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Don't Throw that Drive out!

(It might be better to repair it!)  

When I first started in the drives industry, it was commonplace to repair 1 HP AC&DC electronic drives in our shop.  We would even perform long distance field service calls on small HP drives.  Twenty years ago, these small  drives cost thousands of dollars.   Today, due to the reduced cost of manufacturing, and maturity of technology, electronic drives have never been less expensive.

For a number of years, EMA has heard customers voice the opinion  that if an electronic variable speed drive fails, it should be thrown out and replaced.  Just to set the record straight, it is not always less expensive to replace vs. repair.

There are two major reasons why it makes sense to attempt repair before replacing a drive. 

First, EMA has always had a “free evaluation” policy for in-shop repairs:  Except for the shipping charge, it costs you nothing to send a unit in for a no cost repair quotation.  The drive may have nothing wrong, or the failure can be resolved with a  simple and cost effective repair.

Second, depending upon your application, the engineering, and programming complexity for the replacement may erase the cost benefit of replacing it.   These costs can include increased engineering & installation time, which can cause greater delays and additional production losses. These additional costs are often overlooked when just comparing a repair price to a new unit.

There are however,  undoubtedly times when the best solution is to replace rather than repair.  As a for instance, repair parts can simply be unavailable.

To make the replacement easier we offer integration support service for the new equipment we sell. The following steps are typical when a customer elects to have us replace his older unit.

1. We record the programmed parameters in your drive, and most of the time we are able to do this despite the fact that the drive has failed.

2. We translate the old settings to the new drive's programming format and set up the unit to match your old one.

3. IF you can provide hookup diagrams, we'll mark them up for you to allow easy installation of the new drive into your older machine.

By doing this, we can offer more of a drop in replacement, and keep your production downtime to a minimum. And if you should experience further difficulty, remember that EMA has the highest level of measured customer satisfaction for anyone in our industry.

So in conclusion, always send EMA your failed electronic equipment first!  We’ll help you to quickly make the decision as to replace vs. repair.  If you choose to replace the unit, EMA can make the process fast and seamless.  Finally, who better to provide your “Integration Support” but the company recognized as the “Drive Experts?”

Dean Williams
dwilliams@emainc.net
EMA DriveLines May 2007
Dean lives and works out of upstate NY, and is an essential part of the leadership team at EMA. His technical skills are legendary.  When he's not on the road, Dean can be reached in our Cortland, NY office.