The Mepaco®’s Field Services and Engineering Team have been on hundreds of calls for all types of food processing equipment service. Seal issues are one of the common requests for service. Here’s the top 3 trouble signs for split seal types and how to troubleshoot repair.
The Trouble Signs:
The Possible Problem:
Grooved or Broken Shaft A worn shaft may cause a loss of vacuum in your equipment. Depending on the space available and the extent of the damage, a worn shaft may be repaired on-site. Ignoring a grooved shaft can lead to a broken shaft resulting in a catastrophic failure. The timeline to order a replacement shaft may take weeks. Even if there is an extra shaft in inventory, there is a minimum of two days of lost production to replace it. If you suspect a grooved shaft, call Mepaco®’s Field Services to troubleshoot the issue.
Worn Seals and Missing Packing Seals should be checked for wear and sanitized daily. Seals should also be part of your preventative maintenance program, with two to four extra seals in your parts inventory, depending on usage. Changing the seal during scheduled times will help save lost production; instead of shutting down production to replace a seal.
Proper Installation Seals must be correctly installed with recommended packing. Check to make sure that the seal housing is within tolerance. Revisit the documentation for seal installation instructions. If you have new staff, ask for a training session by Mepaco®’s Field Services experts to have them watch and advise on seal installation and maintenance.
Mepaco® equipment features one of three types of seals: Split Seal, Air-Purge Seal, and Mechanical Seal. Each seal is specified for the best use in the type of processing application.
Split Seal: A split seal provides ease of removal and installation. The construction is made up of rubber and metal reinforcement. It can be specified for a variety of applications. It is easy to disassemble for sanitation and holds up to rigorous COP (clean-out-of-place) processes.
Air-purge Seal: These seals are often specified for applications with high food safety risks and abrasive food product situations. The internal components of the seal rotate with the shaft, so there are no typical issues with worn shafts or missing packing. These seals are engineered to reduce maintenance and sanitation costs.
Mechanical Seal: This type of seal is suitable for applications with coarse, gritty food product. These seals are precision-installed and are not forgiving with tolerance. Mechanical seals are engineered for CIP (clean-in-place) sanitation processes.
Contact Mepaco®’s Field Services for answers to your current seal issues, request an audit, or schedule a consultation for a seal solution to fit your application.
In some cases, there is a particular event that causes agitator damage such as a shovel or fork falling into a piece of processing equipment. However, there are several other signs that determine when an agitator is failing:
Here are some causes of agitator damage:
Agitators are part of Mixers, Mixer-Cookers, and ThermaBlend Cookers. This equipment is the most important part of the processing line and must be maintained for maximum uptime. Other equipment, such as Metering Screws with Hoppers have leveling ribbons that may also need to be included in the list for agitator maintenance.
Currently, there is a 3-to-6-month lead time for a new agitator. In some cases, agitator repairs can be made at the customer site. Mepaco Services may be able to use a sleeve or secure welds to get the machine back up and running. Sometimes, it is possible to make repairs for temporary production while the new agitator is put on order.
Contact Parts and Service at 920-356-9900 for more information.
Plant shutdowns during Thanksgiving week or between Christmas and New Year’s Day is common in the food manufacturing industry. Employees benefit from vacation (except the maintenance team of course) while contractors with various expertise and tasks come in to refurbish or re-engineer equipment and systems.
While shut-down goals are planned well in advance, Mepaco’s field service team recommends that time be set aside for a thorough replacement parts inventory and a shut-down audit to keep your Mepaco equipment running in top condition. Replacement Parts Inventory Below are (7) seven common parts for most Mepaco machines. During your shut-down, check parts usage and update inventory quantities. If you have budget money left for the year, contact Mepaco to get these items back on your shelves. Motors / Gear Boxes Due to the high cost of production downtime, we are seeing companies replace motors and gear boxes rather than repair them. Motor and gear motor availability ranges from 3 to 4 weeks lead times currently. Gaskets Gaskets are replaced when there is leaking in the process or the equipment is not pulling vacuum. Gaskets are sold by the foot; check your inventory to make sure you have an ample supply. Add the special gasket cutter scissors (image above) to your parts order for ease of installation. Seals The split seal is common in many applications and requires frequent replacement depending on usage. Air-purge seals and mechanical seals are engineered to reduce maintenance and sanitation costs, but still may need a place in the inventory albeit fewer quantities than split seals. Safety Switches Safety switches can get bumped and battered in a busy processing environment and can be weakened by harsh sanitation chemicals. Verify inventory needs for safety and other electronic components. Agitators Agitators require custom fabrication to your machine specifications. Depending on damage, agitators may be repaired on sight. In some cases, however, it is a catastrophic failure, and a new agitator is required. Sometimes it is not feasible to keep an extra agitator in inventory, however proactive agitator inspections can be performed during shutdown to determine wear. Cylinders / Cylinder Kits Cylinders are another item that has a long lead time for replacement. It is recommended to have backups. Another option is to also include cylinder repair kits in inventory. Pneumatic and hydraulic cylinder repair kits will extend the life of your cylinders. Bearings One to two back-ups are recommended depending on usage. Plant shutdown is a good time to review compare bearing maintenance practices to the frequency replacement bearing usage.
Shut-down Audit Mepaco techs can be available during shut-down schedules for proactive performance equipment audits. Equipment and system audit activities include:
Contact Mepaco Field Services (920-356-7314) if you are interested in a plant shutdown audit. Contact parts@apachestainless.com if you need help with parts replacements for your equipment.
Our long time service expert, Greg Ebert, has retired. Greg served Mepaco for over 30 years in a technical support role. We wish Greg a very happy retirement and we thank him for sharing his expertise with our sales, service and engineering team.
Meet our new service tech team who are ready to service your equipment and troubleshooting needs, from left: Bob Dolan, Jacob Jongebloed, Mike Sutton, Ray Henry and Josh Schladweiler.
If you are in need of service, please call your sales representative or call Monica in Parts and Service at 920.356.7347 or 920-344-2085.
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.