DRAGON Preventative Maintenance Guide

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When you hear the phrase "preventive maintenance" what comes to mind? Do you cringe at the thought of taking your Dragon machine out of production, losing precious time and money? Or are you meticulous about taking care of your investment so it will last a very long time? Here are some preventive maintenance (PM) tips to help keep your Dragon machine running at peak performance while avoiding unplanned downtime.

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Daily care of your Bend-Tech Dragon machine

1. Blow out front gate bearings and roller bearings with air hose and then lubricate them (and Lifter station roller bearings if applicable). *Use Brake cleaner if build up is considerable.
2. If your machine has a cooling system, make sure the cooling unit level is at the right operating level.
3. Clean the slag and plasma dust out of the part catcher.
4. Check the machine's air pressure regulator for proper pressure.
5. Check computer cords for connectivity.
6. Check dust collector bins/bags (if equipped) and empty if needed.
7. Examine tools before cutting.
8. Sweep work area and keep free of debris.
9. Follow your plasma system maintenance guides.

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Every Week or 40 working hours

1. Wipe off excess grease.
2. Double check all electronic and mechanical connections.
3. Clean main rail and chuck trolley bearings of machine.

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Every Month or 150 working hours

1. Check for loose bolts on machine and tighten as needed.
2. Have cooling system drained and refilled (if equipped).

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Every three Months or 500 working hours

1. Check all chains for tightness and grease them down.
2. Check and clean the filters on the coolant system (if equipped).
3. Clean overall machine.

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Every six Months or 1000 working hours

1. Have the chuck and jaws taken off the machine and cleaned.
2. Have the leveling of your machine checked and adjust if necessary. This will require a re-calibration of the machine.

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Once a Year or every 2000 working hours

1. Run a backlash program to check the backlash in X, Z, and A axis and adjust if necessary.
2. Use a belt tension gauge to test the tension of the X-drive belt. The value for tension should be between 100-120 lbs.

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Of course, no one wants to have their Dragon machine down without a reason because if your machine is not making parts you're losing time and money. But if you have a preventive maintenance program in place this allows you to manage your schedule rather than getting caught with untimely surprises. I hope you find this checklist useful for ensuring your machine's everyday productivity and longevity. Your Bend-Tech Dragon machine is just like anything else - if you take care of it, it will take care of you. Is PM a way of life at your shop? Let us know how you approach it. And feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the preventative maintenance on your machine.

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When to Call an Expert

Most preventive maintenance tasks listed in this article can be performed by the end user, but there are times when it is important to call a Bend-Tech Dragon Representative for help.

1. Make recommendations to the operators on what they can do better to keep the machine in proper working order.
2. Answer specific application questions to help increase productivity and return on investment.

• You need to be on our Maintenance Plan in order to receive our technical support & software updates. Your Dragon machine comes standard with 2 years of Maintenance Plan, after that, you will be able to renew your plan annually.