Ten Key Steps for the Un-enlightened Purchaser of Solids Handling Equi
1. Do not give the supplier any information about the bulk material. Show him a sample that you have obtained from the floor or nearest rejection bin. This will test his ability to find out what the material is really like in practice, and he should be a clairvoyant anyway. The real benefit though, is that you cannot be held responsible when the plant doesn’t work.
2. NEVER call in a consultant. People might come to think that you do not know your job. He will cost you hard cash now. Any lost production and increased manufacturing costs will fall some time in the future, and can be blamed on others, if your still around.
3. Do not compromise the bin holding capacity with minor details, such as steep wall angles for slip or large outlet size for reliable flow. Any fool knows that most materials will slide down a 45 degree inclined surface and the hole must be bigger than the largest lump. And after all, it is the operator’s job to get the material out, so why should you worry?
4. Buy the cheapest kit. That’s the way to save money on capital goods. Higher revenue costs come from another pocket and will always be accepted as an inevitable ongoing expense.
5. Do not read technical literature about the state of the art. It’s specialised and not all that simple. Your concern is what the plant has to do, not how it is done. It’s not your job to design kit. Let someone else worry about that, and take the responsibility.
6. Make sure that you have a good lawyer. He will not make your plant work, but you may have the satisfaction that the equipment supplier will get a good pasting if your guy is able to make some stiff penalty clauses stick.
7. Specify thick plates on the bin, and weld some heavy steel sections near the outlet, so that it can be hammered without causing too much damage. Buy ear plugs for operators.
8. Collect leaflets for vibrators, air cannons, sledgehammers and other flow-promoting devices. You’ll need them, or note Ajax’s fax, phone and Email address for retrofits.
9. Get well equipped with overalls, dust masks, goggles, long boots, gloves, a big shovel and a long pole. Revise your production schedule to be more ’elastic’, and cancel your holidays.
10. Study acting, your day job does not look all that secure.
