No piece of equipment can tolerate constant operation without maintenance, and your tablet press is no exception. Even though modern presses are better than ever, they still require regular preventive maintenance to continue functioning optimally.

Preventive maintenance is used to mitigate the reactive maintenance necessary if your equipment breaks down unexpectedly. Paying close attention to the press and its operation, will help you avoid unplanned downtime. Some of the warning signs that indicate your press needs maintenance include:

• Poor yields
• Erratic compression forces
• Poor or inconsistent weight control
• Chatter in the compression stations
• Odd noises coming from the main drive compartment
• Finding traces of product in undesired locations
• Excessive vibrations
• Excessive wear on parts that don’t ordinarily wear quickly

Preventive maintenance is most effective when performed on a near daily basis. This will ensure that your tablet press continues to function in like-new condition. Near-daily maintenance also helps to ensure that the machine compresses tablets that strictly conform to the target specifications mandated by the end user.

Components that should be regularly inspected on a modern tablet press include:

• Compression rolls
• Cams
• Punch seals and restraining mechanisms
• Scrapers
• Turret assemblies
• Lubricant levels
• Gearboxes
• Force feeders

Working directly with supplier-driven preventive maintenance programs has some distinct advantages. Suppliers fully understand the design and internal workings of the machine and their employees will have encyclopedic knowledge of subtle features and procedures related to the equipment. The supplier that manufactured the press can provide a detailed summary of its findings, including all pertinent facts. The manufacturer can also provide guidelines for conducting preventive maintenance.

A regular technician visit from your supplier will provide you with a thorough assessment of each of your presses. At Fette Compacting, our technicians can provide a range of services, such as:

• Identifying and replacing worn-out or non-working components
• Simplifying standard operating procedures and implementing checklists
• Making suggestions for improved yields and production rates specific to your equipment
• Introducing new features, upgrades, and enhancements
• Implementing training programs
• Forming teams and setting goals for improved efficiency and decreased changeover times
• Heightening awareness of safety inspections and utilizing installed safety features
• A direct link to related initiatives, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness

Our skilled experts can look after your equipment around the clock and around the world. Our service technicians are all trained as electricians and mechanics, so they can give you a comprehensive overview of the system during inspection, servicing, or calibration of your machines.

As an OEM, we only use original parts—both for our machines and on process equipment from our partners. Using OEM parts guarantees maximum quality, reliability, and functionality. We strive to ensure that spare parts are always available when you need them:

• Our spare parts facility houses more than 1,500 part types, ensuring full access to the parts and components you need as quickly as possible.
• Our warehouse inventory is frequently optimized based on customer usage patterns.
• We conduct regular precision analyses of our inventory based on targeted spare parts and equipment usage, guaranteeing that even high-demand parts will be fully available when needed.

The typical investment cycle is 10-15 years for a tablet press, but that window can be significantly lengthened through regular maintenance and servicing. We also offer upgrade kits and general overhauls to help keep your equipment up to date with modern standards. The general overhaul option focuses on the control system, electronics, and mechanics.

Fette Compacting is the global leader in tableting technology and we take great pride in delivering the industry’s best equipment, service, training, and parts. Our experts are uniquely positioned to ensure that you get the most out of your tablet press through refurbishment and preventive maintenance.

Please contact us today to learn how we can facilitate your use of OEM replacement parts.