The government has started easing lockdown restrictions, with more people now encouraged to start returning to work. Even though companies are eager to open their doors and allow workers to come in, it is imperative that they follow all the new rules and regulations put in place. If your company is looking for best practices for opening your doors, the warehouse education and research council (WERC) has issued best practices to address the health and safety of your employees and business risk management for COVID-19.
Another important concern for companies is the health and safety of their equipment. Most companies were not expecting to have their equipment idle for a month or longer, so in order to ensure the machines are running at peak performance, a routine check is mandatory before restarting.
Paxton Products’ Engineers have supplied some tips on how to responsibly restart your equipment.
- Inspect your equipment before you start it.
- Inspect the condition of the filters, belts, idlers, electrical cords, etc.
- Replace any components that are worn, frayed or dirty
- Perform any backlogged preventative maintenance
- Review safe operating procedures
If you have a Paxton blower that has been idled during the pandemic, and you are now ready to restart your processes, Paxton Products recommends the following restart procedures:
1. Disconnect the power to the blower
2. Grease the motor bearings, as per the motor manufacturers’ recommendations.
3. Remove the blower belt guard and inspect the belt and tensioner.
a. Check for belt wear: missing ribs or cracks. Ensure that the rotational arrow on the belt matches the rotational arrow on the blower. Best practice is to replace the belt.
b. The center of the tensioner should be aligned with the arrow on the plate. If this requires adjustment, please see the service manual.
c. The tensioner spring should be stiff and taunt and not disfigured. Check the idler bushing for integrity. Replace any worn components. If bushing replacement is required, grease the new bushings with a light coating of white lithium grease prior to installation.
4. Inspect the filter and silencer for wear. Best practice is to replace the filter.
5. Check the connections to the pressure gauges and ensure all are tight.
6. Check the connections to the air flow. Ensure clamps are tight.
7. Inspect the air delivery devices, and make sure that flow is unrestricted.
8. With the motor disconnected from its power source make sure that the blower and motor spin freely.
9. Reinstall the belt guard and reconnect the power.
10. After restarting your blower, you can check to ensure that it is operating at the recommended pressure using the blower pressure gauge attached to the blower outlet. The recommended pressure would have been specified on the original QC report sent with the blower, or, in the case of the PX-series, in the item number.
a. For example, PX-2000-1200-60 should be operating at or near 60” of water column.
Once you complete these steps, you are ready to start up your Paxton blower. Happy blowing!