Radwell International’s Blog

Manufacturing plants are complex systems that rely on various components and processes to operate efficiently. Over time, these systems can become outdated, inefficient, or unreliable, leading to decreased productivity and increased costs. If you're an engineer working in a manufacturing plant, you may be wondering how to know when it's time for a systems upgrade. In this article, we'll discuss some of the signs that indicate it's time to upgrade your manufacturing plant's systems. This will highlight the advantages to systems upgrades.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are electronic devices that are used to control the speed and torque of an AC electric motor. They work by adjusting the frequency and voltage of the electrical power supplied to the motor, which in turn changes the motor's speed and torque.

Before we review recommended maintenance for VFD’s, here’s a brief overview of how VFDs operate:

Being able to maintain equipment is an important part of an operational strategy. Some might argue it is the most important part. In a manufacturing environment, being able to maintain equipment so that it functions reliably is the key to smooth and profitable operations. How can management create a strong maintenance and reliability strategy for their operation? In a recent chat for USA Manufacturing Hour on Twitter, host Neil Hussey from Denco Lubrication Ltd in the UK led a discussion about this very topic.

Having the ability to monitor equipment with real-time capability is a practice that is shown to be important in today’s manufacturing environment. This is directly related to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and how we protect our assets. It’s mainly a financially motivated practice, but monitoring systems can assist with altering production in a way that best suits the business.

Obsolescence is an unavoidable part of any manufacturing environment. However, it’s concerning that so many companies admit they do not know when vital equipment requires replacing, or when they do, they scramble to find replacements. The latest developments in additive manufacturing could provide an answer to the obsolescence problems.
Additive manufacturing is a transformative approach to industrial production that enables the creation of components using a variety of 3D-printing techniques.

A sound maintenance plan is key to keeping a factory up and running, as it helps ensure both maximum productivity and minimal downtime. While there are several ways to approach the development of a maintenance plan, the following guidelines are applicable across the board for a wide range of factory types.

If you’re a manufacturing plant manager, what don’t you want to see out to the production floor? Probably a significant number of things, but near the top of that list would probably be a large group of workers congregating around a critical piece of machinery that should be running—yet isn’t. Rarely does such a sight have positive implications.

My name is Matt Gingell and I’m Radwell International’s Building & Aquarium Maintenance Associate.

 My main responsibility is taking care of over 40 fish tanks. Right now we have 42 that are up and running. That's a total of 7,300 gallons of water.

One of the larger fish tanks is embedded in the wall of Brian Radwell’s office. It’s a 650-gallon tank that features South American, African, and Central American Cichlids. However, there is also one huge Gourami, who is a community fish but is definitely in charge of the tank. 

Remote technology is a growing industry. According to the New York Times, 43 percent of Americans reported in 2016 that they worked remotely for at least part of their workweek. AfterCollege also reported that 68 percent of college graduates surveyed in 2015 said that remote work is one of the most attractive perks that a company could offer. But remote work is not just for people; the concept is changing how maintenance operates, as well. Remote technology can keep workers safer while also saving companies money.

Here are three ways that remote technology is changing the landscape of maintenance operations.