Cheap leveling equipment takes longer to install, is less accurate, is an overall cheaply made product, and doesn’t last as long. But is that always a bad thing?
Read on to learn a bit more about the different kinds of leveling options and what types of situations require different quality products.
It all comes down to the materials. There is a huge variance in the types of steel and castings available. With such a huge range of steel options, you typically get what you pay for. From cheapest to most expensive, you have cast iron, aluminum, and stainless and within each of these categories there are many different grades.
One way you can combat this is by purchasing steel and castings from a company that follows industry certifications. Different industries have developed standard specifications for leveling products. Companies that follow these industry standards use certified materials to meet the required specifications. Knowing this can help you avoid counterfeit versions of products from China and India that indicate the specs are correct, but have used cheaper materials to drive down costs.
A good rule of thumb is to buy from a manufacturer or vendor you can trust. And remember to look for companies that are ISO certified.
It’s not as simple as just scrapping a cheap product, ordering a new one, and then going on your way!
A cheaply made product can wreak havoc in your factory from the moment it’s installed. If you’re installing the machine and your leveling feet break, it could delay the installation process. While on the surface this may not seem like such a big deal, think about the chain reaction this can cause.
If you’ve paid a rigging crew to be there, you will have to pay more money to bring them back once your replacement products arrive. You will have to incur downtime while you wait for the machine to be leveled. If it’s already been leveled and the cheaply made product breaks after installation, you will have to bring rigging crew in to lift machine and jack it up to replace the foot.
Additionally, feet could break and go unnoticed, causing your machine to run out of level. In this instance, you run into all the problems associated with having a machine that isn’t level. Like parts out of spec, flash, misdiagnosis, etc.
Cheap leveling feet could break upon installation! You may crack the casting or strip out the thread. When you invest in quality leveling products, they typically last for the life of the machine. Additionally, most come with a standard manufacturer’s warranty. You only need to think about replacing them whenever a machine is moved.
If you are leveling something that’s not a machine, it’s perfectly fine to use cheap leveling products. This applies to hydraulic pumps or air compressors that just need some feet under them. When the level is not that critical, you don’t need to invest in top of the line leveling products.
Other examples are heavy duty industrial work benches use cheap leveling equipment to keep from wobbling. In this case the quality doesn’t matter as much because the leveling components aren’t doing as much work. Also, in the case of industrial robot enclosures, they use leveling feet all the way around the enclosure so it sits on the floor evenly. This can be achieved with low-cost threaded rod with a stamped steel base that works great for this kind of application.
When you are manufacturing products and trying to hold tight tolerances it becomes more and more important to invest in proper leveling. In high volume production you can’t afford downtime – like in the case of an automotive maker’s engine plant that needs to make so many parts a day. If your line goes down it can back up the entire operation and create a ton of problems.
Do you know your needs? If you are looking for high quality leveling and vibration products, Bilz can help. We are ISO certified – 9001:2015, and use the highest quality materials in all of our German engineered products.
Click here to browse our wedges product catalog and get in touch with an expert staff member to learn more.
