Wow.  Loose connections…now that’s a “loose” term if ever there was one! 

Connection problems are indeed responsible for many non-functioning electronics of all sorts. 

Note the key words are connection problems because the problem may very well NOT be looseness at all.  So step away from the torque wrench or worse-yet the screwdriver. 

What seems like a “loose” connection could be just that, but electronic problems are more often the result of bad connections caused by:

• Oxidation of contacts
• Corrosion of contacts
• Dirty contact surfaces
• Cross threading
• Wrong bolt or screw

 “Shocking” Info Bites: 

• Almost 500 people die each year from electrical accidents, mostly in the workplace, putting it among the top 10 causes of accidental death in the U.S.
• Approximately 80% of all injuries and fatalities caused by electrical accidents are not caused by the electric shock itself, but by the intensive heat, light and pressure blast caused by electrical faults. 
• The blast made by vaporizing metallic components can break bones and damage internal organs.

Brace yourselves!  The Blizzard of 2011 is apparently here.  We in the Mid-Atlantic are shivering in our boots, just not used to all this ice and snow.  Ocean City beaches are just a faint, sandy memory at the moment.

And driving?  If you’re from Chicago or Buffalo, you know Baltimoreans are incapable of driving in winter weather (me excepted of course!).  It’s a sight to behold!  I mean, did you HEAR about all the abandoned cars out there after our last storm?  Yep.  Abandoned…right in the middle of the road.   Now, where did those people go?  I dunno, but we haven’t found any of’em frozen in a snow bank yet!

Sweet!  The smell of economic improvement is in the air!  AP reports today that industrial production rose in December 2010 by the largest amount in five months which is a great surge of momentum to start 2011.

Activity at factories, mines and utilities increased 0.8 percent last month reports the Federal Reserve.  Overall industrial activity has risen 11 percent since bottoming out in June 2009.

The biggest indicator of industrial output is factory production which rose 0.4 percent, the sixth straight monthly increase. 

Although auto production dipped, computers, electronic productions, clothing, leather, chemicals and other products all made substantial gains.

Whilst scanning various electronic news sources today there was the usual malicious mayhem and predictable political posturing when…wait a minute…what should behold my wondering eyes but  “The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation act”?   Is this a Jerry Seinfeld joke?  No, it’s truth!

Seems Congress has voted, unanimously I might add, to require advertisers to reduce the volume of television commercials within one year.  Loud commercials bring bipartisanship? I’m not sure whether to howl with joy or be dismayed…don’t they have bigger things to worry about?  Can anyone say jobs?

 Does it seem like your maintenance staff is constantly putting out “fires?” Or that your production equipment is always running to failure requiring industrial electronics repair and causing unplanned work stoppages? 

Lean manufacturing may be the answer.  Lean manufacturing concepts aren’t new but they are gaining momentum…and for good reason. 

By implementing some lean manufacturing strategies, you can track equipment breakdowns, schedule preventive maintenance, and anticipate needs for maintenance parts.   Benefits include:

• Waste elimination
• Defect reduction
• Productivity maximization
• Engaging  your work force as a team

Ah, our little green friends…the printed circuit board. Taken for granted until they fail, circuit boards are key to the operation of virtually everything these days. So if you are suspicious, or even absolutely certain, that your circuit board is the problem, you may need some advice as well as circuit board repair or replacement.

Always remember the Electronic Axis of Evil: Moisture, Heat, and Dirt. If you can avoid these, your circuit boards will last longer.

Four Top Reasons For Circuit Board Failure and Tips to Identify The Problems & Causes:

Not surprisingly, reliability ranked the most important criteria in purchasing industrial electronics according to a recent survey by Plant Engineering & Maintenance. 

Reliability was followed, in descending order, by quality, safety, maintenance, service, price, throughput, technology, noise, speed, and “green”.

Maintenance ranked 4th out of 11 so we know it’s pretty high on your list.  Nobody wants equipment that is difficult or excessively expensive to maintain.  Downtime is lost time and lost time is lost money.  

Save money in the long run by purchasing quality industrial electronic equipment with a good warranty.  And when that warranty runs out, or the OEM does not provide responsive service, send your repairs to a reliable expert. 

Plant safety, work site safety, worker safety -  it seems we are hearing this daily now from plant engineers around the country. 

It would appear that a cultural shift is in the wind and that safety attitudes and practices are changing – for the better.  There is a realization that a safe working environment is beneficial not only to employees but to the bottom line.

The concern is there on the part of  many CEO’s and managers but the question they often have is, “Where do we start?”  

Our very competent Web Master just finished the huge task of developing and deploying a searchable Electronic Repair Catalog on the ACS website. We hope you find it helpful in locating the part numbers for your damaged items needing electronic repair services.

The catalog can be searched two ways.  Either by letter or part number. For example, if you have a Mitsubishi Servo Motor that needs repair, click the “M” and you will be taken to the page with all the manufacturers that begin with “M”.

If you have a model number like, 1326AB-B520E-S2L, Enter it in the search box at, http://www.acsindustrial.com/repair-catalog/search.php?c=m.