Drives® Ez Breaker® Tool Reduces Downtime, Waste & Risk Case Study

A Solution for the Forestry & Paper Industry
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Projects > Drives® Ez Breaker® Tool Reduces Downtime, Waste & Risk Case Study

The Challenge

A leading forestry and sawmill operation faced ongoing safety issues stemming from employees using unsafe tools, such as hammers and punches, to replace and install roller chain on equipment including debarkers, sorters, planers, conveyors, and gangsaws. Each chain replacement required assembling multiple 10-foot chains which required 10 extra minutes of downtime at a cost of approximately $2,200 per minute. These practices resulted in frequent recordable safety incidents and inefficiencies during chain maintenance.

The Solution

Diamond-Drives representatives demonstrated the Drives® EZ Breaker® chain breaking tool to purchasing, maintenance, and safety managers, showcasing its clean, safe, quick and efficient operation. Additionally, the plant transitioned from purchasing roller chain in 10-foot coils to larger 50-foot and 100-foot reels, significantly reducing chain waste while simplifying and expediting replacement procedures.

The Result

The EZ Breaker tool helped reduce the need for dangerous tools and improved workplace safety. The shift to bulk reels led to a 20% reduction in chain waste, and a savings of $12,000 on their current annual spend on small pitch chain. Additionally, a minimum of $132,000 of downtime was avoided based on $2,200 per minute for 60 minutes (or six assemblies). Overall, the documented value of the solution totaled $144,000 and the company now benefits from safer, cleaner, and more cost-effective chain maintenance practices.

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