Services
Every job starts with a written quote. If the work is hourly and it's going to run past the estimate, I'll ask you before I keep going.
When a machine stops
Breakdowns and urgent call-outs
I come out and track down the fault. I fix mechanical faults, CNC parameters and software settings, and restore backups.
- Time on site is charged in half hours.
- Urgent call-outs and weekend work by arrangement.
- Some machines have no local importer. If a part has to go back overseas for repair, expect a long wait. If I can see it heading that way, you'll know straight away.
Help without a visit
On machines and software I know well, some problems can be sorted without a visit. Email me the details and photos of the alarm screen. If it can be done remotely, I'll tell you the cost before we start. You can ask for an answer at the end of the day, or a quicker one. It's a paid service.
Keeping it accurate
Calibration
I measure the machine, then correct it in the control software. What I check depends on what your machine has fitted: levelling, squaring the bridge, backlash, the blade at 90° on the C and A axes, origins, the table, the camera, and the TCP square on sawjets.
- Tell me which control your machine runs. If I know it well, I get straight into it. If not, I get hold of the manual and the information I need first.
- Measured with a 0.02 mm/m precision level and dial indicators on magnetic bases.
- Still under the manufacturer's warranty? I document the machine first. Before I open anything sealed or touch a critical parameter, you'll need the manufacturer's OK in writing.
Levelling and squaring
The first step of any calibration. It's mechanical, so it works on any machine.
- Levelling the machine and the work table, along and across.
- Squaring the bridge to the shoulders.
- Checking X-Y squareness on the diagonals.
- Checking the table is flat, and resurfacing it if it isn't.
I've found machines that were never levelled properly after they were installed. If the real problem is worn teeth, a twisted frame or a floor that isn't solid enough, I'll put that in the report. Compensating for it in software doesn't fix it.
Check & report
I measure any machine and put every value in a written report.
It's a proper diagnosis, and it's handy if you need to take a problem up with the manufacturer. It isn't the same as the free first visit: that one is a look around, this one is measured and written up.
Keeping it running
Cleaning and lubrication | Cleaning, greasing the guides, racks, screws and moving parts, topping up the grease, and a general inspection. You won't know how much grease a machine takes until it's open, so that part is charged on the day. You're welcome to supply your own grease and oil. |
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Calibration and cleaning in one visit | Both jobs, one trip. The calibration is the same as when it's booked on its own. |
Regular visits | If you'd like me back every three or six months, ask. I'd suggest three. Each visit is quoted like any other job. |
Setting up
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Installation, relocation and commissioning
Putting a machine in or moving it, then levelling and commissioning it. It's where I started. Quoted on request.
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Operator training
On-site training for your operators, one software module at a time, on the controls and CAD/CAM software I know well.
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Tool set-up
Setting up your tools in the CAD/CAM software I use. Those packages run on machines from several makers, so this works across makes.
Getting started
Free first visit, on machines new to me
Got a machine I haven't worked on before? The first site visit is free, travel included, anywhere I can get to and back in a day. One per customer. I come out, look at the machines and note what you've got. It's how I get to know a machine before the first job. Measuring and a written report are a separate job (see Check & report above).
On machines I already know well, a visit is quoted like any other job.
Regional trips
Too far for a day trip? Twice a year I plan a trip and line up the jobs along the way. The travel is shared between the workshops on the trip, so the more that sign up, the less each one pays. Tell me where you are and I'll let you know when the next one's on.
Quotes and payment
There are no prices on this site, because the price depends on the machine and what it has fitted. Tell me the machine and you'll get a written quote: the scope, the travel zone and any parts.
- Quotes are in Australian dollars and exclude GST. GST at 10% is added on the invoice.
- I'm registered for GST, so you get a proper tax invoice.
- Hourly work is charged on actual time on site, in half hours, rounded up.
- Parts that aren't on the quote get quoted before they're ordered.
- Free to reschedule with one business day's notice. With less notice, travel and one hour may be charged.
- Invoice on completion. Payment within 7 days by bank transfer.
Before I arrive
To get the most out of the visit, please have:
- The machines stopped, clear of work, and cleaned of slurry and dust using wet methods or other silica controls
- Power, water, compressed air and any lifting gear the job needs
- A site induction if you run one, and a heads-up about known hazards
- Backups of your programs and parameters
- Someone on site who can say yes to the work
If I see something unsafe, I'll stop and tell you why.
Questions
Why aren't there prices on the site?
The price depends on the machine and what it has fitted. Tell me which machine and I'll send a written quote.
My machine is still under warranty. Can you touch it?
I can measure it and document it. Before I open anything sealed or change a critical setting, you'll need written permission from the manufacturer.
Do you work on my make of machine?
Yes. Most of my experience is on European-built machines, and some I know better than others. A machine that's new to me gets some homework before I turn up, and each job after that is quicker.
Can you help without coming out?
On machines and software I know well, sometimes. It's paid, and you get the cost up front.
What are your hours?
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Do you work weekends?
Urgent call-outs and weekend work by arrangement. Email and ask.
Not sure which one you need?
Email me and describe what the machine is doing. We'll work it out from there.
Email: admin@emmachinesolutions.com.au