Service backup
Service definition
Each complex equipment requires maintenance which consists of several stages:
1. Equipment maintenance by the user.
It includes device routine maintenance which should be performed by a specialist operating this device and minor equipment repair (for example, fuse replacement) performed by the engineer or the instrumentation technician of the organization according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Annual (or monthly) maintenance of the equipment by the manufacturer’s (seller’s) representative.
This maintenance should be performed for fully operative equipment. Nevertheless we strongly recommend our dear Customers to conclude contracts for such kind of maintenance. During maintenance major inspection of the device is performed, its factory seals are broken and its housing is opened to dust it, electrical and mechanical parts and assemblies are adjusted and aligned. Based on work results, the user is given an engineering opinion on the device condition and necessity to purchase any spare parts. During these works, measurement procedure testing and aligning and measurement devices preparation and submission for validation can be performed.
3. Device repair.
This is the most difficult and critical moment in the device’s life. It is evident and clear that the Customer wants to repair the device as soon as possible. But depending on the device fault, it can be repaired by the Customer’s representatives, our service engineer at the Customer’s place, at our service center or by the manufacturer. We cannot prohibit our users to repair their equipment independently or to engage trusted specialists for repair. But our experience shows that it takes much more costs and time for the Customer to repair equipment which has been previously repaired by anybody. In order to shorten the repair time, you should contact our service department via e-mail (or fax) and specify the device model, its serial number, life cycle, detailed description of fault, the date when it occurred and the contact person.
4. User training for device and software operation, analysis method setup and correct sample preparation is a separate stage. In our company, this is the duty of the analytical department specialists.
Our service can be divided into two blocks:
1. Included in the equipment price at its purchase:
- Equipment commissioning
- Method setup
- Warranty repair
- Personnel training
2. Additional (not included in the equipment price):
- Troubleshooting and repair
- Preventive inspection, preparation to the next calibration or approval.
Activities in clause 2 are called post-warranty maintenance and constitute the subject matter of the service contract.
Service objects
- Authorized service of a single device (with method setup)
- Laboratory maintenance
Authorized service
The service and analytical board of our company includes 26 specialists trained in the following companies manufacturing the equipment delivered by us.
Tasks of EPAC-Service service and analytical board
- Equipment inspection when received at the warehouse
- Supply by manuals in Russian and metrology documentation for SI calibration
- Primary calibration of measuring devices
- Equipment commissioning, setup and personnel training (together with analytic group)
- Receipt and processing of requests from the customer
- Visit and equipment repair on site
- Conclusion of service contracts
Service types
Works at request
A received request is processed by the service department according to the current schedule. If the problem cannot be solved by the phone, the service engineer will visit you within 2 weeks. Payment after delivery.
Service contracts
The service contract for the whole laboratory or for individual devices is executed. Usually the contract is valid for 1 year. Generally we draft the contract under a certain scheme.
24-hours service
This service can be rendered only if the Customer has the second similar properly operating device which was stored on stand-by until the main device was damaged. Only in this case we can guarantee that the customer’s representatives will perform analyses within 24 hours of our specialist’s arrival.
Warranty maintenance
The standard warranty period for the laboratory equipment is 1 year. Free repair for the Customer should be performed only if a hidden manufacturing defect is revealed within one year. When determining whether the case is covered by the warranty, we usually act for the Customer before foreign manufacturers, but the final word rests with manufacturers or independent evaluation. Equipment maintenance during the warranty period is not covered by the warranty and should be paid by the Customer under the current price list for equipment maintenance services of EPAC-Service JSC.
Equipment of questionable quality supplied at the customer’s request should be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
The warranty can be prolonged at additional charge.
Main cases of warranty loss:
- Equipment misuse
- Mechanical, thermal damage
- Improper storage
- Commissioning and repair by the customer
- Force majeure
- Expendables (for example, chromatographic columns) are not covered by the warranty.
Complex issues at service rendering
Sometimes during works performance the specialists deal with a number of difficulties of subjective nature. Please value the efforts of your partners and provide conditions for the specialists to perform their work properly.
Our requests:
1. Draw up proper requests:
- Specify the full list of equipment to be commissioned or repaired.
- Specify the correct work site, discuss at the preliminary stage the living conditions for the specialists (when working at deposits)
- Check actual object readiness for commissioning (utilities, actual receipt of the equipment from the storage facilities)
2. Don’t send personnel with poor technical skills for training in device operation. Very often our specialists have to teach the laboratory assistant common computer skills before training in device operation.
3. Please don’t demand that our specialists should unreasonably spend time on teaching – for example, to carry out about 10 individual trainings for each laboratory assistant.
4. If commissioning is required, please avoid compromising integrity of the equipment (tampering the equipment package at the warehouse, loss of manuals).
5. Please schedule the works in advance – normally the works should be scheduled at least 2 weeks beforehand, avoid unnecessary urgent calls.
6. When it comes to complex equipment (chromatographs, spectrometry, etc.), please discuss the procedure at the purchase stage, discuss sample preparation issues. Unfortunately, very often one thing is purchased and then another is required.
7. When purchasing equipment, please estimate the need for expendables and spare parts.
Maintenance of third-party equipment
Every week our service department receives requests for commissioning or repair of equipment supplied by other suppliers. The reasons they apply to us are simple.
There are about 1000 suppliers of laboratory equipment in Russia, but at most two dozens of them have their own service department (consisting generally of 2-3 workers). Why does it happen?
First, complex equipment requires authorized maintenance, the maintenance performed by the personnel having a relevant certificate and experience and trained at the manufacturer’s plant. Generally suppliers prefer to contact the manufacturer’s representative. Secondly, maintenance service in Russia is loss-making. As a rule, the user is not ready to pay for authorized service.
The following are the typical patterns when equipment is left without maintenance:
1. A purchase department bought the equipment from company X with the hope that company Y would put it into commission.
2. The supplier refused to put equipment into commission after the delivery due to lack of competence (lack of service department) or as it delivered a package known to be non-operational under the tender.
3. Commissioning and servicing were not provided initially at delivery preparation (online auction, procurement via trading houses, etc.).
Why we are not ready to perform service maintenance of third-party equipment:
1. Service without supply is economically unsound.
2. We know equipment that we supply (authorized service).
3. The equipment delivered illegally to our country is not supported by the manufacturer.
4. Our service department is loaded by its own service contracts.
5. We don’t render such services on principle.
We hardly ever depart from this rule; only if solid reasons are present. Generally this reason is a review of supply chain, engagement of technical specialists in the discussion of contract specifications.
