Paeo

Activity D.
General maintenance guide for all equipment

used in cotton testing laboratories
Project CFC/ICAC/33
Laura PAYET, Jean-Paul GOURLOT

CIRAD- UPR102-LTC Montpellier
July 2010
General maintenance guide for all equipment
used in cotton testing laboratories
This document was written as a sub-activity of D.2.1 (Basic evaluation of the different
sources of cotton result variability and definition of a common approach to make the
variability studies in Africa) as mentioned in DoA 2010.
However, it should better fit as a sub-activity of D.1 (Basic technical development studies),
since it is complementary to:
- D.1.2 Development of a list of requirements for an integrated power supply system for
laboratories, and
- D.1.3 Development of a list of requirements and basic principle drawings for a simple and
efficient integrated climate control system.
Content
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
1 - Preventive maintenance ........................................................................................................ 3
1.1 - Periodic maintenance ...................................................................................................... 4
1.2 - Predictive maintenance ................................................................................................... 5
1.3 - Importance of preventive maintenance ........................................................................... 6
2 - Corrective maintenance ........................................................................................................ 6
3 - Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 7
Bibliography: PAYET L., GOURLOT J-P., 2010, Rapport “General maintenance guide for all
equipment used in cotton testing laboratories”, Project CFC/ICAC/33, 14 p.
Laura Payet, Jean-Paul Gourlot Version: July 21st, 2010 File: Report-D-2-1_BasicVariability_V0.doc
CFC/ICAC/33 Project Page 2 / 14
Introduction
Cotton testing goes along with small cotton fibre fragments, as well as dust, seed-coat
fragments, leaf and other trash that pollute the environment of the laboratory. Mainly for this
reason, maintenance is known to be a factor that can influence test results, as well as the
ambient conditions of the laboratory. It is therefore essential to plan a maintenance activity,
both on all the Standardised Instruments for Testing of Cotton (SITC) of a laboratory and on
its Air Management System equipment (AMS).
It is important not to confuse the term “maintenance” with “calibration”. Especially for SITC,
“calibration” is described as a way of re-setting the level of testing by internal software
adjustment and is not a substitute for maintaining the equipment in a good operating
condition or constant attention to maintaining the specified standard atmospheric conditions
(HVI User Guide, ITMF, 2001, page 17). Therefore, SITC modules calibration should only be
a part of the maintenance activities and should be performed only when strictly necessary
(before the initial use, when calibration standards are changed and eventually when an
important part of a measuring module has been repaired). However, “calibration check tests”
should be performed periodically to ensure that the correct measurements are being collected.
Additionally, for a complete qualification of SITC, the ASTM D7410-07 standard (Practice
for qualification of cotton classification instruments for cotton marketing) can be followed on
newly installed instrument, or for an annual verification.
As specified in ISO 17025:2005 (General requirements for the competence of testing and
calibration laboratories), preventive and corrective actions are keywords for an improving
system in a testing laboratory, associated with cause analysis, monitoring, control of records
and traceability. In this context, preventive maintenance is generally conducted to keep the
equipment working and even extend its life, whereas corrective maintenance aims at making
it work again after failure. Preventive maintenance is highly recommended in the industry as
well as in laboratories since its estimated cost is often lower than the estimated cost for
corrective maintenance (waiting breakdown and repairing). Indeed, cost of failure takes into
account many factors, such as: time spent at a cost of labor technicians, possible intervention
of outside experts, stock of spare parts, loss of production during the shutdown, penalties
related to any delay in delivery, loss of brand image…
1 - Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance aims at keeping the equipment in good operating conditions and
reliable in order to avoid any breakdown or dysfunction. This action, which has to be planned
regularly, consists in inspecting, controlling and preserving the equipment by cleaning,
adjusting and also replacing pieces when estimated necessary.
Generally, a qualified service technician is assigned to be in charge of maintenance in the
laboratory and to perform preventive maintenance periodically. Depending on its own
activities and also on manufacturer’s advices, the different tasks of preventive maintenance
should be achieved daily, weekly, monthly or annually. The preventive maintenance can also
be realized by a subcontracted company: in this case, its action has to be reported to the
person in charge, who will only store the information. In both situations, the efficiency of the
device should be checked in a routine way before concluding on its reliable status.
Preventive maintenance could be divided into two levels: periodic maintenance and predictive
maintenance.
1.1 - Periodic maintenance
Both personnel using the equipment daily and the person in charge of maintenance are
involved in condition-monitoring tasks in a routine way. In order to prevent the instruments
from deterioration, a pre-requisite is that only appropriate people are authorized to use the
machines. They should be well-trained and have easy access to documents related to
instructions on maintenance of equipment, including manufacturer’s manual.
Other actions retaining the healthy condition of devices are exclusively restricted to the
person in charge during periodic inspections. He/she is assigned to methodically cleaning,
adjusting, oiling and testing any equipment in the laboratory, with the help of pre-established
follow-up forms and maintenance books for instance.
Possible method for periodic preventive maintenance

Documents such as follow-up forms have to be elaborated beforehand:
- For each laboratory room: the follow-up form enumerates all the testing
instruments, including AMS elements to be checked.
- For each instrument: the follow-up form lists all the items to be checked.
The person in charge of maintenance completes periodically the follow-up forms:
- For each laboratory room: he/she performs the maintenance of listed
instruments, ticks the boxes and affixes date and signature.
- For each instrument: he/she accomplishes the listed actions of cleaning and
inspecting (using a vacuum cleaner, brushes, cleaning paper, lubricant,
screwdrivers, measuring instruments…), ticks the boxes and affixes date and
signature. Some tasks, such as internal cleaning, must be done while the
equipment is shut down and others, such as checking cylinder rotation, must
be done while the equipment is operating. See Figure 1 for an example of the
type of actions to realize on a testing instrument. To conclude on the
efficiency of the equipment, tests shall be done in a routine way when all
actions are completed.
In complement to follow-up forms, any instrument should also be provided with
its own maintenance book, where specific actions can be described precisely.
Figure 1. Example of a follow-up form for an instrument (extract: LS module)
1.1.1 - Specifications for SITC

The instrument system should be thoroughly checked according to the maintenance procedure
prescribed by the manufacturer. Check lists should be prepared for maintenance items to be
performed daily and/or at the end of each shift, week, month, and year. At the end of the test
day (or shift) all loose cotton should be cleared from the work area and daily maintenance
performed (Guidelines for HVI Testing, USDA 2005).
For details on daily maintenance from manufacturer, see Annex 2. Uster also provides
troubleshooting actions for problems which can occur in routine (see Annex 3).
1.1.2 - Specifications for AMS

The controller for the atmospheric control system should be monitored regularly and the set
points independently verified on a periodic schedule (Guidelines for HVI Testing, USDA
2005). As well, air vents and filters at return air ducts should be checked regularly and
cleaned if necessary.
1.2 - Predictive maintenance

The person in charge of maintenance is also involved in life-extending tasks, which have to be
scheduled regularly, even if less frequent than routine, in order to prevent faults from
occurring in the long-term. The aim in this case is to identify imminent troubles and bring
solutions to prevent equipment from failing, mainly by inspecting and then correcting,
adjusting and/or replacing parts. Finally, check tests shall be done to conclude on the
efficiency of the equipment after parts have been changed. A more advanced step of
equipment diagnosis could also be done to measure deterioration and thus evaluate more
accurately the end-of-life of parts in order to use them up to their limit. Moreover predictive
actions shall be reported in appropriate maintenance books, where actions in addition to
periodic maintenance tasks can also be described for a better traceability.
Information describing spare parts must be used and asked from manufacturer if any
available. Additionally, calibration should be performed when important parts have been
replaced.
Guidelines for HVI Testing, USDA, June 2005 provides troubleshooting tips for the three
modules of a SITC (see Annex 4).

The chiller, heater, and humidifier units should be cleaned and checked on an established
schedule (Guidelines for HVI Testing, USDA 2005).
1.3 - Importance of preventive maintenance

It could happen that suspect or outside specified limits results and also item dysfunction are
only observed during preventive maintenance inspections. In such a case, the equipment
cannot be considered as operational and the abnormality must be reported for traceability. An
investigation should then be brought about in order to determine the impact of the erroneous
deviation from specified limits on previous tests and calibration, as mentioned in ISO
17025:2005. Finally after only being reset/repaired and proved to be reliable by
tests/calibration, the instrument can be considered as operational again.
Besides inspections, participating to CSITC Round Tests could be also a good opportunity to
compare results with other laboratories results. When for example a significant difference in
the level is observed, it could be considered as a clue for detecting a failure in the system (not
well managed atmospheric conditions) or a calibration to be corrected (AMS or SITC).
Likewise, Universal calibration standards (or internal standards) are used daily to check test
levels. When SITC drifting is suspected, calibration check tests should be performed.
2 - Corrective maintenance
Whereas preventive maintenance attempts to schedule repairs prior to failure and/or further
degradation, corrective maintenance is systematically done after a mechanical or electrical
failure. It aims at quickly restoring the equipment and making it reliable again. This action
consists in analysing the problem and solving it, generally by replacing pieces when possible
by the laboratory, else by a subcontractor.
As soon as the failure is observed, the technician using the machine before the breakdown
must report it to the chief of laboratory and provide information that will help finding the
source of disruption (e.g. breakdown associated with noise? with/without signal? with burnt
smell?). The person in charge of maintenance would then be able to proceed to a first analysis
of the situation, using also information from technical files (mechanical plans, electronic
diagram, instrument settings…). Employing measuring instruments such as a slide caliper, a
multimeter, or an oscilloscope could also help in determining whether the instrument gives
expected answers. When the issue is finally identified, the laboratory can decide its ability for
repairing and use spare parts (mechanical parts, set of cards…). If the laboratory cannot
handle the situation, outside experts can be called in. In such a case, the expert should provide
the person in charge of maintenance with a detailed report of its action. In any situation, the
efficiency of the device should be checked in a routine way before concluding on its effectual
repaired and reliable status. Moreover corrective actions shall be reported and described in
appropriate maintenance books for complete traceability.
Calibration should be performed when important parts of the system have been repaired or
replaced.

Generally the Air Management System requires manufacturer intervention for corrective
maintenance.
3 - Conclusion
In a well-managed maintenance system, all inspections done during preventive or corrective
maintenance should be listed, recorded and archived every year in order to provide long term
monitoring. In case additional disruptions would happen to the same device, gathered
information should help evaluating and/or solving the situation. In a continuous improvement
approach, information could also be used as a model for resolution when a similar failure
occurs to another device.
Sources:
HVI User Guide, ITMF Standard Procedures for HVI Calibration and Operation for Testing
Cotton / 2001, on line:
http://csitc.org/sitecontent//instrument_testing/public_documents_it/003_ITMF_HVI_User_G
uide,_2001.pdf
Guidelines for HVI Testing, USDA, June 2005, on line:
http://csitc.org/sitecontent//instrument_testing/public_documents_it/002_USDA_HVI_User_
Guide,_2005.pdf
Annex 1: Recapitulative table of different types of
maintenance
Preventive
Type Periodic: condition- Predictive: life-extending Corrective
monitoring tasks tasks
Prevent faults from
Prevention from occurring Repair
deterioration
Aim Prevent from failing Restore
Maintain in satisfactory
Measure deterioration Replace
operating conditions
Identify problems
Personnel using the Person in charge of
Person in charge of
Who? equipment daily + person maintenance / sub-
maintenance
in charge of maintenance contractor / manufacturer
Inspection to be scheduled After mechanical or
When? Periodic inspection, routine
regularly electrical failure
Analysing and solving the
What? Care, servicing Inspecting, diagnosis
problem
Cleaning, adjusting, Inspecting, testing, and

How? lubricating/oiling, then correcting, adjusting Parts replacement
testing and/or replacing parts
Annex 2: Daily maintenance (Uster and Premier)
Source: USTER HVI, Application Manuals, 3-Testing-Calibration
Source: PREMIER ART, Operating Instructions (applicable for software version 1.1.7)
Premier ART Daily Maintenance
Daily maintenance required on the Premier ART system has been reduced to a minimum. However,
there are a few tasks which need to be performed daily to keep the instrument in a good working
condition.
Before starting up the instrument follow the cleaning maintenance given below:
1. Drain the water from the Air filter cum Regulator.
2. Using Vacuum cleaner, clean the fibre and other foreign matters adhered in the various instrument
parts, inside and outside.
3. Clean the suction box every shift to maintain effective suction. This should be done only in the
suction motor OFF condition.
4. Check whether the input air pressure in the main regulator shows 6 bar. If this is maintained, all
other regulators provided for other operations will remain constant, as they are set at factory.
5. Clean the micronaire module cabinet using vacuum cleaner, to avoid accumulation of fibres or
other foreign matters.
6. Drain off the water particles in the Air filter cum Regulator.
7. Check the micronaire chamber for accumulation of fibre or other foreign matters. This will affect
the movement of piston during testing.
8. Clean the sample window of the colour & trash module using a soft cloth.
PREMIER ART, Operating Instructions (applicable for software version 1.1.7)
Premier ART Regular Maintenance

Greasing of LM guilde and Ball screw rod to be carried out at recommended intervals. The
necessary details are given below:
i. Lubricant to be used : Grease
ii. Lubricant specification : AFB grease (THK make, standard package 400gm/70gm)
iii. Lubrication interval : Once in 25 shifts (1 shift = 8 hours)
iv. The above greasing to be done manually by using grease gun.(MG 70 - THK make)
v. Grease to be filled till it over flows from nut.
vi. Grease nipple location available in Fig.66.
Annex 3: Troubleshooting actions (Uster)
Extract from Uster HVI1000 Best operating practices for lab technicians/operators 2008
Annex 4: maintenance and troubleshooting tips
Extract from Guidelines for HVI Testing (USDA AMS Cotton Program), July 2005
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance should be performed on the HVI system according to the manufacturer’s
instruction manual. The instrument system should be thoroughly checked according to the
maintenance procedure prescribed by the manufacturer. Check lists should be prepared for
maintenance items to be performed daily and/or at the end of each shift, week, month, and
year. At the end of the test day (or shift) all loose cotton should be cleared from the work area
and daily maintenance performed.
In addition to the regular maintenance program for the HVI systems, a standard routine
maintenance program should be performed on the atmospheric control system. The chiller,
heater, and humidifier units should be cleaned and checked on an established schedule. The
controller for the atmospheric control system should be monitored regularly and the set points
independently verified on a periodic schedule.
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
Colorimeter/Trashmeter
Is the sample window glass clean?
How old are the lamps?
Are the lamps properly seated and lamp socket connections tight?
Are the calibration tiles clean?
Are there any cracks in the tiles?
Is the hand platen pressure properly adjusted?
Does the sample tray stop over the window at the correct position?
Micronaire
Does the micronaire chamber seal correctly?
Are the o-rings dirty or worn?
Are the air pressure levels for both the micronaire air chamber and the transducer manifold set
correctly?
Is the chamber size correct?
Do the associated regulators stabilize quickly?
Is the balance level free of air turbulence and properly calibrated?
Does the balance respond by returning to zero every time the balance pan is empty?
Length & Uniformity Index Measurements

Is the brushing pressure even?
Do the combs open and close properly?
Are there missing or bent teeth in the combs?
Does the vacuum pressure ensure that fibers are being drawn into the optics window? Are the
samples positioned for proper alignment in relation to the front of the optics window?
Is the fibrosampler card cloth thoroughly carding the cotton fibers?
Strength Measurements
Do both the front and rear jaws clamp correctly?
Is the jaw gap set correctly?
Are the air pressure levels for the clamping cylinders set to the proper settings?
Are all jaws clean?
Are electronic boards set up in accordance with manufacturer guidelines?

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Activity D.

General maintenance guide for all equipment

Laura PAYET, Jean-Paul GOURLOT

Possible method for periodic preventive maintenance

1.1.1 - Specifications for SITC

1.1.2 - Specifications for AMS

1.2 - Predictive maintenance

1.2.2 - Specifications for AMS

1.3 - Importance of preventive maintenance

2.1.2 - Specifications for AMS

Cleaning, adjusting, Inspecting, testing, and

Premier ART Regular Maintenance

Length & Uniformity Index Measurements

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