Is Your Vintage Washer Leaking?
By Justin McFarland, Sales Engineer for the Metal Packaging Division for HeatTek
Washer rebuilds are growing in popularity throughout the metal packaging industry, and it’s no surprise considering the current stress on facilities worldwide.
Rebuilds can extend the life of an old washer by up to 10 years at a fraction of the cost and offer an attractive alternative to investing in expensive, new equipment.
Additionally, most canmakers can’t afford one to two month outages while an old washer is decommissioned, demolished and replaced. Depending on scale, rebuilding an existing washer can take as few as five days.
For canmakers with leaking washers and limited resources, here is your roadmap to success!
The Right Plan
“Downtime” has never been a scarier word. Equipment is being run harder, and maintenance cycles have been extended to keep up with the increased demand. Canmakers are under even more pressure to ensure that scheduled projects are completed on time. The best way to maximize those chances is to ensure your OEM has a meticulous plan and an accurate scope of work.
Industry experience is king when choosing the OEM to partner with. Every equipment rebuild is unique. If the rebuilder doesn’t know what to look for in the planning phase, there are often delay-causing surprises during installation. A thorough, on-site preassessment, custom-engineered plan and drawing or 3D model will ensure that every detail is accounted for and that the rebuild is completed within the required timeframe.
Another planning consideration is the extent to which an OEM will prepare components ahead of time. This is the most time-saving element of a rebuild. Long gone are the days of stick-building equipment in the factory. The rebuild team should have the technology that enables them to walk in the door on Day 1 with prepared components in hand.
The Right People
The people who execute a rebuild are just as important as those who engineer it. Ideally, a rebuild is managed and completed by skilled foreman, millwrights and welders with a solid mechanical understanding of washer systems.
Safety is every manufacturer’s first priority. Qualified tradesmen, who understand the hazards, will minimize risks and ensure everyone working on and around the rebuild is safe. Those same individuals will complete the project faster and get the job done correctly the first time. Wasted time and unnecessary rework lead to project delays, extended outages and unfulfilled customer contracts.
When planning for a washer rebuild, it’s also important to ask how much plant labor will be required. This is an important consideration as canmakers don’t often have the time to spare. And even if they do, those individuals will have limited (if any) experience, therefore requiring heavy supervision by on-site experts who should be working on more lucrative matters.
The Right Process
The stainless steel components of a washer take the brunt of the corrosive chemicals that are constantly running through the equipment. Passivation is the process that protects these parts and is the key factor of a rebuild success story. It provides the barrier to harsh materials and protects the integrity of critical welds that prevent leaking.
But not all passivation processes produce the same results. A hot dip, nitric acid passivation will result in a longer life for stainless steel while a brush-on, citric acid process can cut the longevity of these washer components in half. When preparing for a rebuild, a discussion about passivation could ensure that you aren’t planning the same project again in a few years.
Furthermore, many canmakers use the rebuild process to upgrade more than the leaking components of their washer. As innovation persists, rebuilds lend the option to incorporate new technologies with minimal disruption. Here are some features often integrated into a rebuild:
- Maintenance-friendly upgrades to herringbone and leveling beds such as modular bolt-up sections
- Improved belt tracking and return slides (to replace rollers)
- Hold-down conveyor system improvements
- Upgraded, high-efficiency blow-offs
Taking advantage of these opportunities do more than extend equipment life. A more advanced can line increases productivity – a factor never more crucial than now.
If you are considering a washer rebuild, contact your trusted equipment manufacturer to start the conversation and learn more.
