Maintenance

[dlt27]

Hi all. Just started a new job in electrical maintenance today.
I have spent the last 10 year's doing all types of install work however have decided to move indoors.
The guy who is there at the moment has always had people in to work on the machines rather than do anything himself.
Just wondered if anyone would be kind enough to recommend any good maintenance courses I should think about taking .
My aim is to convince the company it would be wise to invest in me rather than outsider companies.
Much appreciated.

 

[SheffSimon]

Hi all. Just started a new job in electrical maintenance today.
I have spent the last 10 year's doing all types of install work however have decided to move indoors.
The guy who is there at the moment has always had people in to work on the machines rather than do anything himself.
Just wondered if anyone would be kind enough to recommend any good maintenance courses I should think about taking .
My aim is to convince the company it would be wise to invest in me rather than outsider companies.
Much appreciated.

I would give it a month, and see what work is done by the outside contractors.

Maybe the outside contractors will fix breakdowns at short notice/nights/weekends etc. Would you be prepared to do that? Don't make a rod for your own back.

I've been one of those outside contractors, getting production machinery running again, and nobody gives a monkeys about what plans outside work you might have to abandon or however many hours you might have to work, just as long as their line is running again.

 

[Engineer54]

Hi all. Just started a new job in electrical maintenance today.
I have spent the last 10 year's doing all types of install work however have decided to move indoors.
The guy who is there at the moment has always had people in to work on the machines rather than do anything himself.
Just wondered if anyone would be kind enough to recommend any good maintenance courses I should think about taking .
My aim is to convince the company it would be wise to invest in me rather than outsider companies.
Much appreciated.

Alas, you can't learn plant maintenance out of books, and there's no point in trying to convince a company to invest in yourself, unless you can fulfil all the criteria of being able to safely correct /repair/modify said machines. You are entering into the realms of statutory machine regulations that are covered by BS that have nothing to do with BS 7671... You could ask (after a suitable period on the job) to go on specific machine training course(s) but you'll still need in depth knowledge of the BS's that cover these production machines....

 

[dlt27]

In that case how do you ever gain experience and knowledge.
Also how do I find out about these statutory machine regulations.
Thanks.

 

[Leesparkykent]

In that case how do you ever gain experience and knowledge.
Also how do I find out about these statutory machine regulations.
Thanks.

Probably would of done an apprenticeship.

 

[Engineer54]

In that case how do you ever gain experience and knowledge.
Also how do I find out about these statutory machine regulations.
Thanks.

The same way as any other industrial maintenance electrician, working with experienced mentors and having the related BS's to hand. There were C&G courses that covered maintenance electricians, it was was a primary course, but my old company ran the two primary courses in tandem (maintenance and building installation), i can't for the life of me remember the old C&G number now. Maybe go on the C&G web site and check for yourself. Your company may even pay for it.... But i'd give yourself a little time first, they will need to see if you were any good. if you intended to stay with the company, along with just getting to know first...

It seems the problem with most small industrial companies these days, they don't want to carry all the expensive spare parts etc, for all the machines they have, and why they contract the work out.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Unfortunately, most maintenance jobs seem to involve nothing more than changing tubes and lamps.
Just about anything else is farmed out to contractors.
What sort of plant are you talking about here?

 

[Jonspark]

I'm a maintenance electrician and would feel quite embarrassed if we had to contract jobs out, except large projects obviously. Never heard of a maintenance electrician only changing lamps.

 

[dlt27]

It's a large company and large site with a lot of cnc machines etc. There is also a lot of very old plant. Also about 200 employees work there.
The guy who works there at the moment has been there about 40 years, but is retiring at Christmas. However he doesn't seem to work on the machines. He checks all the obvious then calls people in.
I think they want me as more of a maintenance managerial role, however I've always been hands on and love learning new stuff. I was hoping to get more into plc's etc, but like everybody says I can get the paperwork, but haven't got anybody to learn off.
My background has always been install work and a lot of testing and inspection. Mainly on industrial/ commercial premises with a bit of PV on top as well. I've tried to explain that there should be a proper maintenance division, but like all companies they don't want to spend the money. Thanks for replies.

 

[Plonker 3]

It's a large company and large site with a lot of cnc machines etc. There is also a lot of very old plant. Also about 200 employees work there.
The guy who works there at the moment has been there about 40 years, but is retiring at Christmas. However he doesn't seem to work on the machines. He checks all the obvious then calls people in.
I think they want me as more of a maintenance managerial role, however I've always been hands on and love learning new stuff. I was hoping to get more into plc's etc, but like everybody says I can get the paperwork, but haven't got anybody to learn off.
My background has always been install work and a lot of testing and inspection. Mainly on industrial/ commercial premises with a bit of PV on top as well. I've tried to explain that there should be a proper maintenance division, but like all companies they don't want to spend the money. Thanks for replies.

Well you need to show to the management that your idea will save money in the long term, no point saying it without proving it.

 

[Guest77]

I'm a maintenance electrician and would feel quite embarrassed if we had to contract jobs out, except large projects obviously. Never heard of a maintenance electrician only changing lamps.

We have one at our place doing just that lol, when he is off the real sparks get to do it as well as maintain the plant.

 

[Engineer54]

It's a large company and large site with a lot of cnc machines etc. There is also a lot of very old plant. Also about 200 employees work there.
The guy who works there at the moment has been there about 40 years, but is retiring at Christmas. However he doesn't seem to work on the machines. He checks all the obvious then calls people in.
I think they want me as more of a maintenance managerial role, however I've always been hands on and love learning new stuff. I was hoping to get more into plc's etc, but like everybody says I can get the paperwork, but haven't got anybody to learn off.
My background has always been install work and a lot of testing and inspection. Mainly on industrial/ commercial premises with a bit of PV on top as well. I've tried to explain that there should be a proper maintenance division, but like all companies they don't want to spend the money. Thanks for replies.

I take it that these machines are all manufactured by one or maybe two manufactures and the company that's contracted in, are specialist contractors that covers this type of plant/machines.
As i stated above the spare parts for these machines could well be very expensive to hold in stock, even if this company sent you on training courses to cover these machines you'd still be pretty much snookered if you found the problem but had no spare parts to get the machine up and running.

Once a company has dismantled it's maintenance dept', the cost of reinstating it at a future date can be financially virtually impossible... When i was a lad, i'd say that most industrial/ manufacturing factories had their own maintenance dept. During the Thatcher years for various reasons, the company accountants and new wave managers got involved in areas they had no knowledge or experience of... All they saw was another area where they can save a bit of money or so they thought. Unfortunately all to the ultimate cost of many of the smaller companies....

 

[SheffSimon]

I take it that these machines are all manufactured by one or maybe two manufactures and the company that's contracted in, are specialist contractors that covers this type of plant/machines.
As i stated above the spare parts for these machines could well be very expensive to hold in stock, even if this company sent you on training courses to cover these machines you'd still be pretty much snookered if you found the problem but had no spare parts to get the machine up and running.

Once a company has dismantled it's maintenance dept', the cost of reinstating it at a future date can be financially virtually impossible... When i was a lad, i'd say that most industrial/ manufacturing factories had their own maintenance dept. During the Thatcher years for various reasons, the company accountants and new wave managers got involved in areas they had no knowledge or experience of... All they saw was another area where they can save a bit of money or so they thought. Unfortunately all to the ultimate cost of many of the smaller companies....

Very true, lots of companies have got rid of maintenance departments and contract it out. At my last employer, we set up a maintenance department to support our customers who bought our packaging machinery and packaging lines, started with a fitter and an electrician and two vans. They were supported back at base by software engineers, spare parts, machine shop, more labour etc etc.

In two years it had expanded to 15 blokes and more vans, and the rates we could charge were way above our normal project rates.

Companies want their production running, virtually at any cost, because our charges were small compared to loss of production.

Along with providing that service comes a lot of pressure to do the job you have said you will do. A lot of the factories we went in to had some maintenance blokes who appeared to do not much, invariably sat in a ratty workshop, surrounded by knackered old bits of machinery, girlie calenders and a kettle.

 

[rapparee]

A lot of the factories we went in to had some maintenance blokes who appeared to do not much, invariably sat in a ratty workshop, surrounded by knackered old bits of machinery, girlie calenders and a kettle.

My job lol

 

[pennychew]

My job lol

Like every print factory ive worked in as well!