A guided changeover system can drastically reduce the errors involved with machine operation, especially when added to machines using fully automated changeovers.

STIHL is a German manufacturer of chainsaws, trimmers, blowers and other handheld power equipment. Founded in 1926, the family-owned company is only chain saw manufacturer to make its own saw chains and guide bars. The company’s factory in Virginia Beach, VA, is ASSEMBLY magazine’s 2014 Assembly Plant of the Year.

In our previous blogs, we discussed the basics of the P-F (Potential – Functional Failure) curve and the cost-benefit tradeoffs of various maintenance approaches. We’ll now describe the measures that can be taken to discover failure indicators along the P-F curve.

Every parent or healthcare worker knows that a fever is a sure sign of an infection. Similarly, an elevated temperature in a roller bearing is a sure sign that it’s about to fail. Just as thermometers are vital instruments in homes, clinics and hospitals, infrared thermal imaging systems have become a critical tool for maintenance and quality assurance personnel at assembly plants and other industrial facilities.

Builders, replacement-window professionals and homeowners have relied on products from Atrium Windows and Doors (AWD) since 1946.