Elements of Maintenance Planning for Laboratory Equipment (Part 2)

Planned Maintenance

• Also Preventive Maintenance or Scheduled Maintenance
• Pre-planned and scheduled
• Involves scheduled service visits by competent   service agent, but may also include periodical checks  and care by User
• Can be date-based or hours-based
• Allows for easier planning of maintenance
• Allows for easier ordering and inventory of spares
• Allows for easy budgeting and costs management
• Allows for an essentially trouble-free instrument life

Impact of Environmental Conditions and Other Factors

Environmental Conditions

• Basically temperature, humidity and light
• Comply with Manufacturers recommended environmental conditions
• Temperature affects instrument stability; high temperature may damage some instrument components and PCBs
• High humidity can also damage instrument components and PCBs
• Use of air-conditioners and/or dehumidifiers may be necessary.
• Light may damage optical components in spectrophotometers

Gases

• Instruments work within precise and specified gas pressure ranges
• Use high quality and functional pressure regulators; preferably 2-stage regulators
• High gas pressures can damage components such as valves and electronic flow regulators in instruments
• Instruments also require highly pure gases devoid of moisture, hydrocarbons and other impurities —–VERY IMPORTANT
• Impure gases can damage valves, electronic flow regulators, GC columns and block GC capillary gas lines
• Use high quality gases and gas filters

Power

• Perhaps, the greatest singular cause of equipment malfunction in the country
• Voltage and frequency very important
• Damage to instrument components can occur due to voltage and/or frequency fluctuation and intermittent power supply
• Facility wiring and grounding also very important and critical
• Use of good quality line conditioners, voltage stabilizers and UPS may be necessary

User

• An untrained User is the greatest source of danger to an equipment, as well as to himself and the facility.
• Users must be trained and qualified in the operation and basic user maintenance of an instrument before they begin to use