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TonyS
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Production Complaints

09/11/2010 11:54 AM

What's your favourite?

Mine's got to be "No.XX conveyor won't run the overloads must be faulty." Go to conveyor find it buried in sh1t. Return to control room carrying shovels, "get digging lads" :-) Shout me when you've done

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Unredundant
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#1

Re: Production complaints

09/11/2010 12:29 PM

Starting a new job as an automation electrician, answering a 'blue flag" signal posted by the machine operator, asking with a cheerful smile, what is the problem?

The answer from the machine operator: "You the electrician, you sposed to know whats wrong!"......(with a machine that turned the raw materials into the finished product at the rate of 500 units per minute). I detected a certain amount of animosity.

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#2

Re: Production Complaints

09/11/2010 1:01 PM

Let's not forget the classic aircraft maintenance logs:

http://www.tensionnot.com/jokes/customer_service_jokes/pilot_and_aircraft_mechanic
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JRaef
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#3

Re: Production Complaints

09/11/2010 5:50 PM

My favorite:

"Your VFD is allowing the tank to overflow!"

I had installed a VFD on a new pump that pumped out a collection tank on a scrubber system; gravity feed, effluent had to be pumped over a small hill to a settling pond. I didn't select the pump, I was called in to build a VFD system to maintain the tank level; too low and the pump would suck air, but speed up to prevent overflow. When I got that call about a week into production, I went out and my PID loop had the VFD running full tilt boogie, yet water was gushing over the top of the tank. Shut down, checked the pump operation, tweaked the accel rate thinking maybe I was not staying ahead of the inflow rate of increase, same result. Finally I suggested maybe the pump was too small. Turned out they had removed a 400HP pump that was doing the job but cycling on and off a lot at low flow conditions. So they replaced that 400HP pump with a 100HP pump and my VFD! Their thinking was, the VFD would make up for the lower HP! After a lot of argument, they called in the pump supplier genius who had sold them on this idea, he too blamed me saying that I should be able to over speed the pump with the VFD to make it do the necessary work.

I had to explain away their magical thinking... I hate that task.

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TonyS
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#4

Re: Production Complaints

09/12/2010 4:43 AM

One advantage of being a photographer.

After installing a new PLC program I kept on getting complaints that it went "haywire" at about 1AM every day?

I did everything I could think of in checking the program, all to no avail. While I was on night shift I went to watch the machine in operation at 1AM no problem. While I sat talking with the operator he offered me a piece of his sandwich. The piece was huge! Not long after he fell asleep. The problem moved to 2AM!

It got to the stage that I took time lapse photo's to show why the machine always failed at the same time each night!

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suresh sharma
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#5

Re: Production Complaints

09/12/2010 6:34 AM

Operator of machine wrote in leave application form reason for leave "Headache in Stomach".

In a note addressed to Chief Engineer a worker wrote " To, Cheap Engineer..............".

Works Manger who was famous for his shouting at his assistants, was nick named as "Washing Machine".

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PWSlack
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#6

Re: Production Complaints

09/12/2010 6:51 AM

"...the Enraf system..."

All faults within the bulk solvents tank farm were within the Enraf system, alledgedly. What a wonderful buzz-word!

Enraf was the brand name of the motorised floating weight level gauges that measured and reported tank inventory. It had nothing to do with the pumps, starters, strainers, valves, route selection system, trace heating and hours-run metering/monitoring that was carried out by totally separate equipment. Once the meaning behind the label was understood, it did make fault-finding a bit easier...

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TonyS
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#7
In reply to #6

Re: Production Complaints

09/12/2010 9:09 AM

Every plant should have an Enraf system!

The answer to all our prayers.

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Kwetz
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#8

Re: Production Complaints

09/13/2010 3:39 AM

On a NPP an operator call me and says: Valve XXXX doesn't close from control room.

I sent a couple of electricians to have a look and say it's all OK. After shift change, the new operator says the valve runs OK. The next day, the same former operator insisted: The valve don't close!!!.

I had a look to the wiring diagram and realize that opening and closing where different, opening (as it was its "safety function") was sealed and it opened the valve just with a "touch" on the open switch. However, closing operation didn't have such sealing, so the operator must keep the switch in the closing position till full closing.

I call the operator: How do you close the valve? Just touching the switch or do you keep it turned till full closing?

Answer: Oh! Then it's possible I have to keep the switch on the full stroke?

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ozzb
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#9

Re: Production Complaints

09/13/2010 1:16 PM

Don't have a favourite complaint. Got a favourite answer too most. Operator error!!!

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Anonymous Poster (1); JRaef (1); Kwetz (1); ozzb (1); PWSlack (1); suresh sharma (1); TonyS (2); Unredundant (1)

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