Service Tech Q&A
Field service technicians like Kevin Conner typically run air, electricity and hydraulics off their truck's power take-off (PTO). When noise and frequent maintenance issues became a problem, Conner’s employer — Brandeis Machinery & Supply — decided to install the Miller EnPak power system, an integrated power source that runs pneumatics, hydraulics and power tools with the truck turned off. The result? Brandeis noted a 55 percent reduction in idle time and 36 percent reduction in engine hours.
Miller sat down with Conner to talk about his experience with the performance of operating functions and overall operator environment.
Q: Have you always wanted to be a mechanic? How did you get your start?
A: I like taking things apart and putting them back together. I got started doing it on go-karts and minibikes and it just went from there. I'm lucky enough to do it for a living.
Q: Your truck has a Stellar 10,000-pound crane and compressor that ran off the truck’s PTO. What did you think of switching out your old equipment for the EnPak?
A: My very first thought was that's a really novel idea to have a hydraulic pump that runs the crane in a separate unit, and that I'd just like to get my hands on that and see how that works.
Q: What kind of air tools do you use, and how did the EnPak perform with them?
A: My air tools consist of everything from die grinders, air drills, air grinders, 3/8-inch impact wrench, 1/2-inch impact wrench, 1-inch drive impact wrench. I notice a significant increase in the volume of air available with the EnPak, especially using a 1-inch drive impact. You no longer have to wait between fasteners for the air to build back up.