Factory Machinery

[5 Star Johnny]

Looking for some input on pricing, method & tips for cleaning. We are bidding on cleaning 15 punch presses for paint prep. Machines range from 100 - 1700 ton presses. Lots of oil & grease. We will NOT be pressure washing these, but cleaning by hand. We have cleaned mfg. equipment in the past, but normally using PW & cleaning agents. These presses will not be moved from their bays, so we are cleaning during production. The client is providing lifts, removing dies & unnecessary attachments, and providing clear movement around the machines.

The contact I am working with is one of our deck clients, and is confident in our quality & performance. He can also provide guidance on pricing. Although I have a rough idea on man hours and what I need to charge, I'm looking for input from anyone who's done similar work and any problems I should watch for. This would be a nice contract for winter work......and it's inside!!! Any help? Thanks for your help!

 

[Dave Olson]

Hello Mary & John,

Lock out tag out Very important!

Dormant energy (spring or hydraulic) could be a problem after equipment is shutdown. You may not be able to isolate the electrical or other sources of power if the plant is still in production.

Poor condition of electrical systems may require that you use a safety solvent rather than a degreaser.

We have used diaphragm pumps to apply degreaser and also use them for rinsing.

These are the first things that came to mind.

Dave Olson

 

[5 Star Johnny]

Dave, thanks for the reply. Safety first.......safety lasts!!! Having set up & operated presses in the past, the issues you listed were the first things discussed. But thank you for mentioning them, as I don't think those things are always considered by contractors. The client is supplying the prep product (devprep 88 by ICI), as they have had an employee (light duty) working on these for the past month. He has only completed 2 presses, which is why they're looking at an outside source. We are going to bid on three smaller presses for now, before committing to the entire job. Right now we're figuring $800 - $1000 per smaller press (150 - 300 Ton). Two men for approx. 1.5 days per press. We'll see how it goes. Either way, it's winter work which is always good.

 

[john orr]

And the union lets you work on "their" machine? lol I used to work in a factory in Milwaukee. I had to quit, could not agree with union tactics.

John

P.S. We have relatives in Lake Geneva - beautiful area...for 5 months a year!

 

[5 Star Johnny]

John - Interesting observation! I'm not sure if this company is union, but have done work in several plants that are. When the factories are busy, no one complains about outside contractors. But when they get slow, then they notice someone else is doing their work and insist on giving the job to internal staff. Even though it takes them ten times as long and costs ten times as much. I agree about union politics. It was needed in the early 1900's to give the worker a voice and create a fair wage and work environment. Today, it costs U.S manufacturers more money and time needlessly. I'm not against unions, just think they do more harm than good.

Yes, Lake Geneva is a nice area. About 45 - 50 miles south of us. This year, however, only 4 nice months!!! The cold has come waaayyyy too fast this year. Scrambling to get late season decks finished. It's almost 11 a.m. here and we're first getting out to work on some deck cleaning because of the temps. Take care!