Dks 15Xx - Regular Technical Duct Maintenance

[relaxia]

HI,

to all who have DKS 15xx or Kodak 8x machines - don't forget to regularly check maintain technical duct and all the gears and shafts related. How Important it is - Example from yesterday.

Customer calling me - overtorque problem on the machine. when started - its running but every time after stop - had problems with restart.

1. first think- motor. " OK will try, I have one spare, can replace it".

2.,  Second think... something is blocking free turning .... schaft or any rack axe - possible bearing tube on some axe, as we already experienced that. ..  " OK will check for that".

3. Third think - no way motor was replaced few years ago shouldn't be bad ... maybe some adjustment on the Tank board are needed, soft changed few days ago .. SO i prepared some check up procedure for him and tried to focus how to manage possible settings.

 

4. After 2-3h - call " We have checked axes found one which was going hard- we replaced tube with bearings mounted - but without result - going to replace motor"  

5. NExt call - "everything OK i have fixed new motor - everything is working. SO IT WAS MOTOR"...

6. late evening - customer call - "I have opened motor - brushes were totally worn - till connection wires."

Me: - When we have replaced it ?  

-  5 years ago... 

Me: - FIVE YEARS ?? original motor served for more than 8 years before we replaced it due to the same issue...

- I agree i am also surprised...

 

Conclusion

For your own good - DON'T FORGET TO MAKE REGULAR MAINTENANCE of the technical duct. If you have some tech skills you can do it yourselfs without any problem - less engaged can call service. Shaft worm gear and black clutch gears should be regularly greased , once per year I advise to stop machine and remove rack axes - to review bearing stratus and mainly to apply silicone grease to the bearings. Check if the axes are properly rotating - if you feel problems or  you see that zimmerings at the tube ends are worn - consider either replacing these gaskets, either more frequent greasing.

Despite fact bearings are made form inox, chemistry itself and its vapors is very agressive and will kill your bearings very fast unless you don't protect them correctly.

Problem that you wont's see the problem, machin will still work - till it will be too late and you will need a total bearing tube replacement.

I also recommend to check dryer rack status since it is powered through gears from the same source - bushing and bearings issues locking rolls will increase force needed fo turns - will increase power consumpion leading to the earlier 24V motor use.

 

Important remark  - when changing motor don't forget to heat the encoder reel and pulley- using lighter hot air gun, dryer (less convienient) ,whatever - Original screws locking these parts on axe are reinforced with hard screwlocking glue and usuallly can't be unscrew unless you heat them properly.Without heating there is high Risk to damage screw head and in consequence will lead to not firm fixing , resulting the pulley slips aor encoder rerrors.

I recommend to use at least loctite 243 anareobic glue if available to lock these screws after u had to touch them.

THX for attention.

 

[Studio01]

Thank you for your advice. Most of the times our laziness makes very low maintenance.

We have to do it

 

Studio01

[davidlam]

Also there had been a "Technical Chute / Duct " reinforcement kit ( a simple KIT ) from KIS France many years ago.

I have a PDF to share if anyone interested to have it.

 

davidlam@sinompromise.com         I don't know how to attached the said PDF here, sorry for my stupid

[davidlam]

_{Sorry my mistake it is NOT a PDF .. I make it a  43KB  jpeg to paste here}

_{Basically the 2 clips are stainless steel and to re-inforce the Tehcnical Duct / Chute plastic breaking easily due to overtorque.}

[relaxia]

Studio01 - most of the times people simply forget about maintenance - doe to the work ot be done, due to lack of time, due to the "time hole" - meaning "I did it not so long time ago ..." sometimes... it is laziness... "worked yesterday - will work today as welll..." problem is that in private hands no one is scheduling the tasks.

 

Machine calls for the paper calibration each day - i regret it's not calling for more serious maintenance tasks.

for example ... How long time ago you have replaced air filter in the darkroom fan ?? U should know it exists and have to be changed, maybe not so frequently as KIS wishes but ... have to be sometimes. 

 

Even if it would be annoying it could be implemented in the software - cancelling these alerts is less problematic than servicing the machine after crash...

I am working in manufacturing company, they have lot of different machines and each of it has his own maintenance plan. When time is coming - no mercy - it must be shut down for 2h , 8h, or longer - to make a maintenance according plan.

it is better to plan machine pause - instead of having a crash and unexpected production break which will cost you a lot lot more.

note each machine has also parts which have to be verified or changed do spare parts must be available on stock... so we have 2 main factors - Schedule and spre parts

 

Off course my case is a mega scale - but principle remains the same and can be implemented  in your businesses as well.

[davidlam]

A struggle betwwen [ Ideal case ] and [ Practical case ] !