Efficient Plant November 2017 - 18

feature | plant profile

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Wausau-based Linetec
participates in the state of
Wisconsin's apprenticeship
system, which has existed for
more than a century. Businesses
collaborate with state and
educational institutions to ensure
the development and continuation
of trade skills/jobs.
In Linetec's case, maintenance
associates participate in the
program to develop machine
repair and millwright skills and
knowledge. There are currently six
technicians participating in the
program who are in their fifth of
the eight-semester program.
The company participates in
the Machine Repair, Maintenance
Mechanic, Millwright
Apprenticeship, developed
and organized by the Bureau
of Apprenticeship Standards
and overseen by Wisconsin's
Apprenticeship Advisory
Committee. The program provides
Linetec with a steady stream of
qualified technicians.
Along with formal courses at
Northcentral Technical College,
Wausau and other locations,
senior technicians are also
continually training.
Participants follow standard
semester schedules. They
complete one to four courses
each semester, depending on the
course credit load. The course
schedules are tailored to fit the
schedules of the technicians.
Technicians attend nine fullday courses throughout the
semester. Linetec pays all tuition
and book fees, and compensates
the technicians for hours spent in
class.
The company also increases
compensation throughout the
program as technicians learn and
develop new skills, culminating
with the journeyman designation.

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Right. Customer material is stored, off the ground, in
cantilever shelving to protect it from damage prior
to being finished by Linetec.
Bottom right. Aluminum material is staged for the
paint line. Racking is a critical step in the paint
process, as it assures good coverage to the exposed
areas of the parts. All material processed through
the paint line requires some method of racking.

able supply chain. Without any of those things,
we are sunk."
Maintenance manager Todd Andreshak, a
32-year company veteran, is responsible for
keeping the machines running, with the help
of Joswiak and engineering manager Chris
Lannoye. They all depend on the entire team
to make it happen.
Like many companies, there was a time at
the facility when maintenance was reactive.
Now, the focus is on anticipating what's going
to fail and replacing it before it does.
A robust preventive-maintenance program,
combined with an investment in crucial spare
parts, is the key to success, Andreshak said.
"Sometimes it's all a matter of how fast can
you pull it out of there. We have spares on the
shelf and we know how to anticipate what to
do to minimize the down time. We have what
we refer to as our little 'crash carts.' If there is
an electrical issue you take the cart out with
you-don't keep going back and forth.."
Maintenance works closely with engineering
to also ensure that processes are continuously
improved. Lannoye is responsible for keeping
the company abreast of the latest technologies,
improving efficiencies and ergonomic safety,
and adding new equipment when necessary.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
Because of the diversity of its business, Linetec
must be flexible and adaptable. "Our schedule is very dynamic," Joswiak said. Typically
we don't establish the schedule until the day
before we are running. For example, we won't
establish the schedule for tomorrow until 3
o'clock this afternoon because we have no idea
what will be on those trucks."

The company uses I-Maint (imaint.com,
Athens, Greece) software to manage spare
parts, track assets, and maintain PM schedules.
It also tracks the reliability of the equipment.
Joswiak said the secret sauce for reliability is
scheduled maintenance, mixed with Linetec's
ability to replace parts before they fail.
With a target of less than 24 hours of
non-scheduled maintenance in any given year,
the commitment for scheduled maintenance is
crucial, particularly with its anodizing lines-
one of two key segments of its business.
"We do things like vibration analysis for
motors and pumps and wholesale replacement
of specific parts-even if they are at 40% to
50% of their lifecycle," Joswiak said. "Replacing
the parts is less expensive than being down."
With the largest architectural anodizing
operation under one roof in the United States,
the company's three lines operate around-theclock. Line 3, built in 2015, is the biggest and
most productive. It shuts down for 12 hours
every Monday for preventive maintenance.
"Monday is a heavy production day, but for
us, it doesn't matter because we operate 24/7,"
Joswiak explained. "For us, it makes sense to

NOVEMBER 2017

http://www.imaint.com http://www.EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM

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