DIY beginners and engineering pros alike need to follow some simple but important steps when setting about mending a piece of machinery. Reading through manuals and watching tinkering videos online make the process look easy but it can be anything but – without being careful, one could spend hours without making progress or even make the matter worse.
These four straightforward steps will ensure a smooth repair is carried out.
Assess the Damage
Firstly, take a considerable period to assess the damage to the piece of machinery. Diving straight in to mend some of the more obvious faults may result in missing minor but crucial ones, prolonging the repair. This could be a costly mistake – Americans spend around $420 billion a year on home improvement projects already and this figure would skyrocket even higher if every repair was done haphazardly.
Once the damage has been duly assessed, make a list of all the repairs needed, tools, and parts required, and how much of it can be done alone or with assistance. This will paint a clearer picture of what money needs to be spent and what experts need to be consulted.
Create a Plan of Action
With the necessary repairs noted, create a plan of action of how the repair will be tackled. Quite often this will begin with sourcing any missing parts and cleaning the piece of machinery – this is easier done before the repair than after, as if the parts are going to be taken to pieces, the inner workings can be cleaned along the way.
Source Missing Parts
A plan of action in hand and a clean and carefully disassembled piece of kit ready for repairs, missing parts, and necessary tools should be sourced at this stage. It will only serve to slow the repair and become a frustration if the mending begins and only some of the missing parts are to hand.
Taking a common piece of machinery as an example, conveyor belts have several moving parts that all work together seamlessly to create a slick and effective unit of equipment. Sourcing high-quality replacement conveyor belt parts is essential at this point in the repair process as without them, or with lower quality replacements, the belt will not be returned to its former glory.
Consult a Specialist
With all the parts in place, repairs can begin. This is the time to consult any specialists that will be needed for advanced pieces of equipment, particularly electrical ones. Carrying out electrical work without appropriate training or qualifications is dangerous and should not be attempted, so contacting a trusted electrician is advised.
With the help of a specialist, repairs can begin safe in the knowledge that all preparations have been made, precautions have been taken, and there is the relevant expertise ensuring the procedure will not be dangerous.
The four steps laid out above are the most important rules to follow before beginning any repair project. Ensuring they have been carried out is essential due diligence for returning a broken piece of machinery to good working order.