How does a recall get started?

Recalls may be initiated voluntarily by the manufacturer, or ordered by a government sponsored safety board.

The proper procedure for a major incident such as a fire, is to quarantine the equipment until a technical investigation can be completed to determine the cause of the fire.

If the cause was a design problem, the company should engineer a fix.

If it was a manufacturing problem, the process should be changed.

If it was a maintenance problem, (such as dirt building up in the equipment) the user should change its maintenance procedure, or the manufacturer may have to change its maintenance manual.

It is understandable that the company has not answered. They are probably looking into potential legal and financial liabilities (stock markets).

The best way to help is to waive any liability, and provide the equipment for investigation in exchange for a working machine.

Most equipment comes with a minimum 1 year manufacturers warranty against defects. (design flaws) If the warranty has expired, it will be difficult to prove a design flaw.

If the company refuses to deal with you, Find the government board responsible for safety of the item, and report the incident. They may want to do their own investigation.

If this fails, do your own investigation and go to the media.

If the company does not recognize the model, it could be a "knock-off." If this is so, you may want to provide the company with the name of the place that you purchased it.

Thanks.

We conducted our own forensic examination and photographed everything. Afterwards and within the same day as the problem occurred we sent in back to the supplier. They will supply a new one free of charge.

Our concern is that we are a wood truss manufacturer. Sawdust, hydraulic oil, wood everywhere. Maybe were a little paranoid but it wouldn't take much to have a fire get out of hand here. Each of our dozen or so facilities are now using these bander's.

That was good advise. I'll give them a week. and if I don't here anything, find the government org. that oversees this sort of thing. That wouldn't be O.S.H.A. would it?

No, OSHA creates and manages the regulations for safe limits for all chemicals (HAZMAT), and Workplace safety.

The one you want is US consumer product safety commission. See;

http://www.cpsc.gov/

Excellent! Thank you very much.

"How does a recall get started?"

a) Faulty design

b) Cutting cost corners

c) Lack Q/A participation

d) Improper manufacturing supervision

e) Lack of skilled/knowledgeable factory worker

f) Take your pick

In reply to you question "How can I be sure this is an isolated incident?"

If the supplier is unwilling to provide you any technically reassuring and acceptable excuse (Most importantly you are sure it was the part malfunction), then do some research find out who else uses these control modules and case study, etc.

If still not satisfied have your lawyer contact their lawyer and do lunch.

I hope you get to the bottom of that, it sounds like a serious concern that is well worth the time in getting some reassurances.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx

you forgot "BORED" housewife.

"Maybe were a little paranoid but it wouldn't take much to have a fire get out of hand here."

Nothing wrong with being a little paranoid when it comes to the safety of your employees and building.

We used to cut UHMW on a vertical mill w/ retrofit CNC controllers. Whenever we cut that particular part we had a control module meltdown that was time consuming and expensive.

Come to find out that the shavings would accumulate and build a static charge. Charge would wipe out controller.

A kind and genorous control manufacturer helped us isolate and solve. They actually implemented some new tech into their own product to better their systems.

cr3