News Archive
NDC repair, test and commission drive and motor application
(13/03/2008)
An NDC site services team recently attended the plant of a large switchgear manufacturer that had lost production of critical LV components.
A bespoke material feed unit and 125T mechanical press had failed, causing the loss of pressed-parts at the plant, primarily contacts for LV contactors.
NDC engineers quickly identified overload faults and decided to remove the Parker Digiplan stepper drive and its associated motor for rectification work at our Manchester Service Centre. The Parker PKH130M series of stepper drives provides for protection against short circuits and operates at a maximum frequency of 100kHz @ 2000 steps/rev. Our engineers were able to fully resolve the overload problems and rigorously test both drive and motor before returning to site in order to commission the application.
NDC Lift News February 2008
(10/02/2008)
The latest edition of NDC's Lift Division Newsletter is now available.
The publication carries a mix of technical and commercial news, as well as regular contributions from NDC's Managing Director and Lift Division engineers.
To secure your copy contact your local NDC Service Centre.
Continued Support For IMO Nexus PLC at NDC
(28/01/2008)
The IMO Nexus PLC that has been used for many years to control a number of lift systems is long
obsolete, however...
NDC has been repairing and programming these units for a number of years and the demand from elevator service companies has continued to grow. Faults within a PLC system are often difficult to resolve, as there are few companies that have the ability to diagnose the hardware or software on-site and the back up of a service centre in order to effect a repair.
NDC have therefore taken the decision to purchase a significant number of these units for resale as spares and as service exchange units in order to reduce the downtime of our customer’s systems.
The investment into supporting these units has meant that NDC engineers have written a number of test and diagnostic programmes using IMO’s CAPS6 computer aided programming tools, a DOS based software using an IBM AT personal computer, a system that was made obsolete in 1991.
Another example of NDC engineering expert solutions in support of customers where an OEM has long lost interest
NDC Incorporates Otis Site Safety Standards
(28/01/2008)
NDC has now incorporated the Otis - Site Safety Standards into own Health & Safety procedures for work carried out by our engineers on lift sites.
As well as having subcontractor passports for our existing site engineers, we are also training our managers, supervisors and new engineers to the same level. We are presently undergoing annual assessment to continue with this approval.
Rob Corner - Manager says, " We see it as key to our business development, that we incorporate best practice into our business procedures. This industry is one of our key sectors and as such we must develop our strategy to embrace the customers’ requirements".
Online Repair Tracking For NDC Customers
(28/01/2008)
NDC has sanctioned the development of a new software system designed to take the company to the next phase in its development.
The system is being developed to allow the more than 12,000 technical records held in our Repairs Register to be shared throughout our Service Centres, giving seemless access to technical data throughout our UK operations.
The system will give greater control over production and will reduce our quoting time. Customers will also be able to see online their repairs at a glance. The system also monitors parts inventory and our stocks of surplus equipment. Additionally, It will link with our suppliers and shippers to make for a faster more accurate system. The system has been developed to be as flexible as possible to meet the demands of a rapidly changing market. Changes can be made to meet customer’s specific instructions via our own ‘in house’ IT department.
The system is expected to come online by May 2008
New Irish Service For 2008
(28/01/2008)
In response to a growing demand for rapid turnarounds from our customers in the ROI and NI, NDC have added a Same Day Collection Service to our portfolio.
We hope this will further improve the service received and in turn help maintenance and service managers satisfy the demands of their own customers in returning equipment to commission quickly and with the minimum of downtime. For further details please contact Clare at our Manchester Service Centre.
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Rexroth Hydraulic Digital Amplifier Repair Service
(14/12/2007)
NDC’s Midlands Service Centre has recently developed testing and repair procedures for a range of advanced digital solenoid control amplifiers manufactured by Rexroth Hydraulics.
The proportional valve controllers utilise similar electronic control methods to many basic programmable motor drives with position feedback. The VT-VRPD series allow the control of single or multiple hydraulic axes with the option of 16 different ramp profiles simply selected either through use of a programmable logical sequence or through binary selection using 4 opto-isolated digital inputs.
Although the repair of these units presents few technical problems, the testing of the units is quite a complex process. In order to test the units it is necessary to use Rexroth’s BODIV software combined with an RS485 serial link, which is used both to programme and test the units aswell as controlling multiple valve solenoids.
Rob Corner, Service Centre Manager commented
"The announcement of these capabilities has attracted interest from a number of industries that traditionally rely heavily on hydraulics and it is something that we are planning on investing in heavily during 2008."
24 hour emergency response for Dietz drive failure
(19/11/2007)
Following the takeover of German OEM Dietz, NDC have been in receipt of a number of support enquiries from maintenance managers and plant engineers across industrial sectors.
Most recently a multinational office products manufacturer called to request an emergency repair to a 1.5 kW Dietz DSV5452 -4/400 maxidrive that was controlling a Kugler automatic punching machine. Given that this machine has a capacity to punch 100,000 sheets per hour, the company could not tolerate any amount of unnecessary downtime. It was imperative therefore that our response incorporated a fast turnaround, accurate diagnosis and fault rectification. Our engineers quickly identified phase monitoring faults and were able to rectify these and return the unit to production within 24 hours.
Onsite support for north west healthcare company
(19/11/2007)
NDC have recently developed site support services for a large healthcare company. After using NDC to assist with a number of breakdowns on critical production equipment, the company resolved to deploy preventative maintenance routines across their plant.
The company in question do not employ a maintenance team so NDC have put together a proposal to provide preventative maintenance operations within the bi-annual shutdown periods. In addition to this, NDC have a produced a ‘buy time’ contract ensuring that the company have emergency assistance 24/7 throughout the year.The schedule has been created to carry out routine maintenance to the entire plant during the shutdown including Thermographic Analysis of the electrical and electronic controls mounted inside the various cabinets.
The benefits for the company are very evident, as not only will it save on the cost of internal maintenance staff, but will considerably reduce the breakdowns throughout the year and improve the overall efficiency of the operation.
NDC supports Dietz lift drives following takeover
(31/10/2007)
A number of service managers in the lift industry have recently contacted NDC across the UK with enquiries concerning support for Dietz lift drives following the takeover of the OEM earlier this year.
Many service managers have noted a marked decline in the levels of support now available from the company, and have successfully routed several service and repair jobs to NDC.
NDC can assure the lift industry that we are able to support the Dietz product portfolio of AC drives up to 132kW and DC drives up to 90kW, including digital DC drives and obsolete models.
NDC NW performs control retrofit to metal cutting machine
(17/10/2007)
NDC were asked to assist with the re-design of a control system for a key metal
cutting machine at a trailor manufacturer
The old Supos control had failed and the customer was unable to get a replacement. The customer opted for an upgrade option rather than repair. In order to do this, NDC engineers designed a control system to replace the existing outdated process control. A new Mitsubishi PLC (PLC FX2N) was fitted and integrated into the electronic control system along with an advanced Horner HMI(HE500TIU110) and counter unit(FX2-1HC). The PLC was then programmed to the exact specification of the client who was delighted with the results. The successful fitting of this upgrade now enabled the customer to be able to achieve operational efficiencies that were not possible with the old system.
In addition to NDC's advanced repair capability, we also offer a range of options for onsite repair and retrofit. In addition to state of the art equipment, we also specialise in older or obsolete equipment where customers' often have difficulty in sourcing reliable and competent support.
NDC assist large international car manufacturer in the north east
(15/09/2007)
During the annual factory shutdown, Maintenance Managers in the large paint shop found technical issues with a large soft start controlling air replacement fans.
NDC Engineers attended site to diagnose the problems. The soft start unit was taken away for a full refurbishment and prior to refit was tested extensively on a dynamometer. During this test the motor driven by the soft start was loaded substantially. We were able to assess the drive’s ability to handle load currents in excess of 250 Amps without incident. On return of the drive NDC engineers also diagnosed a further issue with a faulty shunt timer. This was replaced and the soft start was returned quickly to service in time for the factory start up.
The maintenance manager responsible for the plant was delighted:
“This is the first time that I have used NDC for a repair or site service. I found your company to be very professional and responsive to our needs and we will look to use you again in the future.”
NDC service exchange solves on-site lift failure
(14/09/2007)
NDC continues to support the lift industry through its unique ability to identify the specialist AC drives required for the sector.
NDC were called out to site by the Midlands branch of a leading UK lift company to investigate a fault on a Omron 3G3FV 11kw drive (on a goods lift). Having arrived at site at 09:00 hrs, the drive was tested and found to be beyond repair on-site, having suffered a major failure on the drive stage. A search was on for replacement parts/drives to effect a speedy return to service for this particular lift.
NDC do carry a very good cross section of spare service exchange AC drives on the shelf. A 15kw 3G3FV was available as a service exchange at our Midlands branch, this was despatched straight away from stock (all stock items are fully tested) to site. The engineer on-site installed and commissioned the replacement drive within eight hours of arrival. Had a service exchange not been available it would have been several days before the lift would have been available for service.
If you have any spare AC or DC lift drives, please contact us. We are always looking to enhance our stock of specialist drives for the lift industry.
NDC achieves fully accredited status with Otis
(29/08/2007)
NDC have recently secured Otis accreditation to attend site unsupervised.
NDC has approved-contractor status with many of the UK’s leading lift businesses including Otis, TKE, Schindler, Pickering, Kone and Jackson.
Yaskawa SGMGH-55DCA6H servo motor
(24/08/2007)
NDC remanufacture servo motor component to effect rapid 'back to service' repair
We recently received an enquiry from a leading UK kitchen manufacturer to
identify a problem with a failing 5.5kW Yaskawa incremental servo motor. The
motor was powering and controlling an automated feed and load operation at the
plant and was deemed as key equipment - minimizing costly downtime was therefore
our primary concern. Our assessment of the unit identified the holding brake as
the problem. A search for a replacement brake yielded no results so engineers at
NDC quickly resolved to attempt a remanufacture of the device in order to get the
unit back to site, and to save the customer the costly option of a completely new
motor. The repair and complete refurbishement of the motor was undertaken and the
unit functionally tested prior to despatch and reinstallation on site.
NDC SE has moved!
(15/08/2007)
NDC's Southern Service Centre has relocated locally within Slough to larger premises.
This move has doubled production capacity and accomodates the strong growth experienced by the business in recent years.
The move also affords the company an opportunity to recruit additional engineering personnel and increase investment into functional testing facilities further enhancing reliability. This latest investment is pivotal to the support of key NDC customers and industry sectors in the South, South East and Greater London. It is ideally located as a repair facility, and additionally as a hub to despatch Field Engineers to undertake on-site fault finding, repair and commissioning work. The investment also allows NDC to further improve its technical processes and customer service in this dynamic market. NDC Southern Service Centre:
412 Montrose Avenue, Slough Trading Estate, Slough, SL1 4TS
Jetter Nano 8 PLC control for a DIMAS-ES-8 AC Servo & JL3 AC Servo Motor
(18/07/2007)
(June 2007) NDC offer a wide range of automation and industrial electronic repair services. They were recently asked to help with a problem on a Martin framemaking machine.
The customer had been having serious problems with the ac servo motor on this machine faulting out on overcurrent.The JL3-130-26-3RVB ac servo motor and the DIMAS-ES-8 Servo pack were sent to NDC for investigation following failure on site. NDC engineers inspected the motor and drive under laboratory conditions and found no fault which could be attributed to the servo or motor following the failure of the machine on site. Engineers were despatched to site to investigate further the possible cause of the problem. It was found that the machine would not datum and during its reference run the machine backed into the end stop causing the motor to trip on o/c.
Unloading the software from the NANO 8, there did not appear to be anything untoward, from the comments. It was found that the Axis 21 was behaving normally but the limit switches did not appear to work even though the home input LED on the DIMAS-ES-8 was functioning. Further investigation of the limit switches found that they had been wired incorrectly during manufacture. Rewiring the switches resolved the problem. Machine is now functioning correctly with a fully up to date copy of the plc programme available should the machine ever fail in the future.
Baldor ServoNode 51
(18/07/2007)
(June 2007) NDC can now offer a full repair, refurbishment and reprogramming service for the obsolete Servo node 51 series of AC servo drives manufactured by Baldor.
Since these small servo controllers were made obsolete it has become increasingly difficult to source reliable repairs due to the lack of spares. It has therefore been necessary for NDC to reverse engineer a number of circuits within these units in order to specify replacement or upgraded components. The complexity in guaranteeing reliable repairs for these units lies in their testing. The Servo node series of drives are designed for control via a CANbus network where each ‘node’ has a specified address. After repair, each drive is programmed, using MINT Workbench, with a series of commands designed to test all areas of the drive’s capabilities including the dynamic braking circuit and the on board PLC logic. The drive is then instructed to execute this test programme via NDC’s CANbus network. Servo node drive repairs typically take 24 hours or less, representing a significant time and cost saving over any other repair option available at present.
June 2007: Omron Sysmac PLC module repair
(10/07/2007)
NDC's emergency repair service assists a large Lens manufacturing company to 'see the light at the end of the tunnel'
A Large UK Lens manufacturing facility found themselves with serious production difficulties after a key lens grinding machine was put out of action due to a water leak.
NDC In Manchester were called in to carry out an emergency repair to an Omron Sysmac PLC module. Water had leaked into the unit causing it to fail. NDC Engineers carried out a repair to the unit by removing the corrosion on the PCB and replacing key components. The unit was then interrogated via a laptop to verify the functionality and was deemed as fully functional.
The working unit was returned to the customer and quickly installed allowing production to be restored with 24 hours and to the delight of the customer who was able to catch up on lost production.
NUM Servomac 3UACL50501 Drive unit
(13/06/2007)
Engineers from NDC Manchester were requested to assess a failed Servomac drive unit from a machine control application at the plant of a north-west based international gear manufacturer.
Our engineers collected the drive and quickly traced the faults to the power and drive board. All the defective components were replaced, the unit cleaned, fully refurbished and tested prior to despatch.
An NDC engineer then attended site whilst the unit was commissioned and put back into service to oversee any possible application or installation problems. The unit proved to be functional and was fully operational by the 15th June.
Another example of NDC giving highly efficient service, accurate repair analysis and a rapid ‘back to service’ turnaround.
Pacific Scientific SC100 Servo Drive & Servo Motor
(06/06/2007)
NDC offer a wide range of automation and industrial electronic repair services. They were recently asked to help with a problem on a Pacific Scientific SC100 series Servo Drive & Servo Motor, manufactured by IMEC.
The customer had been having serious problems with the drive, culminating in a total failure of the Drive. The Pacific Scientific drives are unlike standard servo drives as they employ a method of switching the bus voltage on and off, using an inhibit on the control board to shut down the thyristor. The fault had been caused by an excessive build up of conductive dust on the drive which during an increase in the load to the drive had caused a short in the bus circuit. During the investigation of the fault the Motor was independently tested and overhauled. The motor also is unusual in that it employs an unusual feedback device. The Tachsyn brushless tachometer/commutator is a unique transducer that can be used as a brushless dc tachometer and/or as a brushless dc motor commutator. The Tachsyn brushless transducer is a magnetic sensing device in which the output windings, field winding, and permanent magnet are all located in the stator, thus maximizing reliability. The very-low-inertia rotor has no windings, but is, instead, contoured with high- and low-reluctance poles. For further information please visit the link below. http://www.servotek.com
NDC Fix power supply problem keeping critical plant operational.
(30/05/2007)
Engineers from NDC Manchester were recently requested to urgently attend site one Friday evening to investigate a failed Siemens Power Supply (Type: 6EP1334-2BA01).
The failed unit was required to supply a continuous process machine at a manufacturer of medical products, a situation where downtime must be limited to an absolute minimum. Our engineers resolved to replace the unit with the current model, and although some re-engineering was required the customer was up and running by early Saturday morning. Although this unit was not large or expensive, the response, solution and turnaround time illustrates how we can meet our customers needs - which in this case was to limit downtime and get the plant operational again in a cost effective manner.
NDC NW demonstrates wide-ranging technical capability for Manchester Lift Company.
(30/05/2007)
NDC were called in to assist a local Lift Company with a challenging lift failure in a large city centre Hotel.
NDC were called in to assist a local Lift Company with a challenging lift failure in a large city centre Hotel. Initially, The Vacon inverter (type: 1B22CXS4G2C1) was sent to a local drive repair company within Trafford Park. After the first few critical days this company was unable to provide a solution so the drive was sent to NDC. A replacement lift drive was installed by NDC and the complex ranges of parameters were installed and adjusted to suit the application. In addition to this, NDC helped to diagnose further issues with the encoder and other problems based around the mechanics of the lift. The lift was quickly brought back into service. This flexibility of service capability was possible due to NDC’s strategy of building a workforce with a wide portfolio of relevant industry experience. Electronics Engineers at NDC have extensive experience within industries such as the lift service industry and this provides another service offering for customers who wish to call on the additional capabilities NDC can offer. NDC Engineers have fully – accredited status and are qualified with the OTIS safety passport for all onsite service work. This means our engineers are able to attend site and lock-off lifts in order to effect repairs to motors and electronic equipment on a 24/7 call out basis.
NDC Restores Pirate Ship to the ‘High Seas’
(14/05/2007)
In the run up to the Easter holidays, a large theme park in Hayling Island realised that one of their major attractions was having serious problems.
The large Italian built Pirate Ship ride, with an S.C.E control system, began blowing 250 amp mains input fuses at the end of the 2006 summer season and had been left without testing until April 2007. On first inspection, NDC site engineers removed the large 180A, BRG180-4 DC drive for refurbishment and testing as the drive showed evidence of serious corrosion caused by the ride’s proximity to the sea. The drive overhaul was completed and the unit returned. Although the drive looked to be in poor condition, it was found to be operating smoothly up to its maximum current limit. The newly refurbished drive was refitted and tested, however, the drive continued to blow fuses! Further test revealed that the drive was intermittently loosing one of the reference supplies used for thyristor control; this problem was traced to a faulty contactor inside the control cabinet. The drive was retested and the ship began to sway, however, the speed regulation was very poor. Further testing revealed a short circuit winding in the drive’s auxiliary Tacho and it was decided that it needed to be replaced; however, there was no manufacturer information or V/k rpm rating for the unit. With help from the local service centre, our site engineers were able to determine the tacho details and a replacement was sent ASAP from Radio Energie. The ride was back up and running perfectly within the space of two days and within time for the park’s Easter rush.
Drive Repairs ‘Out of Africa’
(26/04/2007)
The Lagos plant of a global automotive tyre manufacturer recently routed two Reliance Flexpak
3000 DC Drives to NDC Manchester for repair and
refurbishment via their UK affiliate.
The drive units had failed in service causing a loss of production at the Lagos plant. Whilst engineers were able to source replacements locally, the units were issued to NDC as spares following our success and track record in supporting this OEM and facility in the past. NDC Engineers examined the units and identified a number of failed circuits and components including blown thyristors and faulty trigger boards. NDC sourced and replaced all defective components, refurbished and fully function tested the drives prior to despatch back to Nigeria.
Engineers at NDC Manchester effect drive repair during production downtime window
(12/04/2007)
A facilities management company servicing the site of a missile systems manufacturer recently sought NDCs assistance to turnaround a failed Fenner / Yaskawa drive unit (CIMR –G3E-4015).
NDC were advised that the job had to be completed within a tight production window. Given this, the drive was collected early morning and inspected at our service centre on an emergency basis. A number of faults were identified including; dry joints, corroded tracks and leaky capacitors. Our engineers managed to source and replace all defective parts the same day, all the dry joints and damaged tracks were reflowed, and the drive fully function tested. It was returned to site that same afternoon.
NDC NW responds to motor issue within a major Newspaper print facility
(04/04/2007)
NDC Manchester was given the task to repair and refurbish two heavy-duty Lenze motor and gearbox units for a very large newspaper printing facility in Manchester.
These units were critical components in driving the continuous rack of newspapers from the large pressroom to the mailroom ready for despatch. NDC fully stripped and refurbished each of the motors and reset the resolver for each unit. The gearbox was removed and drained of oil and fully refurbished to meet the high demands of the application. The motors were then returned and refitted within 24 hours allowing the facility to return to its demanding output levels.
Obsolete Lift Drive Retrofit
(28/03/2007)
NDC continues to support the lift industry. NDC were requested to specify and install a new AC lift drive to replace an Omron 3G3FV-A4150-CUE, on a goods lift. The existing drive was obsolete and a direct replacement was not available.
The Omron L7 lift drive CIMR-L7Z-4015-7B was specified as the most compatible replacement, having the ability to control AC & PM Motors, Silent operation with no current de-rating, Safety Cat. 3 stop Cat. 0 embedded as standard with battery operation for emergency rescue and motor auto-tuning at standstill and at Run. As well specifying the replacement NDC site Engineers removed the existing drive and installed the new lift drive. All parameters were set as per the existing lifts on site to allow full operation of the lift to customer satisfaction. Working closely with the Lift Contractor the work was carried out and the drive commissioned with minimal disruption to the customer.
AEG Modicon PLC Repair, Test & Programming
(22/03/2007)
NDC have created a test jig to fully functional test the Modicon 311/411 Micro PLC.
Engineers based at the Southern Service Centre in Slough were asked to assemble the system for a customer that specialises in the repair and refurbishment of airside electric vehicles. The now obsolete PLCs cannot be retrofitted due to the sensitive nature of the application, which really left the customer with no alternative but to repair. In order to help the customer meet their service obligations, NDC have purchased a number of spare CPUs, I/O extension modules and hand-held programming terminals, which are pre-programmed and ready to be despatched at any moment to airports throughout Europe and the Middle-East. The pictures show a Micro 110 CPU being used to test a refurbished hand-held programming terminal prior to despatch.
Engineers at NDC Manchester deploy emergency response as critical plant fails at a global corrugated packaging business.
(05/03/2007)
Two Indramat TDM1.4-100-300 servo drives were collected, assessed and found to be faulty.
Via NDC’s Rapid Repair Service our engineers were able to return one of the drives to the customer for re-installation on the same day. The second having badly burned connections, was fully repaired on our standard service and is now back on-site.
NDC secure software to support the repair, overhaul & programming of Omron Sysmac C20, PLC systems.
(22/02/2007)
Following a request from one of their customers NDC offered to investigate the possibility of repairing several Omron Sysmac C20 programmable controllers & I/O’s.
Their customer had tried several routes to get the units repaired without success. NDC took the units in for assessment and although the hardware repair was effected quite quickly the uploading of the existing programme was proving very taxing due to the lack of available software and hardware on the market for such an old unit. Not to be put off by this NDC sought the windows based software and Host Link to effect this procedure. Following several attempts the Software was found and purchased, the Host Link interface although quite rare was eventually purchased and is now available. NDC are now offering their services for the support of these unique Programmable Controllers.
Baldor retrofit for unsupported Nikki Denso control
(08/02/2007)
Although repair is almost always the quickest way of getting production moving again after a drive failure, sometimes it just isn’t possible.
Engineers at NDC in Slough were asked to repair, refurbish and test a Nikki Denso NPB-M series servo drive and motor used for high accuracy speed control of a roller head. Initial assessment revealed that the commutation feedback from the motor encoder was missing; further inspection revealed that the damage was too severe to complete a reliable repair. The machine OEM, based in Fukaya City, Japan could not offer a solution to the problem until June, which left no alternative but to begin work on a retrofit solution. As size, availability, flexibility and high accuracy were all critical to the design; NDC engineers specified a Baldor MicroFlex drive and BSM series motor for the task. All mechanical and machining work, interface wiring and programming were completed within 4 days allowing the machine to be fully tested and calibrated at the service centre for 48hrs prior to delivery. Not only was the machine delivered back to production with 7 days of the initial failure, but the chance of a reoccurrence of the failure has now been significantly reduced. As a bonus for the customer, the speed accuracy of the roller was increased by 50% simply by upgrading to the new, digital technology!
Control Techniques Direct AX Drive
(29/01/2007)
NDC offer a comprehensive repair service world wide for many industries.
NDC’s Manchester Service Centre recently received an emergency call to collect and assess a Control Techniques Direct AX Drive that had failed, causing the loss of critical process plant at a leading UK beverage and food supplier. NDC engineers quickly and accurately assessed the fault as a burnt-out switch mode power supply. We were able to return the rectified drive the following day, greatly reducing the level of costly downtime incurred.
Gould AC Servo Drive A332.03
(12/09/2006)
A UK based market leader in the design and manufacture of structural steel buildings suffered production loss when a Gould AC Servo Drive failed in service
The dive and motor had been obsolete for a number of years and no longer supported by the OEM. NDC's Manchester Service Centre was called late one Thursday in August for assistance. The options were to replace the drive with a more modern drive which would take 3-4 days or repair the existing drive and retrofit at a later date. The drive and motor were collected by NDC and the fault diagnosed to blown drive modules, these were stock items allowing a Rapid Repair Service to be effected. Secondary damage resulting from the initial failure was repaired and the drive fully functionally tested to NDC's 'A' Category. The refurbished equipment was returned to the customer the following day with a full 12 months parts and labour warranty. The total downtime was less than 24 hours minimising the loss in production. NDC carry many thousand components at their Service Centres in order to effect such repairs, these include many for obsolete equipment which can no longer be supported by the OEM's. In addition we have stocks of surplus reconditioned equipment available for immediate shipment on a direct purchase or service exchange basis
Fuji GP337-MON-001 Touch Screen
(12/09/2006)
NDC offer a comprehensive repair service world wide for many industries.
NDC not only offer a comprehensive repair service for end users but also support many leading manufacturers of electronic equipment in the UK, Europe and the America's in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical and medical industries One such product are 'touch screens' used widely within these industries and the Fuji range are a recent addition to our product support register which now totals over 10,000 items. Technical specifications, schematics and spares for this product allow NDC to offer a Normal, Urgent or Rapid repair service which can be performed to an 'A' Category which means that the unit can be fully functionally tested giving the customer the peace of mind that it will be returned ready for use. These repairs also carry a full 12 month parts and labour warranty.
NDC have launched their new Ebay trading site
(31/08/2006)
NDC Industrial Electronic Surplus. All of NDC surplus products are now exclusively listed on Ebay, see NDC on E-Bay
Northern Drives & Controls have a comprehensive range of surplus products for sale, which are being added all the time. We are always on the lookout for equipment to sell so if you have surplus equipment that is sitting on your shelf just call 0800 137104 and we will be pleased to view and make an offer.
Control Techniques Mentor II brought back to life
(02/08/2006)
NDC got a call to attend site in an emergency situation to a Control Techniques Mentor II that had failed within a plastics extruder application. One of NDC’s Field Service Engineers was despatched to site to diagnose the problem.
Diagnosis of the fault was performed on NDC’s Mentor Test Rig which was designed to ‘proof test’ these drives from information provided by NDC’s ‘reverse engineering’ techniques. This procedure produces working drawings, connections and parts inventories. Not only does this allow NDC to accurately pin point the problem but it also allows them to have access to replacement components rapidly. The damaged components were replaced and the drive was subjected to a complete refurbishment which includes the replacement of ‘aged’ components. This technique not only ensures that the ‘mean time to failure’ is optimised but also allows NDC to cover the equipment with full 12 months parts and labour warranty. Proof testing was again performed on the test Mentor Test Rig. Having this information in NDC’s library ensured that the work was completed and the drive reinstalled with 24 hours of the initial customer call. Part of the service includes an upgrade the drive, which from experience, is suspect in certain applications. This avoids reoccurrence of such a problem.
Airport Services
(02/08/2006)
Having supported most of the UK’s Airports with electronic services for 20 years, NDC’s expertise in this field has come to the attention and is recognised by the Original Equipment Manufacturers and Service Providers to which NDC service partner.
Such manufacturers as Houchin, Auto Diesels, Jetway, Mannesmann, Mitsubishi, Interoll and SEW are supported from NDC’s specialist Service Centres in Manchester and Slough. Such equipment such as * GUI and HRV nodes * Joysticks * Inverters * Rotary generators * Touch screens * PLC’s and graphic cards All need specialist experience, knowledge and equipment in order to satisfy the demanding quality, reliability and delivery requirements of the airline industry For more information, contact us to requst a leaflet.
Electronics Support for the Lift and Travelator Industry
(02/08/2006)
NDC are the UK’s leader for automation, drives and control support to the lift and travelator manufacturing and maintenance industry.
Working with major manufacturers of controls in 3 continents we can repair and supply service exchange drives and controls 24 hours a day. For those obscure drives where the Original Equipment Manufacturers information is not available NDC’s ‘reverse engineering’ techniques have allowed us to produce accurate schematics, connection diagrams and parts lists from which to diagnose, repair and final test. The unique benefits from NDC’s include: * Prices as little as 18% of replacements * Discount card schemeFreephone & fax * Local service centre * Rapid, urgent and normal service levels * Free collection and delivery UK wide * 12 months written warranty * All inclusive fixed price contracts More information can be found by sending for our literature or asking your local Account Manager for details of our Discount Card Scheme.
Urgent Pizza Delivery !!! Spectrum Automatic Self adhesive Labeller.
(01/08/2006)
In today’s consumer climate there is no margin for error with fresh food. It is all manufactured ‘Just In Time’, if the production process is disrupted by machine failure losses can be excessive, so time is of the essence.
When the labelling machine for a fresh pizza manufacturing line failed to work, our customer was left with losses of up to Ł5000 per hour and no spare machine on site. NDC were called to site to carry out repair to a faulty ‘Sessions Labeller’, two engineers were made available from various sites and put to work on diagnosing the fault. Sameday spare parts delivery were sourced and despatched to ensure a speedy repair, at the same time as parts were being delivered the machine underwent a complete overhaul to ensure that nothing else would compromise the function of the machine when it was returned. With replacement parts available the repair was carried out, the labelling machine was then functionally tested in our work shop prior to delivery back to site. The machine was returned back to the customer within 8 hours of the first call, fully repaired and overhauled at a cost of less than 30% of a new replacement. The Maintenance Team Leader – Chris Harte, was very pleased with the rapid repair stating “Super job well done” the following morning with the Labelling Machine continuing its daily run.
Fixed Price Repairs for Fessmann Smoke Oven PCB
(23/06/2006)
NDC are now in a position to offer fixed price repairs for Fessman Smoke Oven Control Cards
Fessmann is a renowned worldwide manufacturer of high tech systems for the food industry, manufacturing equipment for, Smoking, Cooking, Roasting, and Baking, Maturing, Cooling and Conditioning for Meat, Sausage Poultry and Cheese products. Contact us for free evaluation and quotation.
Giving Engineers a Lift with Yaskawa 616G5 Drives
(23/06/2006)
NDC' s Manchester Service Centre recently performed a refurbishment exercise on
2 lift drives which had both failed simultaneously.
The problems this caused in a high rise office block were considerable and
so NDC ' s Rapid Repair Service ' kicked in ' .This premier service offers
the customer 24 hour working until the repair is complete.The two, 18 kw
Yaskawa 616 G5 Drives Type CIMR - G5C4018 had independent faults which were
diagnosed using NDC ' s ' reverse engineering techniques, this allows the
drives to be tested against known good criteria as OEM drawings and spares
lists are rarely made available.The repairs were effected in less than 24
hours and the units covered BY NDC ' s 2 year warranty.
Electronic Repairs and Support to the Food Industry - Weber Slicers 302 / 402 / 602 / 902/903
(31/05/2006)
NDC offer a wide range of automation and industrial electronic repair services to OEM' s AND
END - users OF various world wide manufacturers OF food processing equipment.
Recently, NDC were asked to repair and service the ‘ WUS ’ series of drives and ‘ WUG ’ series of power supplies used on the Weber Slicing Machines.These machines are used mainly in the production of meat and cheese products.The drives were ' reversed engineered ' (RE), a process whereby the technological principles of the equipment are analysed by its structure, function and operation.NDC ' s Southern Service Centre in Slough carried out this work to enable the drives to be repaired and as importantly to allow them to test the completed repairs before despatch.This product line has now been added to NDC ’ s unique Repairs Register which contains more than 10, 000 products.Due to our ' infoshare ' system this service is also available from any of our UK Service Centres.
Allen Bradley 1398 Series
(29/05/2006)
NDC engineers have further developed its testing capability for the above range of digital brushless servo amplifiers.
This full closed loop testing and repair capability allows NDC to offer Category ‘A’ repairs which means that this unit is fully functionally tested before despatch. The test rig utilises a serial communications link between the drive and a PC running Rockwell’s Ultramaster software package. This allows NDC to offer a full testing, fault analysis repair and commissioning service throughout its network of UK Service Centres. There are a number of differing variants of this drive including re-badged units from Giddings & Lewis and the Reliance Electric BRU series. This universal servo drive provides up to four axes of high performance closed loop positioning and control and is used on such diverse applications as machine tools, food processing, high speed packaging, paper converting just to name a few.
Infranor MQC 1510 Amplifier
(29/05/2006)
NDC have recently added the Infranor MQC 1510 series of amplifiers to to their Repairs Register as a Category ' A ' Repair, this means that the customer can be satisfied that NDC have fully functionally tested the drive before it is returned.
This PWM Brushed Servo Amplifier is very compact and offers 4 quadrant speed control to a DC servo motor with tacho and BEMF feedback devices The test rig and procedure for this DC Brushed Amplifier was developed in house by NDC engineers.This allows fault diagnosis to be performed when receiving the job and enabling faults to be found quickly and accurately.It also allows NDC to confidently offer repairs on this equipment on their Rapid Repair Service which normally means a turnaround within 24 hours.These machines and their associated motors are used in a wide variety of applications where accurate speed control is required
Danfoss VLT3075 55KW Inverter Drive
(29/05/2006)
NDC have been successfully repairing Danfoss Inverter Drives for many years now and having developed test rigs and procedures to diagnose faults and proof test after repair, it allows the customer to expect a fast and reliable turnaround.
This service proved invaluable one weekend recently when late one Friday afternoon a Paper Mill experienced a failure on a 55kW drive. The drive was vital to their production had to be repaired and back in service within 24 hours. NDC’s Rapid Repair Service was called for and the defective drive was collected by the Manchester Service Centre. On arrival, engineers ran diagnostics and a number of independent faults were found. With spares available from stock the repairs were carried out overnight and the drive subjected to a load test, this is the only sure way to functionally test the repaired equipment. The completed drive was delivered back to site on Saturday morning some 9 hours ahead of schedule along with NDC’s 12 months parts and labour warranty.
Rapid Repair Service Triumphs Again on 75KW GV3000DC240 Reliance Drive
(21/04/2006)
NDC have a reputation for a quality fast emergency repair service for all types of industrial electronics. So when our customer had a failure on a crucial operation there was no question who to call for the service he required.
They made the telephone call on the Thursday morning to inform NDC that the unit was being delivered to NDC in the afternoon. Once the drive was at the Manchester service centre the team started the "Rapid Repair" process. The drive was checked for faults and the customer’s symptoms were verified. The repair and overhaul of the drive then began with new components fitted and the drive received and overhaul. The drive was reassembled and then received a rigorous full functional test. The drive was then despatched and back with the customer by Saturday morning keeping the customers downtime to the minimum.
Refurbishment of Weko sensors and systems
(21/04/2006)
NDC have the full range of facilities to offer overhaul, remanufacture or repair on a wide range of components manufactured by Weko and Heidelberg for the print industry.
The high demands on print equipment and the aggressive operating conditions often leads to a relatively short operating life for electronic and electromechanical systems. We have developed overhaul, remanufacture and test procedures for many of the components of the HDM 5E.100 system including DC servo systems from Baumuller, as well as the custom-built high-current stepper drives and motors. Our repair and refurbishment service for the optical sensor systems (e.g. HDM 5E.110.2221) has also proved very popular, with most of our customers citing long lead times and prohibitively high replacement costs as the main reason for choosing this option.
Success where others failed !
(06/02/2006)
Northern Drives & Control’s Manchester Service Centre received a call at 07:30 on Tuesday 11 January 2006 from a first time customer manufacturing household cleaning products with a faulty Allen Bradley Servo Drive
Production was standing as a result of this failure and time was of the essence. A replacement unit was on an extended delivery from abroad. Under NDC’s Rapid Repair Service the faulty equipment was collected immediately. The unit, Part no: 1394-SJT10-C-R is generally accepted as one of the most complicated Servo Drives to repair, and attempts have been made to repair these units by 3rd party companies with little success. NDC’s Repairs Register came to the rescue, with these units having been ‘reverse engineered’ by NDC in the past, technical information and drawings were available. The fault was diagnosed to ‘drive stage’ failures, and whilst repairs were being performed replacement components were ordered and obtained over night. The drive was returned the following day after full repair and testing at less than a 3rd of the OEM’s replacement price.
RF Crane & Hoist Controls added to Repairs Register
(04/02/2006)
NDC have now ‘reversed engineered’ radio frequency remote control units used to control a wide range of hoists and cranes applications.
The pendants and transmitters can now be repaired and tested to NDC’s ‘A’ category which means they can be fully functionally tested as they would operate in the field. These controls are fitted or retrofitted to many hoist and cranes, such manufacturers as Demag, Street Cranes, Kone, Pelloby, Hoistquip, and Morris etc.
NDC
(23/12/2005)
NDC were recently called to a problem with a Hitachi model VWS150HF3EH 150 kW AC Variable Speed Drive(VSD ).The customer is a leading manufacturer of precision measuring equipment and instrumentation for the industrial process industry
A Service Engineer was despatched immediately to site in an attempt to effect a ' Rapid ' repair however diagnosis revealed that the failure was due to blown components which required the 100 kg drive to be removed from site to NDC ' s Manchester laboratory. As part of NDC's 'care package', parts were readily available just in case of such eventualities, these were fitted, the drive refurbished and fully tested before being reinstalled on site.The VSD ' turned round ' within 24 hours before being reinstalled at the customers site resulting in minimal disruption to the customers manufacturing process....a case of a ' measurable ' success.
Sometimes, it isn’t that straightforward…
(02/12/2005)
Although replacing inverters rather than repairing them is sometimes the favoured option, it isn’t always as easy as it might appear.
On many early drives there was little or no industry standard interfacing, leading to rather bespoke, specialised control systems. This is not necessarily a problem until control engineers are tasked with retrofitting the existing system with a modern inverter A large print works asked NDC if they could offer a replacement system for a number of Black Clawson variable speed AC drives. The 180kW pump drives were in use 24/7 which meant that replacing the units with new, reliable drives was the most obvious route to take. However, once a site survey had been undertaken, it became very apparent that retrofitting the drives was a massive task. During the construction of the building the drives had been winched into the plant rooms and then bricked up, each plant room had two spare drives, but these had long since failed. The price to replace the drives was prohibitively high, so NDC offered the customer another route. NDC offered to maintain the drives, repair the faulty spare drives and even source and store all spares, until such time that the funds were available to replace with new. The customer was sceptical at first, citing the manufacturers opinion that “no one could support this old stuff anymore”. As the drives could not be removed, on-site testing of faulty drives was essential to identify faults, NDC engineers then repaired some fault on-site, while pcb faults were rectified in the lab and then tested using bespoke test rigs for each card. Although the process took over one month, all spare drives were returned to service, and the task of overhauling and refurbishing each drive began. As a result of this rather unusual approach, the incidence of pump stoppages has fallen from an average of six per week to one or two per month.
Electronic repairs and support to the printing industry is an important to Northern Drives & Controls throughout the UK.
(20/11/2005)
NDC offer a wide range of automation and industrial electronic repair services to OEM's and end-users of various world wide manufacturers of printing machines.
Whilst he photo shows a Mitsubishi Diamond 1000 printing machine to which Toyo Denki VF61S3022 rated at 30KW are the preferred drives. NDC also service the VF615522 55KW drives used on the Diamond 3000 machine. These drives have recently been 'reversed engineered' by NDC's North West Service Centre in Manchester and added to our more than 8.000 product lines contained in our Repairs Register. Due to our 'infoshare' system this service is also available from any of our UK centres.
Pacific Scientific SC700 and SC900 series Servo Drives
(28/10/2005)
The only option for many manufacturers in the UK is to import machine tools and process equipment. Although this is the only option available if you want the best machines at the right price, many users find that the control electronics fitted to these sy
This was the motivation for a water pump manufacturer sending their Pacific Scientific 6445 indexing stepper units to NDC for a free assessment and quotation. After many unsuccessful repair attempts by local electronic repair companies and a fruitless search for an authorised Pacific Scientific repair agent in Europe, an Internet search revealed that NDC could not only repair and fully test these units but re-programme them as well. Since the initial enquiry, NDC have continued to support these units at a fixed price and also developed similar test rigs for the SC700 and SC900 series of Pacific Scientific servo drives for this and a number of other manufacturers with the same equipment.
No more extended down time for new NDC customer.
(01/08/2005)
A 48-hour production stoppage on a crucial Motoman Robotics weld cell was the last straw.
After struggling on for years with inconsistent and unreliable repairs from a local company, they felt it was time to find some real expertise to ensure the future of the 26 robots. It soon became apparent that the majority of stoppages were related to faulty Yaskawa ServoPacks that had not been fully tested after repair. A number of suspect drives were dispatched for emergency repair to the Southern Service Centre in Slough. NDC engineers immediately tested the drives with a dedicated test rig for the CACR-SR**SZ units (Motoman’ s proprietary version of the standard Yaskawa servo drive). The faulty drives were repaired, refurbished, fully functionally tested and returned under our 24-hour emergency service. The problems highlighted in the repair reports concerned the maintenance manager so much that he asked NDC to test all the servo drives that had been repaired within the last 6 months to limit the possibility of stoppages in the future.
SATO Corps Barcode Printer Service Added to Repairs Register
(08/07/2005)
Sometimes ‘reverse engineering’ has to be performed ‘on the hoof’. This was the case when a NDC East Midlands were contacted at 14:00 in the afternoon with an urgent requirement to repair a failed “SATO CL612” barcode printer.
The production line was stopped and orders were halted. Although production could be rescheduled this would cause substantial financial cost and inconvenience. If the unit could be repaired within 24 hours then a contingency plan could maintain production at a minimum level. After 24 hours, major rescheduling and disruption would impact financially on the company. The printer was picked up within 60 minutes of the telephone call and was on its way to the service centre, initial diagnosis found that the unit had a blown Motor Drive Board. NDC engineers, worked drawing out the circuits and capturing the components before repairing the damage to the Motor Drive Board and parts replacement were ordered on an urgent basis to complete the repair. The final parts arrived the following day and the unit was completed and tested by 9.30am in the morning. The unit was delivered back to the customer, installed and commissioned before lunch, thus reducing the necessary rescheduling and resultant financial cost.
Being more than just a repairer reduces costs by 75%
(23/06/2005)
A food processing Company approached NDC to see if anything could be done to reduce the time to diagnose the failed modules within the drive and power supplies of a Siemens 611AS Drive.
The customer was using these drives along with their associated power supplies and motors on a 10 axis wrapping machine which was purpose built in the USA. Until now failed drives were diagnosed by substitution method which was time consuming. Replacement units were only available from the US which was both expensive and on long lead times. As NDC have been servicing similar drives for some time, we were confident we could help. A test rig was manufactured by NDC engineers similar to that used in our Service Centres, this cut down the time to diagnose the offending modules which are now repaired by our Slough Service Centre. The result, a 75% reduction in cost to the customer.
Latest addition to Allen Bradley Repairs
(21/06/2005)
NDC have added the Allen Bradley 1394 System Module to its repairs Register. This unit is the controller for the multi axis digital servo drive and has, until now been supportable only by the Original Equipment Manufacturers.
These drives are used in a variety of applications and uses a single fibre optic ring which serves as the sole interface between control and drive. This interface replaces costly command and feedback wiring, reducing both installation time and wiring costs The development work at NDC concentrated on the ability to communicate with the drive and to functionally test it both before and after repair. NDC can now add this to its unique Repairs Register with now stands at over 7,500 items. The development costs were borne by NDC and the cost to the customer for the repair only was less than 30% of the replacement price and turnaround was 14 days from receipt.
Reverse engineering obsolete Slautterback Temperature Controller…
(20/05/2005)
We add to our Repairs Database every day and often come up against complicated, obsolete or more exotic electronics....
One such example is an intelligent temperature controller manufactured by Slautterback in California. The unit was being used in the dispensing of glue in the packaging industry. The temperature controllers maintain up to 9 zones at differing temperatures from the glue holding tanks through the pipe work to the dispensing heads to keep the glue in a liquid state. The glue is used to stick down the lids of Cornflake boxes but can also be used to dispense many other products. Whilst these units are no longer manufactured we understand that they are still widely used in the packaging and related industries. We 'reversed engineered' these units and also built a test rig to enable us to offer our usual ‘fully functionally tested service’ and can turn them around in 24 hours if necessary.