Chapter Five - Maintenance
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Chapter Five - Maintenance
The
3500 series
was designed to withstand the harsh environment of the factory floor.
Routine maintenance can help keep your unit in good operating condition. Preventive
maintenance consists of several basic procedures that significantly reduce the chance of
system malfunction. Schedule preventive maintenance along with the regular equipment
maintenance to minimize downtime.
Preventive Maintenance
Following are preventive measures you can take:
•
Clean the monitor screen using a nonresidue cleaner such a mild window cleaning
solution or CRT screen cleaner. Take care not to scratch or mar the screen face.
•
Clean or change the fan filter periodically to ensure that the air circulating in the unit
is clean. Wash the filter with warm water and dish soap, and let it air dry. Do not
scrub the filter, and do not re-install it into the unit until it is completely dry.
•
Base your maintenance schedule on the operating environment of the system (i.e., if
the area is dusty, you should schedule maintenance more often than if it is a dry,
clean area). Check the filter often to determine if it needs to be changed ahead of
schedule.
•
Remove dust and dirt from PC components. If dust builds up on heat sinks and cir-
cuitry, an obstruction of heat dissipation could cause the unit to malfunction. If dust
reaches the electronic boards, a short circuit could occur.
•
Check the connections to I/O modules, especially in environments where shock
could loosen the connections. Check to see that all plugs, sockets, terminal strips,
and module connections are secure.
•
Remove unnecessary articles, such as drawings or manuals, from the unit. They can
obstruct air flow and create hot spots, which causes the system to malfunction.
•
Do not place noise generating equipment near the 3515.
•
Stock spare parts
to minimize downtime resulting from part failure. The spare parts
stocked should be 10 percent of the number of each unit used. The main CPU cards
should have one spare each. Each power supply should have a back-up. In certain
applications where immediate operation of a failed system is required, you may need
to stock an entire spare computer module see figure 5-6, Spare Parts List.
•
Replace the module with the correct type. If the new module solves the problem but
the failure recurs, check for inductive loads that may be generating voltage and cur-
rent spikes and may require external suppression.
Xycom Recommended Hard Drive Preventative Maintenance
Xycom Automation has recognized that hard drive failures may begin to increase an av-
erage of four to five years into the life of most computers used in industrial applications.