenance needs. This involves looking at the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintenance. It also involves taking an assessment of the condition of individual machines.

For this first step, you will need an industrial machinery inspection. Only after the review can you decide which machine needs what service.

Focus on which machines are to receive maintenance first. Start with the equipment most in need. Prioritize any mission-critical machinery or machinery that can cause catastrophic losses in the event of a failure.

Record all completed or scheduled maintenance in your logbook. Without a log, your maintenance might as well have never happened in the eyes of the law.

Talk to your technicians or a professional maintenance company to determine what additional preventive maintenance steps can be carried out. Then, once you have established your maintenance routine, stick to it at regular intervals.

The regularity of maintenance intervals is essential to keep your industrial machinery operating consistently. Every service should include an inspection of the machine in its entirety to avoid missing anything important.

Prevent Catastrophic Losses

A preventive maintenance program saves lives and helps your business save money. Operating industrial machinery without one is an unsafe risk. Make sure that all your bases are covered with a proper preventive maintenance plan.

That way, you can keep your business operating for years to come.

If you’re looking for high-quality industrial equipment, then you’re in the right place. Take a look at our site; we have everything from industrial brakes and clutches to cranes and hoists. 

Regardless of the type of industrial equipment you have on-site, you can perform some necessary standard tests to ensure that every piece of equipment is safe and working to its maximum capacity. Simply follow this guide next time you’re doing the rounds.

What Should Your Equipment Inspection Cover?

You should concentrate your inspection on all aspects of the machine that can impact the operator’s safety and the individual parts that degrade due to wear and tear. The equipment may need some testing as part of the investigation, and in some cases, you might need to do some dismantling.

For the majority of industrial equipment, there are three standard methods used to conduct an inspection. These include:

• Functional and visual examinations
• Measuring wear and tear
• Non-destructive and load testing

It’s helpful for you to record when each inspection is conducted to know when the next one is due. 

How Frequently Should Your Equipment Get Inspected?

A quick inspection should take place every time you’re about to use the equipment. You should check the electrical cables, the safety buttons or switches are working, and the lighting is operating appropriately.

More extensive investigations should occur at the end of the working week and involve looking at specific areas of the machine. You should check all of the protective guards connected to the equipment that will keep employees safe and that all of the functioning parts that deteriorate are working correctly and don’t need replacing.

Thorough exams require you to perform extensive testing to ensure that your machine can handle the jobs it needs to perform. This should happen every three months at a minimum. However, the older the equipment gets, the more frequently you may need to check it to ensure that it’s still up to the task.

Who Should Carry Out the Inspection?

The responsibility of carrying out equipment investigations requires someone with sufficient knowledge and experience of the machines they’re inspecting and, depending on the equipment, may need to be certified. They’ll need to know what to look for and how to identify a problem with the product. Ideally, they should also know what needs to be done when there is an issue.

When Should You Refer to the Machine’s Product Guide?

Upon one of your inspections, you’re bound to find a problem that requires reviewing the product guide to resolve the issue. It might be to check a warranty, or it could relate to a part that needs replacing.

We provide new and refurbished parts for a range of industrial machinery. Don’t wait until it’s broken; contact us today to find out how we can keep your equipment up and running. 

Throughout the United States, there are more than 30 million small businesses. If you’re a part of one of them, you may be familiar with a common issue: high manufacturing costs.

No matter the product your company makes, you have to deal with the costs of creating your product. And many times these costs are higher than you’d like them to be.

That’s why we’ve created this article outlining three helpful tips to streamline your manufacturing costs, so they’re less of a burden on your bottom line. Keep reading for more information.

1. Utilize Build-to-Order and Mass-Customized Inventory

One fundamental way to reduce your manufacturing costs is to produce two types of products. The first is built-to-order. The second is a mass-customized inventory.

This way, you can fulfill the demand for both regular and custom orders while still reducing manufacturing costs. In both approaches, once you get an order, you’ll be able to fulfill it right away.

Using this approach can help you eliminate carrying costs, ranging from up to 25 percent of your inventory value on hand. You can also reduce your procurement costs using these methods, which can significantly help your profit margin.

2. Focus on the Most Profitable Products

Next, let’s talk about another one of the most helpful tips for streamlining manufacturing your costs: focusing on your most profitable products. This is a great way to reduce manufacturing costs, but also can help with:

• simplifying operations
• improving productivity
• increasing profit
• expanding cash flow

And what business owner wouldn’t like those benefits?

Here’s how it works. Look at your product lineup, and eliminate your lowest-profit products. Also, look for products for which you could outsource production. And then look at your highest-profit products, and make a plan to focus on these.

Commonly, 60 percent of a product line contributes less than 10 percent of the total margin. That’s why going through the product line rationalization efforts can have a significant effect on your bottom line.

3. Evaluate the Cost vs. Benefit of Quality

As any manufacturer knows, quality cost reduction is a crucial part of managing costs. This is the process of assessing and adjusting the manufacturing process. 

The idea here is that you can use cheaper materials to create the same product quality, instantly improving your bottom line. But the risk is that more inexpensive materials have the potential to decrease the quality of your finished product.

It’s important to consider past quality issues as you’re going through this process. This will help you avoid problems that you’ve encountered before.

Helpful Tips for Streamlining Manufacturing Costs

There you have it: three of our top helpful tips for reducing manufacturing costs for your business. Now that you’ve read through these ideas, it’s time to make a specific plan for your company based on your unique situation.

Have additional questions or want to learn more? Contact our team today with any other inquiries.

Sustainable and eco-friendly ideals have now reached every industry around for multiple good reasons. For one, “green” practices protect the planet we all share. They also boost your reputation among your clientele who are passionate about conservation.

Of course, it’s easier to make sustainable choices in some industries and situations than others. Still, you can take steps to make your industrial equipment more environmentally-friendly. Namely, you can choose more sustainable hardware. Luckily, Kor-Pak offers several eco-friendly products for various applications.

Gatke Phenolics and Laminates

Phenolics and laminates are useful for a wide range of friction applications. Did you know they make your processes more sustainable too? These products are self-lubricating, giving them a longer life with slower wear compared to competitors. That means you’ll need fewer replacements, saving the environment from excess manufacturing.

Gatke is specifically known for its long-lasting products. Now that Gatke is a Scan-Pac brand, Kor-Pak is proud to provide Gatke products as a Scan-Pac distributor. 

Energy-Efficient AC/DC Drives

Energy efficiency is a critical part of your sustainability. This is especially true when it comes to something with heavy power usage like a crane. Cut down on that power usage with high-quality AC or DC drives depending on your crane’s needs.

While we offer a variety of both AC and DC drives, we only distribute high-quality products which, among other advantages, are designed for energy efficiency.  

Brakes for Wind Energy Resources

One of the most extensive ways to protect the planet is by using cleaner energy sources like wind, water, and solar power. The wind energy industry is expected to grow from 113 gigawatts (GW) in 2020 to 404 GW by 2050. Kor-Pak is proud to contribute to these efforts by serving the wind energy industry.

We offer a wide range of yaw brakes and calipers for wind turbines and other types of wind energy equipment. You can take advantage of this for your business by installing your own wind energy equipment to generate clean energy. If you do, we’re your source for any yaw brakes you need.

Full Selection of Energy-Efficient Products

Some certain products and brands place a special emphasis on energy efficiency for environmental protection. However, overall, part of your energy efficiency depends on using high-quality industrial hardware items that work well together. The smoother your operation is, the less energy it will require.

That’s our specialty at Kor-Pak. We provide the highest quality of industrial brakes and other industrial hardware. It’s all designed to give you an optimal performance so you can make the most of every joule. Not only will this give you the benefit of a more sustainable operation, but it lowers your energy costs too. 

How to Find Sustainable Hardware for Your Industrial Equipment

Every industrial setup is unique. To truly make your operation as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible, you need the help of a dedicated professional. Contact our industrial brake and hardware specialists today to find out the best ways to optimize and upgrade your equipment.

You’re on the job site, and your crane operator just blew a gearbox. You have a deadline you have to meet, but you can’t fly three truckloads of material 100 feet up. You need a part, fast. What do you do?

Fortunately, your mechanic tells you it’s a SEW Eurodrive Gearbox, and there’s hope. Here’s why.

What Makes SEW Eurodrive Gearboxes So Appealing?

SEW Eurodrive Gearboxes use a modular system. This modular system allows them to combine as few components to produce the widest range of capabilities. Because the gearboxes’ applications are so extensive, this modular system lets you select the part you need based on your application.

Categories of SEW Eurodrive Gearboxes

There are five overarching categories for these gearboxes. Standard gearboxes feature a wide range of design, ideal graduation of sizes, and heavy-duty construction to achieve up to 50,000 Nm torque.

Servo gearboxes deliver precision, power, and speed. You can combine these gearboxes with a variety of motors. The result is always an exact drive response for your application.

Variable speed gearboxes are designed to accept varying drive speeds seamlessly. These are perfect solutions for adapting speeds to different processing sequences.

Chemical applications and clean environments make use of the stainless-steel gearbox by SEW Eurodrive. Built from acid-resistant material and designed without a fan make cleaning easy, and the fan-less design prevents dirt and debris from clogging up the gears.

Many of the above gearboxes can be constructed to be explosion-proof and comply with all local, state, and federal regulations. You get all the power for safe operation in explosive environments.

What Information Do I Need to Order a New Gearbox?

If you are building a unique machine in the development process, you can contact us for help in identifying what gearbox is right for your application. We’ll review with you your needs and help you select the proper unit.

If you’re reordering a specific gearbox, you’ll need the serial number on the nameplate. This is usually everything you need to reorder because that serial number will have all the other details stamped onto the nameplate.

Details like the voltage, frequency, designation type, power factor, maximum torque, number of phases, and unit speed are stamped on the nameplate to help engineers in the field understand what they are working with so that any changes elsewhere in the system can be calibrated.

Other details like oil type, fill volume, service factor, mounting position, and thermal class help field mechanics maintain the gearbox. Choosing the wrong specifications will fail, and failure can result in serious injury to people and property. Make sure a qualified mechanic does your repairs and replacements.

Ordering Your New Gearbox

Contact us today for all your SEW Eurodrive gearbox needs. At Kor-Pak, we specialize in delivering the highest quality parts with excellent customer service. Our associates will answer any questions you have and get the right parts out to you ASAP. We also provide installation and repair services.