The industry’s best parts capability—and how to use it less!

Granco Clark is proud of its reputation for responsive service in replacement parts, perhaps the best among extrusion equipment manufacturers. And, of course, we’re happy to help when an extruder’s productivity is threatened because some part in his system requires replacement.

But from the viewpoint of those on “the other side of the desk”—the Granco Clark personnel who always seem to come through in those instances—extruders could minimize the need for  those “emergency” parts orders by keeping a supply of some key parts on hand, within easy reach.

Rance Stowell, Parts Manager at Granco Clark, says that the situation can be traced to human nature, and that Granco Clark’s ability to respond quickly in these areas may be partly to blame!

“I think sometimes we accidentally help train them that way,” Stowell laughs. “They get parts from us so quickly that they don’t stock enough of the things they should.”

For less downtime, stock up!

Of course, parts cost money. And it’s easy to understand why an extruder would hesitate to tie up any more dollars than necessary in a parts inventory. But that can be a little bit shortsighted, particularly when the need to replace consumable and other items is inevitable and can be easily anticipated.  The same money will be spent later, often accompanied by the other more “hidden” costs of lost productivity and line delays.

The right mix of parts to “stock” can vary widely, depending upon your particular equipment and operation. But there are some general parts and assemblies that Stowell believes represent a sizable chunk of the “emergency” calls he receives from extruders. These include:

• Probe assemblies, rod insulators, and sensors that are used to monitor furnace temperatures. These are consumables that operate in a high-stress environment. You’ll need them. Why not have them?
• Internal furnace parts like rollers, rails, and 30” roller rack segments.
• Burner tiles. These can fail from the drying and cracking of age and the heating/cooling cycle, and are easily damaged by even minor billet incidents or malfunctions inside the furnace. Stocking 5 or 6 replacements only makes sense.
• Electrical collector shoes on pullers. Smooth, unbroken contacts assure that your pullers receive uninterrupted power from the electrical feed. It only makes sense, especially for operations with multiple pullers, to carry a small supply for fast replacement when the contact deteriorates.

There are certainly other items that would be logical additions to your on- hand parts inventory, depending upon your particular equipment and system. Please feel welcome to call us for a quick consultation, and we’ll be happy to suggest a parts inventory appropriate for your situation.