Page 20 - AutomationNOTEBOOK volume 41

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of CSIA, headquartered in Columbia, Illinois in the cover story. "There are also best-practices design choices to include surge suppressors, electrical filters and other similar devices in control panel design. While these devices can potentially increase up-front machine costs, there is a long-term payback in reduced mainte- nance and component failures."
Unfortunately, due to the highly technical nature of these added components, many purchasing de- cisions are made solely on a machine-cost basis, continues Paul. "This is the tradeoff that occurs between capital expenses (CapEx) and operating expenses (OpEx) budgeting within many companies," he says (Figure 4). "During projects, many times the corporate-level project team is focused on staying within a CapEx budget but not so concerned with long-term OpEx costs. Operations teams are much more focused on OpEx costs because of their role in day-to-day plant operations and maintenance. Some companies now involve plant operations in CapEx equipment selection, which is a best practice to assure minimal long-term maintenance is required."
Figure 4: (courtesy of Maverick Technologies) CapEx and OpEx costs must be balanced to achieve the lowest total cost of ownership.
Another system integrator adds their point of view; Roger Beam, principal engineer at Optimation, a member of CSIA, in Rush, New York, provides a list of best practices of interest to managers and operators when it comes to machine maintenance including:
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Editor's Note
New Product Focus
- WEG High-Performance AC Drives
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Cut to Length Q&A: Bulk Multi-Conductor Cable
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Mastering Machine Maintenance
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User Solutions
Open System Provides Precise Temperature Control
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Brain Teasers
• maximize mean time between failure
• minimize time to repair
• maximize overall equipment effectiveness by minimizing unscheduled downtime
• provide easy access to equipment requiring frequent adjustment, inspection and/or replacement
and points of lubrication
• provide or accommodate means of lifting heavy components
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