It happens now and then that a customer using GK equipment will decide to go with a competitor for a new unit. A reason sometimes can be one of price. We understand that it can be tempting to take the immediate gratification of a lower price, however, after seeing time and again that the lower price units simply do not have the same durability or provide the best casting quality. We tend to see these customers return around two or three years after the initial switch.
A New Conveyor
One such story was told by Tim Crane, a GK Field Service tech for over fifteen years. A GK Mold Dump Conveyor had been replaced by a competing brand’s unit and the customer experienced problems with the new unit on day one. The increased maintenance and downtime was driving down production and after two years with the new unit, they decided to purchase a GK Mold Dump Conveyor again.
Installation
Tim traveled to the customer’s facility to install the new conveyor. An experienced Field Service Technician with a lifetime of fixing equipment starting at childhood on the farm in which he grew up, Tim can recognize the quality of a machine’s operation just by listening. “I can tell if something is not working correctly by the sound it’s making,” Tim said. “I can almost pinpoint what the issue is. When we went to install this unit, you could tell it was working perfectly by the sound.” Tim then remembered a simple test that General Kinematics Founder, Al Musschoot used to do when he thought a machine was running perfectly.
The Test
Tim dug in his pockets for a nickel and set it on the section of conveyor frame which could potentially see the most torsion. As the customer’s maintenance team looked on, the nickel stood still. Tim looked at the successful test and knew that the unit was optimally installed and would offer years of trouble-free service for the customer in the future.
A Lasting Impression
After watching Tim perform his test the team grabbed their own nickels and began testing the entire length of the frame successfully. At the end of the day, the customer was so impressed with the evidence of the equipment’s finely tuned test run, they still reminisce with their GK representatives over three years later.
To have your equipment tested and tuned by GK Field Service or learn how GK can improve your processing power, call GK today!
