Need guidance 3

[Abdullahkhan2023]

Hello ...hope you all will be doing great...I'm here looking for your help...basically I'm a mechanical engineer fresh graduated...I got my first job...and my company now wants me to repair an emboss stamping machine...as you know I'm a fresh graduate so I don't have those skills level...and there is no other engineer in this industry ...what should I do now?? Please help me....

 

[Jboggs]

In solving any engineering problem - what is step ONE?
DEFINE THE PROBLEM.

From what I've seen you haven't yet done that, at least not on this forum. "Repair an emboss stamping machine" could mean almost anything. Mechanical, electrical? Repair what? Some damage? Exactly what damage? Or is the problem just worn parts? What parts? Worn how? I could keep going...

Get the idea? You can't solve a problem until you have clearly defined every detail of it. In many cases, simply defining the problem well enough will get you very close to your solution(s).

Then start looking for possible solutions and alternatives. In short - as I've heard SO MANY times in my career - "You're the engineer. Figure it out."

 

[Tmoose]

Is it plugged in?

I'd identify the make and model of the saw, and look online and contact the manufacturer for parts diagrams, parts lists, and an owner's manual and a service manual.

I'd be asking the operators about how the machine has been running, and locate the service history.

I'm not sure the guy on the night shift will admit he was embossing rupees as gifts for his nephew's shaadi.

 

[Stick.]

Have you received proper training proper safety training, especially in the control of hazardous energy (commonly called Lock Out Tag Out)? Step zero of troubleshooting is to assess the safety of what you're about to do and make sure all hazardous energy is isolated/controlled before you go sticking bits of your body into machinery that can remove said bits (it's more complicated than that in practice). Troubleshooting is often an infrequent or new task, and infrequent or new tasks have a much higher rate of incidents, so you need to be very aware of safety risks when troubleshooting.

Once you have completed your safety assessment, step one of trouble shooting is understanding how the thing is supposed to work, both in terms of the desired external functioning (the stuff apparent to an operator using the machine) and also the internal operations that make all of that happen. This could involve talking to operators, reviewing manuals, drawings/schematics, etc. Next identify how it's deviating from how it's supposed to work. There is usually a fairly obvious way it's deviating from ideal operation, but that may or may not tell you very much, so you'll have to keep digging deeper. It's kind of hard to give advice for something that's so general, but I tend to like starting at one end of a chain of mechanisms and work to the other in a methodical way; don't just go randomly checking things willy nilly (outside of maybe a quick initial check of the "stupid stuff"). For example, if you have a hydraulic system consisting of a pump, some valves and an actuator, start at either the pump or actuator and work towards the other one in a very methodical way, checking each component as you go. Don't forget to take a ton of pictures and write stuff down. If in doubt, more pictures and notes.

 

[MJCronin]

Start looking for a rich woman to marry ....

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer

 

[dvd]

Probably a good learning experience - be clear with your boss on your limitations, lack of knowledge, yet willingness to learn, but don't get pushed around.

 

[LittleInch]

There might not be any other engineers where you are (a bit difficult to believe), but you're not there on your own are you?

Someone used to fix this machine or make it work before you turned up? Find them and ask them what they think is wrong.

The Internet now is a great source of information if you look in the right place but if this thing is ancient then the won't be much available.

The posters above offer some great standard ways of trying to fix things.

Please honour us and let us know how you got on.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[MintJulep]

It's unfortunate that your employer doesn't understand the difference between "engineer" and "equipment repair technician".

At the same time, fixing broken stuff is a great way to learn.

Use the knowledge of engineering fundamentals that you gained in school to figure out how the think is supposed to work, and why it isn't working the way it should.

Trouble shooting is a step-by-step, systematic task. Start at one end and confirm that the input to the first device is correct. Then check the output of that device in its various possible states. If they are all correct, move to the next device and repeat the process until you find the broken thing.

With experience, it's often faster to work backwards from a likely suspect, but it sounds like you don't have that experience yet. A machine operator, or whoever was responsible for fixing the machine before you might.

 

[rb1957]

whilst this may be an opportunity to learn and grow, I suspect otherwise.

Maybe your employer just wants to push you in at the deep end and see if you can swim ?

succeed or fail ?

"Hoffen wir mal, dass alles gut geht !"
General Paulus, Nov 1942, outside Stalingrad after the launch of Operation Uranus.

 

[Abdullahkhan2023]

Thank you guys you all guided me in a very positive way....I deeply appreciate your guidance....thank you once again

 

[Jboggs]

Go for it man. Dig in there, take ownership of the problem, become the expert, and "git er dun". You can do it.

 

[Abdullahkhan2023]

Thank u so much

 

[IRstuff]

While I'm not one to advocate quiet quitting, I should point out that doing a bang-up job on something like this means that you will likely be given similar tasks in the future.

Did this company hire you to do this or an actual engineering job? Not saying that learning something about the machines your company uses isn't a bad idea, just be careful to not get sucked into something that is detrimental to your overall career development

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[geesaman.d]

Sounds like my ex-wife. Me being a mechanical engineer with some experience repairing cars on my own time, she assumed I should be able to fix anything mechanical on our small farm, on the first try, in whatever timeframe she thought was appropriate. I did not grow up on a farm or around such equipment. Yes I fixed some things - it usually took more time than I expected - always more than she expected - and sometimes I created a new problem.

If it was the kind of machine that had wide range of applications (e.g. small engine on a chainsaw), and not urgent, the learning curve was usually worth it. If it was a specialized thing that should not need repaired again in my lifetime, it was better to pay a professional and get that thing back in service immediately.

Needless to say, some relationships, both professional and personal, require good communication. I should hope your boss understands that mechanical engineering degrees do not contain any machinery repair courses. Engineers *can* learn this stuff quickly due to general mechanical aptitude and understanding of the detail design of components, and it makes you a much better design engineer. But you should really be working side-by-side with a technician who is trained and skilled in all of the tools and equipment that will be required. If this machine is as unique as you say, then having the experienced technician may pay off for the sole reason of damaging fewer parts during the work.

If you find yourself actually tearing into this machine, take detailed notes and photos. I would expect no mercy if there were leftover parts or it was unclear how to reassemble it.

 

[rb1957]

are you sure she isn't in management ?

"Hoffen wir mal, dass alles gut geht !"
General Paulus, Nov 1942, outside Stalingrad after the launch of Operation Uranus.

 

[geesaman.d]

are you sure she isn't in management ?

Worse - small business owner. And her company partners with a company that provides general building maintenance services - so while she's never fixed anything herself, she sees professionals do little jobs all day long like it's no big deal.