Best Tips to troubleshoot anything Industrial Maintenance Technician

[nyftn]

i've been doing this since i started my new job as a technician in a chocolate factory. these rulez are worth gold .

i always try to diagnose as fast as possible without skipping the basics . to keep production numbers high for our nightshift. we have a great team, when something happens they tell the truth about it. instead of saying i didn't do anything it just stopped working . i never finished electro mechanical engineering in school but everything i did learn in school is now paying my bills . i worked as a truckdriver (because i loved it) but after a work accident i had to find something else. i never thought i would be good enough to be a technician. and back then a degree was required. last year i got the chance and even suprised myself. it's a great feeling to be the guy they call when something is broken and they call because they know i can fix it asap.

[Maintenance_Mark]

Rule number 1 always do the easiest thing first.
Rule number 2 never trust the guy that came before you.
Rule number 3 75% of your problems are human error

You're absolutely right about talking to the operator. I have seen many old grumpy maintenance techs that will blow off the operator and call them stupid but these people run the machine everyday all day so they understand what it is supposed to do even if they don't know how it does it or why.

Never ignore the operator. The operator can sometimes lead You astray by pointing out symptoms to the problem instead of the problem itself but if you just focus on what the machine is not doing that it normally would to do you can get some valuable information.

That being said I have been led astray by operators before where I was sent down rabbit holes because they were mistaken.

[mattlippiatt]

Ive met many operators that were upfront and honest esp when i tell them i dont care what you did im not going to get you in trouble if you did something and wasnt shown correct way or what it can do to machine we can fix that and i can sit down with ya once its back running and expalin what happened, or even look at how something happed and see if we can modify the program so it cant happen again. Sometimes you dont realize there is an issue with programing until something happens it might work fine and a condition happens that was unplanned for. Those were always my fav operators esp if they were new because they seemed to want to learn more about their machine and honest, and i would take up for them to their supervisor if questioned about dt. And explain to the super what happened that i took time talked to operator did some training and issue prob wont happen again...ive also had ones who said i didnt do it it just happened etc. Then when i showed them the fault log and asked what did u do when this fsukt happened cause there are other faults right after this they start the um um then the truth comes out. If machine had a fault list sometimes the fault your seeing is the result of the original fault so address it 1st. The ops that lie and say i didnt do anything usually dont last long if they were at fault, but there are alot of times when the op is right and it started all of a sudden so look at the data etc. Its your job to fix it. That is what your being paid for so dont matter if op related or an actual issue with machine its your job to fix it. Talking to operator is just one of the tools that you can use to make job easier.

[ericlandini]

Sometimes i trust too much on operators and that leans me thinking and overtinking on a big problem...usually is not .think easy first 90 % of the times thats the problem...take your time and be calm...thats my way..

[mattlippiatt]

The most common issue I have seen with pneumatic that fools alot of newbies and even some expierenced ones is actually a dirty air filter. Everyone wants to jump to the valve or solenoid or cylinder or check for kinked line and over look the dang filter.. yes it happens alot

[whatzittooyah]

I just started a job and that was great advice especially the last part. Ask what they were doing? I’m definitely taking that thank yiu

[poncethegayboi]

All of what you said is absolutely correct

[yodarrr]

What kind of multi meter do you use or does industrial mechanic use?

[Yellowfever]

Can you do a video about troubleshooting a centrifugal pump that making unusual noise? As asked in interview question

[poncethegayboi]

I go to out of cycle issues all the time. Prox sensors etc. Sometimes cleaning a sensor is all it needs. As a mechanic. Im not calling an electrician to do that. And your electrician will thank you.

Yeh i seen they had it down for electrical. But i stopped by to check it out.

[colbyg.]

Talk to the operator. Its funny when they break something and they know it they won't tell you at first. Then the more you talk you get it out of them. Yeah I may have raised that up to high earlier and there it is limit switch broke off.