You know, I could probably get a car repair for dummies book and learn to do all my own car repairs too…but why would I want to when “Joe” at my favorite auto repair shop here in Hunt Valley, Maryland is already an expert.  He can repair my car a lot faster and better than I can.  Plus, he’s already got all the equipment and parts handy.

Just like at ACS Industrial…we’ve already got the expertise, the equipment and all the parts handy.  And, if the parts for your repair are unusual and “unhandy”, we know where to get them fast.  We will save you time and money repairing your damaged electronics while you keep doing what you are good at.

So, stay balanced this year.  Send us your damaged electronics (electronic repair form) and let us repair it for you while you stay focused at work, or hit the gym, or play with the kids.   Time well spent!

I was just reading a friend’s notes and he made a great case for providing detailed information to your repair service provider.  Here at ACS, we request our customers describe the problem with their item when they send them in for evaluation. You probably could not begin to guess what our Top 5 repair descriptions were for 2009, so I will share them with you:

Top 5 Electronic Repair Descriptions for 2009

1. Does Not Work
2. Blank (as in nothing at all in the problem description box)
3. Dead
4. No output
5. Will not power up

Numbers 4 and 5 are fairly useful.  But 1, 2 and 3…well, they sure won’t fall into the “too much information” category!   We certainly don’t expect our customers to diagnose or repair their damaged electronic equipment – that’s our job!  But most of us would not go to the doctor and make him or her guess what our symptoms are – imagine how that would go!  More information helps us diagnose your equipment better too.

The diagnosis and repair process is faster and therefore less costly if we can provide our technicians with some description of the problem or what happened that prompted you to request repair service. 

Here are some actual examples of helpful Problem Descriptions that came from real customers:

• This unit is an emergency (power out) light. Battery was hooked up backwards and now won’t work. Everything seems to check out okay except 2 items. Their numbers are: EUB0002B and TIP41B.
• Heard a loud pop, followed by a loss of +5V
• Units do not give good 5V and 15V readings
• The DeviceNet boards in 7 different drives burned the same exact way as this one. This board is from a Cutler Hammer SV9000 series drive.
• Motor continues to kick out or quit. Won’t keep running. When you enter a spindle drive command the motor stops.
• This is a KME VGA monitor from a MotionMaster CNC router with a Fagor 8050m controller. There is no display and the input to the monitor has been tested. We currently have a PC monitor hooked up and it works.
• This unit is for a fmc wheel balancer 2500. The machine lights up but I have no functions. I had someone look at it and test it they said it was the board, and recommended you guys (hey, I really like this one!!)

We understand that sometimes the person that actually fills out the ACS online repair form is given little or no information about what is wrong with an item being sent in for evaluation.  That’s ok too – we’ll figure it out.  But, a little background information can go a long way and we appreciate the information.

We will call ACS Industrial again when we need electronic repair services.  Their customer service team even got on the phone with us when we called during reinstallation to answer our questions. Three cheers for ACS Industrial Services!

We will call ACS Industrial again when we need electronic repair services.  Their customer service team even got on the phone with us when we called during reinstallation to answer our questions. Three cheers for ACS Industrial Services!

ACS repairs just about any industrial circuit board with highly experienced, expert technicians and fast service. Circuit boards that other repair houses return as unrepairable or beyond economical repair can often be repaired by our highly experienced tech team.

Your circuit boards are evaluated, repaired and returned to you in perfect working order and if your circuit boards cannot be repaired, you don’t pay. Thats right… YOU DON’T PAY ONE PENNY IF WE CANNOT FIX YOUR CIRCUIT BOARDS!

CNC circuit boards, PLC Circuit boards, and other circuit boards that are used in industrial equipment and machinery are our  business. The repair of your industrial circuit boards are covered by a comprehensive one year warranty. Please contact us at 800-605-6419. Email: service@acsindustrial.com so that we can be of service to you.  Or visit us at www.acsindustrial.com.  Our customer service team is ready to help you.

You have an Electronic Power Supply, Circuit Board, Drive, PLC, Servo, or other electronic component that needs electronic repair services. How do you decide where to send it to get the expert electronic repair service you need? To a vendor your company already uses? To an OEM? To a new repair house? It can be hard to determine where to send your items.

Three Steps to Success

The following three considerations will insure that you receive the Expert Electronic Repair Service you need and the best value for your electronic repair dollar.

Step 1 : No Charge Evaluation
Make sure that the electronic repair company you choose has a No-Charge evaluation policy. In today’s market place, no one should be paying for evaluations. Some repair companies will hide behind terms like “Bench Fee”, “Bench Charge”, “Estimate Fee”, “Evaluation Fee” or some other cloaking device that charges you just to look at your item. And don’t fall for the “We will subtract the fee if you approve the job” statement. You do not have to pay for evaluations if you do a little fact finding up front.

Step 2 : Check the Warranty Period and Policy
Check the warranty period and policy. If a repair firm does not have at least a one year warranty, look for another repair firm that does. And make sure the warranty policy covers the complete item you send in. Some electronic repair companies will only warranty the repair they made. A competent electronic repair firm will warranty the whole item, be it AD or DC motor drive control, circuit board, power supply,PLC, monitor, etc. A reputable repair firm will go through your item after it is repaired to check for weakened components that may work now, but might fail under load after the item is installed for just a short time. We all know there is nothing worse than installing a “repaired item” and have it fail shortly after it is installed. In a few electronic repair situations it is very hard to be 100% sure that the tech found all the problems. But using a firm that takes the extra step of checking for weakened components after the item is repaired will save you a lot of potential headaches.

Step 3 : How Long Will It Take?
Ask the electronic repair company how long it will take to evaluate your item and provide a quote for repair. If they have a turn-around time that is too long for you, find a company that can meet your requirements. Ask if they have a “Rush” program. Most electronic repair companies have them, but you may have to ask to find out. There is usually an additional fee for a “Rush” job, but sometimes your situation will require the faster return of your repaired item that a “rush” service provides.

Ask the Right Questions
Asking these questions and finding out how an Electronic Repair Firm handles them does not take much time, but it can make your electronic repair experience smooth and trouble free. We hope this information is of benefit to you in your search for Expert Electronic Repair Services.

ACS Industrial Services, Inc. Can Help
To find out how ACS Industrial Services, Inc. can help with your current electronic repair needs by visiting our website as www.acsindustrial.com or call 800-605-6419.  Our helpful and courteous customer service reps are standing by to help you with your electronic repair needs.

Recently a pizza shop owner called ACS in a panic. His oven drive had stopped, the conveyor belt would not move, and they could not make pizzas. The conveyer that moves the pizza through the oven would not move or respond to the speed control. The oven manufacturer would not or could not provide the electronic circuit board repair needed to get the oven running. They offered the shop owner a new control system for $2500.00! Not only was this more money than the shop owner had, it would have required several days of downtime to retrofit the new control to the pizza oven. They were looking at more and more downtime to get the oven back into operation and were losing money every hour it was down!

The owner contacted ACS Industrial Services. After a brief consultation he decided to send his drive control board in for a no-charge evaluation to determine if his electronic circuit board could be repaired. The defective drive board arrived on Thurdsday around mid-day. ACS repaired his defective circuit board and air shipped it back to arrive on Saturday morning. The owner installed the repaired drive board and the shop was making pizza on Saturday by noon! If you have a similar problem, ACS Industrial Services can probably help. Call ACS Industrial Services for your commercial cooking equipment repair needs. 800-605-6419. www.acsindustrial.com.