How To Maximise The Life Of Your Vegetable Handling Equipment

Investing in pack-house equipment usually means a notable cash outlay for any grower, packer or processor. With very little effort you can look after your equipment to maximise its return and prevent downtime during packing season. CleanMost pack-houses deal with large amounts of dirt, grime and soil. If dirt is left to dry and harden on equipment, it builds up and becomes more difficult to remove. This increases equipment stress and component wear. Over time, it can also affect operation and make maintenance difficult.Cleaning your equipment regularly is important. As well as using in-built cleaning systems (e.g. cleaning bars, Clean-In-Place programs, cleaning rollers etc), hosing down or manual wiping are the simplest and most effective ways to keep your equipment clean.Wyma does not recommend aggressive cleaning agents (e.g. caustic soda or similar products) to clean your equipment, as they damage seals and reduce the life of critical parts.ProtectSome vegetable effluent can be quite corrosive. Exposure to moisture (rain, dew, condensation, high humidity, etc.) can also cause atmospheric corrosion.Wyma recommends anti-corrosion barriers like water repelling or wax spray (e.g. LPS3 corrosion inhibitor or CRC Softseal corrosion inhibitor) to protect internal and external components against rust and other corrosion. Apply this around panel work, fasteners, spline shafts, drive and return shafts where bearings and pulleys are located and to other parts that are exposed to corrosion.Take care not to spray certain parts before assembly as slippage may occur. Avoid direct exposure to rain and make sure your pack-house has good air flow to minimise the negative effects of moisture.LubricateWyma recommends high quality lithium-based grease. Food grade grease does not offer the same lubrication quality as other greases. If you must use food grade grease, maintenance intervals must be increased.Lubrication reduces friction, allowing smooth movement of parts. Maintain a film of oil or grease on every part that needs lubrication so metal resistance and surface damage are minimised. Not lubricating may result in overheating of metal or other parts, creating part failure and equipment damage.Your Wyma User Manuals have a list of parts that need greasing plus a service and maintenance schedule with recommended greasing intervals.Use It WiselyParts last longer when they are not under stress, especially engine parts, transmissions etc. Stress is caused by overloading, excessive use or changes in speed or environment (e.g. cold start after a long shutdown).Stress can cause early wear and/or motor drive faults. Maximise equipment life by staying within the load and speed ranges specified for your equipment. Turn equipment on occasionally during long shutdowns.And Also, ... be safeAll equipment maintenance must be carried out following all the safety guidelines in your Wyma User Manuals, as well as all applicable local and international laws. Make sure equipment is off and locked out.Source