MRO Electric is determined to provide the best service and support to businesses affected by Hurricane Harvey during these difficult times as they resume operation and employees get back to work.
Water-immersed electronic devices and motors in automation systems need appropriate treatment after flood water subsides. We have compiled information we learned from our past flood relief activities below, which we think our customers affected by Harvey may find useful.
We also have the capability to wash and test the amplifiers and printed circuit boards at our repair facilities.
If the CNC and related equipment are treated properly after being soaked with flood water, it is possible to reduce or even recover from the damage. The purpose of this section is to describe proper post-flood treatment.
Things to keep in mind:
Outline of the procedure after flood water recedes is as follows:
In order to minimize a damage to unit, please perform following at first:
Wash the units according to the procedure below as soon as possible. Damage will worsen if washing is delayed.
After washing, please remove as much water as possible and let then dry. The electrical resistance is lower due to the moisture, so please do not attempt to mount or apply electrical power until the unit is completely dry. It will take a long time if you just leave the unit at room temperature. Transformers, especially, will require a few months if not dried to high temperature. It is necessary to use a high heat to evaporate the humidity inside the transformer.
Drying Oven
It is possible to gain enough insulation back in a few hours if you can use a drying oven with enough high heat. However, please be careful if the temperature is too high, it may melt the insulation material. A vacuum type drying oven may be useful for this type of equipment.
Here are a few examples of temperature and drying time for FANUC products, after removing as much water as possible by hand:
· Servo Transformer – In 120 degree C (248 degrees F) for 8 hours
· Servo Motors – In 80 degree C (176 degrees F) for 12 hours (with Pulse coder removed)
· PCB (Printed Circuit Boards) – In 60 degree C (140 degrees F) for 1 hour.
Without a Drying Oven
Please prepare a fanned heater. It is a good idea to use a hair dryer to send heated air (around 140 degrees F is desirable). Please be careful as it may become too hot if you send the air directly to the unit. PCB and units may be dried in a half, to one full day, but the transformer may take a few days.
It is very important that insulation resistance is tested before applying power.
MRO Electric engineers and machine tool builder engineers may need to work in sync because machine side repair and adjustment will also be required. If the insulation resistance is adequate, then the unit may be installed. Confirm all cable connections and wiring, then apply power and confirm the operation. If insulation is not sufficiently recovered due to insufficient drying, there is a possibility of ignition due to short circuit or heat generation, so pay attention to the generation of smell and smoke for a while after energization, immediately turn off the power when there is an abnormality.
If parameters were lost and a recent back up is not readily available, it is our recommendation to contact the machine tool builder to assist you. They will also be able to assist in any machine side adjustments and/or set up procedures before the final operation is started.
Our goal is to quickly and safely return your machine back into production. Do not hesitate to contact MRO Electric if you believe your equipment is damaged and is in need of testing and/or repair, or if you require a replacement part.
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