How to Choose Servo and Proportional Valve Repair Facilities

Technical expertise is critical in servo and proportional valve repair and very few companies are qualified to do it right. It’s a service that helps distributors save their end-user customers money by repairing servo and proportional valve pumps, rather than replacing them — a more expensive proposition.

The complexity and cost of repairs make finding the right servo and proportional valve repair provider key because your customers can’t afford to waste time and money on poor quality repairs. Since machine downtime can play havoc with production and cause critical delays, taking the time front-end to select an experienced and qualified repair facility can help you be sure that the servo and proportional valve repair will be as reliable and efficient as possible.

When a customer needs quality servo and proportional valve repair, here are some qualities to look for to find the best provider for your customers’ needs.

Expert Technicians & Quality Equipment

When considering a repair facility, distributors should check that the company employs IFPA-certified technicians who are factory trained to service leading lines, such as Eaton/Vickers and Bosch/Rexroth. The repair facility should field strip and ultrasonically clean every valve, measure and examine for wear and damage, and verify the fit relationship of bushings and spools.

Distributors should also check to ensure a repair service has cutting-edge equipment, such as precision servo and proportional flow and pressure test stands that are fully controlled and recorded via high-speed data acquisition systems. The test stands should be multi-functional, so they are versatile for all different types of controls. The stands will be instrumented with lab-grade sensors, transducers and flow meters for highly accurate test results.

Quick Turnaround

Speed is an important quality in a repair service. Some can supply a quote and comprehensive service report within 3 to 4 days of receipt.

In cases where rush service is needed, some repair services align incoming rushes to address them sometime the same day (as long as repairs arrive early enough in the day). This allows time for evaluation and usually a quote that same day. Top-notch repair shops will offer 24-hour expedited/rush service on most single items for a nominal fee added to the quoted price.

Evaluation Fees

Most evaluations should be free. Only special items that require fixturing or the need to machine a manifold should generate an evaluation fee. Even then, a customer should only expect to be charged a fee for items returned unrepaired.

Many companies promise “free estimates.” Distributors should check to see if a repair service will perform a comprehensive diagnosis, which often allows them to predict cost accurately and ensures customers are working confirmed costs rather than revised pricing if unforeseen circumstances arise.

Detailed Quotes

Distributors should ask for a comprehensive, technical service evaluation form with the customer’s (distributor) logo/brand for presentation to the end-user. This form should include root cause analysis, repair details, and suggested preventative and predictive maintenance recommendations.

Branding For Distributors

It is unusual, but some repair services will remove their branding, integrating the customer’s (distributor) logo/information for end-user presentation. This service helps distributors develop a reputation as the “go-to” for this highly technical, specialized service need.

9 Questions To Ask Repair Service Companies

Evaluating a servo and proportional valve repair service? Here are 9 questions that will help you decide if they will meet your needs.

1. How long has the facility been repairing servo valves?
2. Who are the facility’s previous servo valve repair customers?
3. How long have the servo valve technicians been working for the facility?
4. What type of repair and calibration equipment does the facility have?
5. Does the facility have custom-built drive electronics to test all the functions of the servo valve or is installation of the valve on the customer’s machine the final test of the valve?
6. What is the testing process and does the customer receive computer generated reports and graphs verifying the test results?
7. Is the facility experienced in repairing servo valves from the major manufacturers such as Rexroth, Bosch, Parker, Vickers and others?
8. Do repairs meet OEM test specifications?
9. What kind of OEM parts inventory does the facility have on hand?