ABSTRACT
If a nontraditional process should be investigated further for possible implementation at any facility, the chances of encountering problems should be minimized, and success is assured by following these common sense guidelines. Before deciding that one particular process is correct for application, it should be investigated and experimented with as many alternative processes as possible. If an option is available, several applicable processes should be selected and investigated, preferably by processing own hardware on the equipment under consideration. To determine a potential supplier's level of experience with prospective equipment, a list of customers who have purchased similar machines should be requested. Several of the manufacturer's customers should be contacted and the level of operator and maintenance skills that they require to properly support the equipment should be confirmed directly, and the most frequent causes of downtime should be inquired.
