Mastering In‑House Maintenance of Custom Textile Machinery

Since 1838, the Martin family has dyed and finished canvas for diverse products—from luggage and theater curtains to medical bandages. To meet these varied demands, the company has designed and built a broad range of custom machines. When a piece of equipment fails, the Martin Corporation’s engineers and technicians must repair it themselves—speed is essential to protect production schedules.

For almost two centuries, Martin Corporation has passed from father to son. Founded in Philadelphia, it relocated to Bridgeton, N.J., in 1949. Plant engineer Thomas Martin explains that the firm has long manufactured its own production gear because the machinery can be precisely tailored to the company’s unique needs. The canvas products are often niche, demanding flexibility that off‑the‑shelf suppliers overlook in favor of highly specialized machines.

“Because we build most of our equipment in‑house, we can stay flexible and competitive in the tough global textile market,” Martin says.

The dyeing jigs feature dual rollers that shuttle fabric through dye or wash baths at 150–250 yards per minute. Some machines date back to the 1950s, but continuous upgrades to control and actuation keep them modern. Each roller is driven by a hydraulic motor with electro‑hydraulic controls; pumps are powered by electric motors managed by variable‑frequency drives, while electronic displacement controllers (EDCs) with ramp functions prevent abrupt starts and stops. Encoders on the rollers provide real‑time feedback to the EDCs.

Figure 1. In the in‑house shop, Tom Martin uses a Fluke 1587 Digital Insulation Multimeter to test motor windings and ensure reliability.

You break it, you own it

Because the company builds its own machinery, it bears full responsibility for maintenance and repairs.

“We have an exceptionally large maintenance department,” Martin says. “Our equipment runs continuously under harsh conditions—corrosive liquids, high temperatures, high humidity—so breakdowns happen often. Even when a machine isn’t broken, we constantly seek improvements.”

Early automation attempts failed due to limited troubleshooting expertise. “Fixing broken production equipment never met customer deadlines, so for years we prioritized mechanical reliability over electrical upgrades.”

To keep production flowing, maintenance staff often override automation. Five years ago, Martin took responsibility for the electrical system and introduced new troubleshooting methods, dramatically improving reliability and response times.

Figure 2. Martin uses a Fluke 233 remote display to monitor live voltage on a spooling drive motor—reducing a two‑person job to a single, safe task.

Seeing electricity

“I’m a mechanical engineer who relies on test tools to ‘see’ electricity,” Martin explains. “Fluke instruments give me confidence that we can return a machine to full automation quickly, avoiding costly manual overrides.”

Martin begins by checking the −200 to +200 mA servo signal that drives the hydraulic pump. “The Fluke 337 Clamp Meter is my first line of inquiry when an operator reports a slowdown without operator input.” He describes how amperage readings help isolate servo, pump, control system, or mechanical issues.

If the servo and pump are ruled out, he uses a Fluke 189 digital multimeter to test the EDC. “I’m waiting to replace the 189 with a 289, but it’s still reliable.” He checks EDC output, wiring, and the resistor‑capacitor ramp circuit.

Figure 3. The Fluke 568 measures drying drum temperatures, which operators set between 215 – 275 °F via steam pressure control.

The jig operator panel controls solenoid valves that supply hot and cold water to baths and cool the hydraulic system. Earlier, diagnosing valve problems meant replacing the entire unit, causing significant downtime. Now, the Fluke 189’s min/max mode quickly measures voltage transients to pinpoint valve issues with minimal interruption.

For example, a stuck valve can be diagnosed by energizing it and measuring the 24‑V AC coil’s transient peak with the 189. A healthy valve shows an 80‑V peak; a 170‑V peak indicates a mechanical fault in the pilot. “This single measurement has revolutionized our valve troubleshooting across the plant.”

Two temperature controllers recently failed. Operators would normally power them down and manually control the steam valve. Martin used a Fluke 1587 Digital Insulation Multimeter to perform low‑voltage insulation tests, revealing a shorted card that could be swapped on the fly.

Martin also uses a Fluke VoltAlert to verify live or dead wires before troubleshooting, and the 189 meter for VFDs, solenoid valves, and level sensors in the plant’s heat‑recovery system.

Figure 4. The Fluke 773 Milliamp Clamp Meter checks the 4 mA–20 mA signal between a temperature controller and a pressure transducer, comparing the output to the controller’s diagnostics display.

Automation closes the loop

Martin is expanding automation with a PC‑based control system for the entire plant. He has already installed humidity sensors and calibrated them with a Fluke 971 Temperature‑Humidity Meter. “The 971 is invaluable for monitoring enclosure temperatures and ensuring sensor accuracy.”

He envisions a PC system that links production equipment to wastewater heat‑recovery, allowing rapid logic changes or overrides without rewiring. “Accurate diagnostics were critical to this development; Fluke tools give us the visibility needed to keep machinery running with minimal downtime and maximize throughput and quality.”

His latest investment is the Fluke 773 Milliamp Clamp Meter for troubleshooting 4 mA–20 mA signals. “It replaces the need to break circuits for inline current measurement—sleek and effective.”

For more information, visit Fluke Corporation.