Bad Connections on Electronic Components

Corrosion on a Circuit Board

Connection problems are indeed responsible for many problems with electronic components of all sorts and types. What can you do about bad or loose connections?

What may seem to be a loose connection, could be just that. If caught soon enough, sometimes tightening a loose connection can solve the problem. But electronic problems are more often the result of a bad connection, rather than a loose connection and can be caused by:

• Oxidation of contacts
  
  
• Corrosion of contacts
  
  
• Dirty contact surfaces
  
  
• Cross threading
  
  
• Wrong bolt or screw
  
  
• Wrong connection sizes
  
  
• Broken conductor that stands away from the fitting
  

Tightening the connection in any of the above scenarios will not fix the problem and may, very possibly, make it worse. Connections that are disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled have a higher repair success rate and it should also be noted that tightening connections as part of regular maintenance can often be the cause of the problems, not the cure.

Truly loose connections result in higher resistance which creates excess heat, one of the biggest causes of electrical fires. Load terminals that are loose when under load may result in arcing which damages the treads and causes microscopic pitting. Then, even if the terminal screws are tightened, it will not properly compress the conductor to reseat the connection and you still end up with overheating and equipment that is not operating properly.

How often should you inspect connections on your equipment?

If the area where equipment is used is climate controlled, then clean once a year. If the area is hot, dusty and there is a lot of vibration, a more frequent inspection is needed.

Once you have performed your regularly scheduled maintenance and you find that you have a problem with a connector that has become Oxidized, or any of the above mentioned problems, please send printed circuit boards, drives, servos and other electronic components to an expert electronic repair/rebuild provider, such as Combotronics.

At Combotronics we rebuild your component to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) standards and provide a warranty to match the OEMs in most cases. Our techs are the finest in the business and work on your components with the utmost care. Please feel free to visit us on the web or call one of our customer care specialists at 800-331-1561.

Combotronics is an Industrial Electronics Repair facility. If you need electronic repair, re-manufacturing, or rebuilding, call us at 1-800-331-5941, or email us at tech@combotronicsinc.com.

Find us on Twitter (@Combotronics) and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Combotronics!


-CJ

Independence Day - July 4th, 2011

I am so looking forward to this 4th of July. I love the Fireworks most of all, but I enjoy the picnic that my family puts together, also. I went looking for the meaning of the day and found that it was just what it says; Our Independence from King George III. I pulled up a copy of the declaration which lists our grievances
against his rule. The most striking thing to me was something I learned in
Grade school:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, otherwise known as Freedom. The freedom to speak our minds and worship our god without worry of imprisonment. The freedom to walk on the street in a t-shirt and jeans or a skirt and a blouse. The freedom to go to school, get educated, and choose whatever career you want. The freedom to go where ever you please, talk to whom ever you wish, and say whatever you want.

So, I will pop my fireworks and eat my potato salad and enjoy the day with my friends and family knowing that it is truly a day to celebrate. I hope you will enjoy the day also, but mostly, I hope you will enjoy your freedom.

Combotronics is an Industrial Electronics Repair facility. If you need electronic repair, re-manufacturing, or rebuilding, call us at 1-800-331-5941, or email us at tech@combotronicsinc.com.

Find us on Twitter (@CombotronicsInc) and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Combotronics! 

-CJ

Day at the Tulsa Zoo

Combotronics' Day at the Tulsa Zoo

Combotronics decided to take the employees and their families to the Zoo and have a picnic lunch.

It was a great way to bring everyone together and have some fun.

We met at the front gate around 10 in the morning and the group took off in their own directions with a promise to meet back at the front gate for lunch.

I headed straight for the Great Apes where I received my first laugh of the day when the youngest member of the Ape troop came to the window and began to show his stuff to all the zoo goers and make some of the funniest faces. I, of course, forgot my camera and the official person to take photos for the day was nowhere in sight. That was okay, as there were plenty of other things to see and take pictures of.

After visiting the Asian Elephants, I went in search of the big cats by way of the Hippos. It was such a hot day in Oklahoma that the Tiger was the only one outside to see. As I made my way around to the Amazon building, I was delighted to be able to see the Jaguar. I had never seen him up close before and never realized he has such a big head.

When it was time to get to the gate for lunch, we all gathered for Hot Dogs and Hamburgers fresh off the grill with lots of cold drinks to help us cool down. It was so nice to see our employees with their families; talking to spouses and playing with the children.

Our Customers are our Focus!

We, the Managers at Combotronics, want to see our employees having fun and we want to reward them for all their hard work in taking such good care of our customers. After all, our Customers are our focus and we want to be able to help you with any breakdowns you may have. Our team is simply the best in the business and we know that happy employees are productive and helpful for you, which is why I for one, am looking forward to our Day at the Lake that will be coming up soon!

Combotronics is an Industrial Electronics Repair facility. If you need electronic repair, re-manufacturing, or rebuilding, call us at 1-800-331-5941, or email us at tech@combotronicsinc.com.

Find us on Twitter (@CombotronicsInc) and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Combotronics! 

-CJ

Around the Combotronics Lunch Table - Series

Around the Combotronics' lunch table

All companies have an area where people come together for lunch. It may be a picnic table outside or a break room or a kitchen. We at Combo have a full Kitchen with stove, microwave, fridge, freezer and dishwasher. We use it daily with some cooking something on the stove and some microwaving we have even had someone bring a Crockpot. We have several tables and the noise level can get quite high at times. We share jokes and stories of our exploits with each other and find some to be quite amusing. This is a tale that has a moral to it as you will see at the end. The tale of the backward Impeller.

John Kerr (our CEO) would go on service calls, mostly to Asphalt plants, around the nation to help solve problems that the plant manager could not resolve on his/her own or with telephone tech support. In most of these cases, they cannot run or are running badly and are in danger of the state shutting them down, so they are quite motivated to get the problem resolved as quickly as they can as down time is money lost.

John had received a call from just such a plant who needed Combotronics’ service and needed it yesterday.

John had his own small Airplane that he used to get to these plants as quickly as possible. However his plane was down for maintenance, so he rented one with a pilot. As they neared the plant location, John asked the pilot to fly low, over the plant, so that he could get a look. What he saw was a cloud of smoke coming from the burner area and he could see that the flame was a bright orange color. He told the pilot that he thought he knew what was happening with the plant from the color of the flame.

Upon landing and getting to the plant, John walked around the burner area and asked if they had replaced the impeller motor recently. He was told yes, they had replaced it just last week. He asked when the problem began with the smoke and low output and was told that it was around that same time. He walked to the control box which had the wires for the impeller motor in it and pointed to two of the wires. He told the foreman that they needed to switch those wires with each other. They switched the wires and fired the plant back up. There was no smoke and the fire was blue, not red. He then explained to the foreman that the impeller had been running backward and that is what the problem had been.

Combotronics was able to provide a service to that customer in record time and had them up and running within hours of the phone call. That is what we at Combotronics are all about; Helping the customer with any problem of a technical nature, in a timely manner, so they can be up and running quickly. We no longer have a plane at the ready, but we do have a pilot and technicians who can be there quickly to help get you up and running fast.

The moral: Be sure, when replacing equipment, to have the wiring correct.

Use a schematic, or other printed instruction for your equipment. Most of the time, your machine will not run at all if the wiring is not correct, but in some cases it will, but the equipment won’t run correctly, just like our story about the Asphalt plant.

Combotronics is an Industrial Electronics Repair facility. If you need electronic repair, re-manufacturing, or rebuilding, call us at 1-800-331-5941, or email us at tech@combotronicsinc.com.

Find us on Twitter (@CombotronicsInc) and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Combotronics! 

-CJ

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

Memorial Day Weekend

Just a word about the meaning of Memorial Day.

It was such a victory to learn about the take down of Osama Bin Laden. Al Qaida no longer has the leadership of a man who thinks the murder of innocent people is the right thing to do. We were very lucky that we did not lose any of our fine military people in this one operation for the fight against terrorism. We have lost not only the innocent people of 9/11, but also military personnel in this war. Memorial Day is the best way for us to honor not only those in the military who have lost their lives in this war, but also in all other wars and conflicts that the USA has been involved in. 

Freedom comes at a very high price.

There are many who have given their lives so that we, the American people, can live. So, to all those who have paid the ultimate price, I, for one, will toast to them, kiss a family member, hug a friend and remember to be grateful to them for giving me the freedom to do so. I will be sure that my children know what the day is all about. I will raise the flag to half mast until noon and then all the way to the top for the rest of the day as I celebrate my family’s freedom which has been kept safe by our brave military, some of whom have given their very lives so that I can.

Combotronics is an Industrial Electronics Repair facility. If you need electronic repair, re-manufacturing, or rebuilding, call us at 1-800-331-5941, or email us at tech@combotronicsinc.com.

Find us on Twitter (@CombotronicsInc) and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Combotronics! 

-CJ

What in the Heck is #FBLT?

When we began our work in social media in February 2011, we really had no idea where it would take us. We knew we needed to get on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, but we didn't know how that kind of advertising would help out an industrial electronic repair facility like ours.

Now, a few months later, we have come a long, long way! Just a little while after we joined the twittersphere, we met another account, @toyotaequipment, or Kyle, who was very gracious and thankful, and was, I believe, the first to retweet anything we said. Once we began following Kyle's example, we were off to the races! After @ToyotaEquipment, came @Carol_Stephen @Therm_All @RigginsConst @sundt and @AZDuraWrap.

Soon, after meeting these Tweeps, I learned ALL about #FBLT.

What is #FBLT, you ask? It has become quite the popular networking tool for businesses who want to connect to other businesses either in their industry, or for supplies, or any number of reasons. #FBLT stands for Facebook Liking Tuesday and it is the brainchild of @Sundt's account manager, Wendy.

After I realized how fun it was to join in #FBLT and how helpful I could be to the "cause", I decided to start tweeting all about it. Every tuesday that came, I was right there with the "Fab Four", as I call them now, @Sundt @RigginsConst @Therm_All and @AZDuraWrap, promoting #FBLT and other facebook links and liking tons of companies on Facebook. Before I knew it, I was one of those leaders of the "#FBLT movement" with my #FBLT lists of companies to like on facebook, and with the help of @RigginsConst, I started #FBLTtips for those that are just joining in and learning how to participate in these big Tuesday Tweeting events.

It has not only helped our facebook page get more recognition, but it has helped us gain more followers on twitter as well

As more and more businesses find out about #FBLT and the #FBLT lists, the bigger it gets. @ETPlastics even created a #FBLT facebook fan page!

So, if you're just learning about #FBLT, or maybe you've been seeing it pop up in your twitter feed, here are some of the #FBLTtips you can use to start participating in #FBLT and connect with other great companies, across the globe:

1. #FBLTtip  : Facebook Liking Tuesday is all about sharing Facebook links! When shouting out a new friend include their facebook link 4 others!
2. #FBLTtip : follow the #FBLT hashtag to see #FBLT links, by searching for #FBLT or: http://bit.ly/f9l4mV & http://bit.ly/eW5dfL
3. #FBLTtip : Add your facebook link to your twitter profile so It will be easy to find! & your twitter to your facebook!

Of course, if you want to see more #FBLTtips or to learn more about #FBLT you need to jump onto Twitter and follow us @CombotronicsInc or check out one of the "Fab Four"! Its a great way to connect, and its a free tool in your bag of tricks, so why not?

Combotronics is an Industrial Electronics Repair facility. If you need electronic repair, re-manufacturing, or rebuilding, call us at 1-800-331-5941, or email us at tech@combotronicsinc.com.

Find us on Twitter (@CombotronicsInc) and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Combotronics! 

-RR

We All Make Mistakes - 5 Tips to Help You with Social Media

"We all make mistakes!"

 

As a company, Combotronics decided we were going to jump into this thing called "social media". We knew that there was potential there for some interaction with other businesses and potential clients, but like most everyone else, we didn't really know what we needed to do.

At first, we were doing great, 800-something followers on Twitter and a great Facebook page. But something went wrong (long story) and we had to start over.

Unfortunately, that "something" left us with nothing: No passwords. No profiles. No access to any of our social media efforts.

Recycling - Combotronics' Green Efforts

What do you think of when someone says 

 "Global Warming"?

What about when you hear them mention Recycling or Recycling Program? Does your mind immediately jump to the landfills of our nation? Do you think about how the climate is changing due to our lack of knowledge?

Combotronics is a leading Industrial Electronics Repair shop. Our job is to repair and rework items that were slated obsolete by the manufacturer, and in that sense, we offer a type of recycling service. We fix those machines and parts that you might otherwise throw out.

But our "green" efforts as a company don't just begin and end at what we do for you. We also do our best to recycle in other ways that benefit our community and the world.

Electrostatic Discharge- Part 2: What Helps Control ESD?

So what controls ESD? Anti-Electrostatic bags and Anti-Electrostatic bubble wrap exist to help dissipate the charges that exist in everyday activities such as when we ship and receive items at our jobs, and at our homes. When you walk into the shipping room of Combotronics, you can identify the special, anti-static bubblewrap by its pink color. In fact, this is the industry's way of marking a packing item as safe for electronics. If it's pink, its anti-static.

We have grounded wrist straps and floor mats to help slow down a discharge when we are working with your electronics, so even though we are carrying a charge of some kind, it will dissipate safely, and not affect the equipment. Combotronics sees and works on thousands of parts with exposed electrical components that could be potentially damaged simply by picking the item up.

Other ways to control ESD:

•  Ionization – The process for removing or adding particles - is used to neutralize charges on insulating materials, such as common plastics. The process generates negative & positive ions that are attracted to the surface of the charged object, which neutralizes the charge.
• Implementing an ESD Control Program at your jobsite to familiarize your employees with the precautions and possible “dangers” ESD can have on electronic equipment and parts. (More information can be found on how to form a program at http://esda.org/Documents.html#s2020 You must register for free on their website for the information to become available.)
• Avoid wearing clothing made of synthetic fiber. They are likely to contribute to the static charges in the body. Wearing materials of 100% cotton or a blend of cotton/polyester blend at some 50% ratio helps.
• Use humidifiers in your building. Combotronics uses them to keep the air from drying out too much, helping prevent further possible “events”.

*You can find tons more information on Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) from the Electrostatic Discharge Association at http://www.esda.org/esd_fundamentals.html

Electrostatic Discharge - Part One : What is ESD?

Have you ever walked across a plush, fuzzy carpet with your socks on, only to touch someone else and hear them yell out "Ouch! You shocked me!"? Or maybe your kids can be found scooting across the floor in their slippers only to attack you with that jolt of electricity? This is called Electrostatic Discharge or ESD for short. Electrostatic Discharge occurs everywhere, all of the time, but most of the time, we simply aren't aware of it. Just by walking across a carpeted floor, you can generate up to 15,000 volts (or more)!

Imagine what that "shock" could do to an electrical device. Have you ever seen that little blue arc that occurs when you shock someone? Depending on a variety of factors, that shock can generate quite a large number of volts and has the potential to negatively affect electronics.

Now, when applying this information to the electronic industry, such as Combotronics serves, you might be able to figure why ESD might play an important role in our daily activities and work.

Even a small jolt can damage an item such as a circuit board. Since many of the products Combotronics works on come from some type of computerized machine, we know that we have to take some precautions to prevent our staff from "shocking" an item and possibly doing more damage to the equipment.

ESD “events”, as they are called, happen when two materials are in contact and then separated, negatively charged electrons move from the surface of the first material to the other. One material will lose electrons and become positively charged, while the other material will gain electrons and become negatively charged. This process is the Triboelectric Charge.

The amount of the charge or the strength of it will depend on the materials and other factors, such as humidity. Once the triboelectric charge has been created on a material, it becomes the "electrostatic charge". Once the Triboelectric charge becomes an electrostatic charge, it creates the "shock" we feel when we are wearing our wool socks on the carpet and touch someone else.

Hopefully, you can now understand why Combotronics would need to consider ESD in our work. Stay tuned for part two of this series “What Helps Control ESD?”

*You can find tons more information on Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) from the Electrostatic Discharge Association at http://www.esda.org/esd_fundamentals.html