Hardwood Floors April May 2018

AT THE SITE

By Brett Miller

Protect Your Investment:

Nine Key Focus Areas for Sanding Equipment Maintenance

Sanding equipment is o en the biggest investment wood ooring professionals will make. Properly maintaining your equipment will protect that investment, result in be er performance, and consequently, provide be er results for your customer. Proper maintenance will keep your equipment operating at peak e ciency and keep it operating longer. Perhaps just as important, it will prevent costly down- time when you can least a ord it. Keeping sanding machines properly adjusted also will help them perform as they’re intended. One of the best ways to monitor how your equipment is running is by simply listening to it. It may sound funny, but we all know how our equipment sounds as we run it every day. e moment you begin to hear something a li le o (di erent pitched whining, repetitive tapping, deep rumbling, etc.), it is time to get it checked out. Maintenance requirements vary among the di erent kinds of equipment, so it is important to read and understand the operator’s manual for each. Keep in mind that many repairs should be done by an authorized service center. Repairs performed by an unauthorized center may void your warranty. Knowing your equipment and the recommended service intervals will help keep your machines running at peak performance and will greatly extend their service life. To properly maintain sanding equipment, there are nine primary areas to focus on: carbon brushes, machine lubrication, machine bearings, edger pads, sanding drums, sanding chambers, wheels, drive belts, and dust bags.

1. Carbon brushes are the pathways for electrical current. Once the brushes are worn, the electrical current will cause heat, arcing, and sparking. Also check the brush spring – it keeps the pressure on the brushes, preventing arcing and premature wear of the

armature. Inspect the motor brushes once a month and, if replacements are necessary, change all the motor brushes at the same time. 2. To maintain proper machine lubrication, ask your authorized service center for the correct amount and type of lubricant to use.

Photo courtesy of Lägler.

3. To properly maintain the machine bearings, refer to the owner’s manual for service intervals. Periodically check the guide rollers for wear. Always keep an ear tuned to the sound of the machine. Any new or di erent sound could be a sign of a bad bearing or wear in the bearing. If it remains unrepaired, a bad bearing can cause sanding irregularities. 4. Be sure to inspect and clean edger

pads before each job. An unbalanced or bent edger pad may cause gouging. Worn and improperly adjusted edger pads also result in uneven sanding. 5. Sanding drums are one of the most important maintenance items. Inspect and clean the sanding drum on split-drum or belt sanders whenever you change the sanding belt. Dust and debris on the drumwill cause cha er marks. Gouged, grooved, or badly damaged drum surfaces should be replaced. To prolong the life of a sanding drum, release the tension on the sandpaper or belt a er every job, and leave sandpaper on the drum to protect it during transit. 6. Sanding chambers should be cleaned once a week to prevent accumulation of debris, which can interfere with the performance of the dust-control system, the upper roller, and the contact wheel (drum). Cleaning the dust chamber also keeps the fan balanced, which prevents vibrations that can cause cha er and imperfections in the oor. 7. Always inspect the wheels before you start any job. Debris on the wheels, such as ller, grit, nish, and stones, can be le on the oor and also cause

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