Category Archives: Preventive Maintenance

Heavy equipment maintenance: tips, tricks and best practices

Heavy equipment maintenance is an important aspect of ensuring the longevity and efficiency of heavy machinery. By performing regular maintenance checks, businesses can reduce the risk of breakdowns, minimize downtime, and improve overall productivity. Here are some tips, tricks, and best practices for heavy equipment maintenance:

  1. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines: Every piece of heavy equipment comes with a manual that outlines the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule. Adhering to these guidelines is essential for maintaining the equipment’s warranty and avoiding potential problems.
  2. Keep a maintenance log: Keeping a detailed log of all maintenance activities can help track the history of the equipment, identify potential problems early on, and provide a reference for future maintenance.
  3. Perform regular inspections: Regular inspections should be conducted to identify potential issues and address them before they become bigger problems. This can include checks of hydraulic fluids, lubricants, and electrical systems, among others.
  4. Clean and lubricate: Cleaning and lubricating moving parts regularly can help reduce wear and tear and extend the lifespan of the equipment. Be sure to use the proper type of lubricant as specified by the manufacturer.
  5. Replace worn parts: Regular inspections should also include a check for worn or damaged parts. Replacing these parts promptly can help prevent bigger problems and improve the overall performance of the equipment.
  6. Conduct preventive maintenance: Preventive maintenance involves scheduled checks and services to keep the equipment in top working condition. This can include tasks such as oil changes, filter replacements, and tightening of bolts and fasteners.
  7. Train operators: Heavy equipment operators play a critical role in maintaining their equipment. Providing training on proper operation and maintenance can help ensure that operators are using the equipment correctly and making necessary maintenance checks.
  8. Plan for downtime: Unexpected downtime can have a significant impact on operations, so it’s important to plan for maintenance activities to minimize the impact. Scheduling maintenance during periods of lower demand can help reduce downtime and improve productivity.

In conclusion, heavy equipment maintenance is an important aspect of ensuring the longevity and efficiency of heavy machinery. By following these tips, tricks, and best practices, businesses can minimize the risk of breakdowns, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity.

Effective greasing of heavy equipment can elongate its life

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We take a good deal of effort to ensure that our heavy equipment are in order and it does not break down when we need them the most. For instance, when we have an important project in hand and need the machine to work all throughout the day, we will just not want it to stop working for any stupid reason. But in case if it breaks down due to its parts being not sufficiently lubricated, it only shows how much we care for our equipment. It is therefore of utter importance that we apply appropriate greasing on the equipment at regular intervals. This will not only ensure that our machines are in order but also will save you from incurring any financial losses.

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In order for the heavy equipment to work in proper condition, appropriate greasing is very essential. Over greasing can also become a big problem which can prove very costly to you. It can lead to several complications in the machines like collapsed seals, high operating temperatures etc. So, people who are of the thought that applying lot of grease can strengthen the life of the machine can fall completely flat on their faces when they will begin to experience these issues in their machines.

Before you apply grease on your machine, it is also important to understand that if the grease is the right one for your machine. Not all kind of grease on earth will suit your equipment and in order to know what will go better with your equipment, you need to check the user manual of the product. In case, you are unable to understand that, you can also go through few internet articles that speaks about the kind of greasing you need to do for your machine. Lastly, you may also get in touch with an expert mechanic who will guide you with the lubricant you can apply on the machine.

Grease is ideally a combination of 3 components; i.e. oil, thickener and additives. By mixing these 3 components, lubricants of different types are produced. The oil that is used in lubricants is ideally mineral oil and it has been seen that such greases have shown significant performances in keeping the machine well lubricated. However, in case of extreme temperatures, synthetic based oil is most effective. The oil is then mixed with a thickener which can be a metallic soap. This will turn the soap into a semi fluid structure. Concurrently, companies are also using complex thickener type greases as it can provide outstanding capability to pull huge loads.

The complex greases are made by merging the metallic soap with an organic acid that has a very low molecular weight. Just in case if the machine is working in high temperatures, then usage of grease without any soap thickeners can bring optimum results.

For users who do not know what kind of grease they need to apply on their machines, it is recommended that they take some help of experts who knows about the different types and quality of greases and then work it on their machine.

Apply the three maintenance processes on your equipment to improve your business

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Well, running a business successfully is not an easy job. It needs attention, dedication and many more things. If you can give your 100% effort then you can make your dreams come true. In case of construction or oil and gas industry, people need to take help of heavy equipment. It is highly essential that the people should be very careful and maintain the equipment properly. Sometimes, client uses equipment tracking system to track down every single detail related to the equipment. In fact, to maintain it properly, the owners should apply proper maintenance solution on this equipment. It helps to track down the location of the machine and keep its records. You can also monitor its engine runtime and manage its schedule properly. It not only helps to save your time but also increases your business and takes it to the next level.

So, like the other big companies if you are interested in construction industry you should careful of you equipment and always apply proper maintenance to keep it fit and damage free.

Apply proper maintenance to avoid expensive breakdown:

Well, if you do not give proper attention to your equipment then it can have several damages that can harm your equipment. If you need to replace a part of your equipment it can cost you huge amount of money. If you can invest such huge amount of money in your business then you can actually improve your business. Hence, to avoid certain drastic condition, it is highly essential to apply regular maintenance on the equipment. However, it is very difficult to repair the equipment and make it perfect. If you are not an expert on this field then you cannot manage to maintain it properly. By using the proper tools for maintain the workers can actually keep it perfect.

Make a list of useful equipment of your site:

You need to make a list of important and essential equipment that you use in your site. If you are running a construction business then you must have bulldozer, excavator, crane and many more things. If you cannot make a list of them you will not be able to maintain them properly. It will help you to apply a proper checking, replacing or repairing of each item.

Make time for investigation:

Well, it is highly important to arrange proper investigation on your machines. You can perform a research on internet to get an idea on different equipment and know its purposes. If you can manage to know certain details of the machine then it will be easier for you to maintain them properly.

There are the three best processes that can help you to maintain your equipment. Whether you are just a new comer in this business or have huge experience you should always try these things on your equipment, by using such processes you can improve your business and take it to the next level.

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Increase the Life of Your Heavy Equipment- Go for Oil Analysis

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That the use of heavy equipment is mandatory for the success of a construction project is a fact that cannot be denied in any way. Being in charge of the construction industry almost always equals to dealing with heavy construction equipment. And dealing with heavy construction equipment comes hand in hand with maintenance and safety issues which cannot be overlooked. Oil analysis has been found to be one of the many ways in which could proceed towards this goal.

What Is Oil Analysis All About?

So, the very first thing that must come to your mind is what is oil analysis all about? Broadly speaking, oil analysis refers to the test conducted on the properties of a lubricant in a laboratory. A part of preventive maintenance measures, oil analysis has been proved to be helpful in a number of ways. The entire process is carried out in three different stages, viz, analysis of the various properties of the oil, analysis of the contaminants and analysis of the debris from the equipment accumulating out of wear and tear.

Oil Analysis and the Heavy Equipment

The entire oil analysis procedure has been found to be quite useful for maintenance of heavy equipment. One cannot deny the fact that maintenance plays a key role in determining how long particular heavy equipment will survive. And oil analysis helps construction site owners do exactly that. It helps them in determining what is best for their heavy equipment thus, increasing its longevity.

Machine Conditioning Monitoring has emerged as one of the latest trends in the entire heavy equipment maintenance affair. Based on oil analysis, this system, though not compulsory, has been found to hold a significant position nonetheless. Heavy equipment go through a lot in the entire construction business. It is the heavy equipment that are exposed to extreme working conditions, going through all the rough patches in order to complete a construction project on time. In such a situation, oil analysis can emerge as a significant contributor to the entire maintenance procedure of the equipment and increase its longevity.

An effective oil analysis can prove to be of great help in not only determining the assets of the construction equipment, but also prove to be significant in putting a leash on abrupt failures, increasing both productivity and longevity. Oil analysis takes aspects, such as, viscosity, water, fuel dilution, soot, wear metals and the like into account for its purpose. This is important, as it is this procedure that will help determine the next step that is to be taken in the entire maintenance procedure.

It therefore, would not be wrong to conclude that the oil analysis does prove to be an important factor in the entire maintenance procedure of heavy equipment. Not only does it ensure the optimal utilisation of the equipment but also adds to the entire longevity factor of the equipment.

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Skipping Monthly Maintenance Can Deteriorate The Quality Of An Equipment

The heavy equipment working on the site has to go through a lot on a daily basis. For instance an excavator which is given the job to dig the earth becomes covered with dust by the end of the day and if it is not washed properly, it may start developing problems. This instance suggests that we need to clean the equipment daily if it is completely drenched in dirt. But it also needs something more than just a mere washing. It is very important to service the machine at least once in a month. By servicing a machine, it implies that an expert hand is required to undo the parts of the machine so that it can go to the depth of it and wipe away the dust that gets accumulated in the most interior parts of the machine.

It is not particularly the engine that needs to be taken care the most. It is perhaps the overall stuff that needs to be properly checked and if anything seems to be not working up to the mark needs to be replaced by a workable part.  Let us first do a “Root Cause Analysis” of why do we need to service the machine and then we may talk about how we maintain it.

Not cleaning the machine may pave way for the dust to settle in the most interior parts of the machine:-  We all have seen how a construction site looks like. It’s way too dusty and becomes almost suffocating for a person to stand in and work all day. Imagine what a machine has to go through. Just because it can’t react doesn’t means it doesn’t go through complications. Not trying to win any human sentiments, machines convey a lot to us through its performances. If it is not washed daily, there are high chances of dust getting settled down in the most interior parts of the machine causing blockage. With time, this will deteriorate the quality of the parts of the machine which eventually will make the part obsolete. Getting a new part in the mid of work will day the entire day’s productivity for a toss and will eventually lead to losses to the business.

May result in blockage in the engine:-  The dust may settle down near the engine blocking the flow of oil to the engine. That will cause more friction in the piston which will ultimately crack down the engine.

Certain preemptive steps should be taken to minimize the problem and that could be done only through servicing the machine on a monthly or on need-on basis.

Follow the manual stringently:-  The user-manual gives you plenty of steps that can be taken to prevent any complication with the machine. One should make it a rule to read the user manual before he starts using it. It also states how one should keep the machine to increase its longevity.

Take help of an expert to get things fixed:-  If there happens to be any problem with the machine, it’s prudent to take help of an expert to get it fixed. Please don’t try to fix it yourself or you may make it worst.

Pump In Oxygen In Your Vehicle By Changing Its Engine Oil

You spend a lot for buying a vehicle and when you make a purchase you make sure that you are buying the best in terms of your budget and affordability. After having bought the vehicle, you take extra care to ensure that you do not bump it with any other vehicle that naturally will leave a scratch on it or you may even end up with a dent on it. You also give it for servicing after every 5000 miles or when you feel the need for it. The mechanic at the garage does the entire thing for you like changing the engine oil, putting grease in all the right places for better lubrication and check if the car is smooth enough for a comfortable drive. Everything seems right till now. However, once thing that leave us with an opportunity to ponder is the fact “has the mechanic used the right engine oil for my vehicle?”

This is perhaps the most important question when it comes to servicing your vehicle. There are many engine oils available in the market; all have their importance in certain model of cars. No one engine oil can be used for all cars and it depends upon the type of engine the car has upon which the compatibility of the oil is considered. The engine oil can be considered as the oxygen of the engine without which the engine of the car becomes nothing but a piece of rusty metal.

Why do we need to change the engine oil?

In order to get an answer for this question, we need to first understand why an engine needs oil in it. Well, a vehicle has lot of moving parts which brushes each other quite often in the process of moving the vehicle. This friction of the moving parts creates heat. Here comes the function of the engine. The oil lubricates the engine which absorbs the heat that is generated from this friction and permits the parts to continue their function without getting over heated. The particles generated from the friction get mixed with the oil which ultimately wears out the quality of the oil and create the need to get it replaced with fresh oil.  This is one of the major reasons why you need to change the oil.

How often should one change the engine oil?

 The user manual gives instruction as to when should the customer change the engine oil. However, it also depends on some other factors which play a significant role in determining the frequency to change the engine oil. Factors such as “how you drive the vehicle”, “Where you live” “the age of the engine” etc. Ideally, you can just take your vehicle to the mechanic who will check if you should be changing the oil now or will give you a time frame as to when you should come back to him for full servicing.  As stated above, basically we need to change oil after every 5000 miles. However, if you use special synthetic oil, it may run for another 5000 miles. These oils are very expensive but one may still find it to be affordable if they want their vehicle to perform in the long run.

How Far Is it Important To Keep Your Heavy Equipment Well Maintained

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You buy a new house and you do everything to ensure that it looks new all the time. You bring in new furniture, fit in with the most expensive false-ceiling that you can afford and also with all these expenses, you also make sure that you paint the house at least once a year and call people to pest free your house. You do this because you want your house to not lose its shine till the time you own it. This will help you in two ways. Firstly, it will be a hygienic place to live and second if you ever wish to sell it off, you can fetch a good price for it. It is very obvious that the buyer will not like to spend a good deal of money after buying your house by paying a fortune. Moreover, your house being in good condition makes it saleable at a high price as compared to other properties in the same location. Well, the same theory goes with heavy equipment.

Heavy equipment may not be as expensive as the property you live in but at the same time, it definitely pinches to buy a new machine to meet your business requirements. Undoubtedly, the high cost of heavy equipment makes it unbearable for a small time construction company to purchase a new stuff which is why they are more likely to end up buying a second hand or a used machine to take care of their project needs.

How frequently should one service his machine?

The frequency for servicing the machine largely depends upon the type of work it was under. Nevertheless, the thumb rule is that one should service the machine once in a month or at times once in 2 months. You may simply call in a mechanic at your place and ask them to check the different parts of the equipment. Change the oil, lubricate the different parts of the machine, give it a complete wash and if there happens to be any spots that got burned, fix it up as soon as possible without waiting for the servicing period to knock your door.

Paint your machine:-  Not much heed is paid to painting the equipment as we all find that job to be of least importance. Well, as far as taking care of heavy equipment are concerned, there is nothing known as least important in its vocabulary. If you find your stuff worn out, try to get that repaired by either painting that part of the equipment or out some sticker which will limit any further damage to the part. If we keep it idle, dust will settle in and as a result it starts damaging the part at a much faster pace than it would have. Moreover, it will also give a feel good factor to us at any moment our eyes fall on the machine.

Keeping good mechanics as part of the crew is an added advantage as they can fix any problem that comes up during the project and ensure that things run at the same pace without falling apart.

Using Air Filters Can Only Help Your Vehicle To Perform Better

We All know that engine is the most important organ of a vehicle. But if compared to human anatomy, you would be surprised to know that a vehicle needs lungs to breathe. Well not literally the lungs which we use to breathe but something that works in place of lungs and can continuously supply fresh air to the body of the car. These lungs in the language of a layman are known as “Air Filter”. It plays the most important role of supplying air to the car. In other words, it simply allows the vehicle to breathe. The vehicle more or less functions like the human body considering the only difference is that they can run faster than us.

The significance of the air filter becomes prominent with the fact that the engine needs an exact level of fuel and air to run. If either of the two components is not suitably provided to the vehicle, you may experience a breakdown and perhaps also have to bear huge expenses to get that fixed. Since the vehicle needs both air to and fuel to run, the air gets in through the air filter inside the vehicle’s system and the work gets done. While the air gets in, it also carries the dust particles that are prevalent in the air. The role of the air filter here is to take away the particles and other remnants present in the air, thus purify it before it reaches the engine. If at all, the air filter fails to perform its given task, it would lead to serious complications particularly to the engine and overall to the vehicle.

So any estimate of what could be the price of such a vital organ. If you think it must be something very expensive then you should read this further. The air filters due to their simple make are very cheap and it doesn’t cost a fortune for one to install it in their machine. Most of the filters are of fibrous material and can be easily fitted on a plastic or a metal frame. Vehicles are manufactured by giving a separate space to fit the stuff in it.

Since you have known the importance of an air filter and understand its role in purifying the impure air and letting the filtered air go in the system, it is imperative that you clean the filter at regular intervals. The air filters are prone to get dusty due to constant performance of cleaning the air. This results in it getting murkier in just a span of days. You can either clean the filter or also have the option to change it. As mentioned, they are very inexpensive so it would cost you much to get it changed for a new one. A dusty air filter not only affects the engine but also some other important parts of the machine which if not changed in sometime can cause serious problems to the vehicle. It can affect the spark-plugs and things as important as this to go off which is something you wouldn’t ever want to happen.

For a lasting performance of your vehicle, it is you who can make it happen by regularly maintaining the car and changing the air filter once it becomes due.

Fuel Treatment for Heavy Equipment- Things That You Should Keep In Mind

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The use and maintenance of heavy equipment form an important part of the construction business. It is an indisputable fact that the field of construction depends heavily on the smooth operation of heavy equipment. Individuals and organizations engaged in this field have to be concerned about maintaining their heavy equipment in order to ensure the smooth operation of the equipment.

Fuel Treatment for Heavy Equipment

Heavy construction equipment have to undergo a lot of wear and tear owing to the nature and amount of work that is accomplished with their help. And it is obvious that in order to enhance the longevity of the heavy construction machinery, it is mandatory to undergo maintenance services from time to time. The fuel treatment for heavy equipment is one such maintenance task that has to be undertaken in order to keep it going.

There are a number of fuel treatments available on the block to cater to the specific requirements of the heavy equipment. Individuals and organizations opting for fuel treatment for heavy construction machinery have to first identify the area that actually needs the treatment. This kind of treatment acts as a catalyst for enhancing the performance of these equipment so that you can witness improved productivity from the equipment.

Why Is Fuel Treatment Necessary For Heavy Equipment?

With time, large number of gums, resins and carbon begin to accumulate in the fuel. All the impurities gradually conglomerate and increase in size to an extent when it is not possible for it to burn down. This in turn leads to partial combustion, resulting in poor performance of the engine of the heavy equipment.

Another problem that one might consider getting rid of when going for fuel treatment is removal of sludge. In the day to day operation, it might so happen that the heavy construction equipment is runs on the use of fuels of various kinds. Due to this, small particles are often formed in the fuel system, which leads to the poor performance of the engine, thus decreasing the productivity of the heavy construction equipment. Treatment of fuel sludge incorporates balancing the fuel in such a way so as to minimize the possibility of sludge formation in future.

Think Before Going for Fuel Treatment

The heavy equipment used in the arena of construction are very much different from other kinds of automobile. Therefore, it goes without saying that every kind of fuel treatment cannot be suitable for your heavy equipment. Hence, it is important to go for the right kind of fuel treatment for the concerned heavy equipment. Opting for the wrong fuel treatment for your heavy equipment may just add to the poor performance of the heavy equipment.

Also, choosing alternatives that are cheaper may not always be the best for your heavy equipment. When it comes to choosing the fuel treatment for the machinery, it is wise to go with individuals or organizations that are high in the scale in terms of reliability quotient and that which will prove to be useful for your heavy equipment.

Do Not Let Your Enemy Drive In Your Heavy Equipment – Keep It Away From Dust

Heavy equipment are huge load takers which is they have the best of the engines installed in them. Their engines are sophistically designed so that it can take maximum pressure without losing its balance and do not break off in the mid. However, due to working continuously for hours without taking a halt for a single minute makes the engine immensely hot and desperately needs to cool off before moving any further. It is therefore the equipments should have quality air filters which can flush in fresh air from outside and can help to cool the engine and also radiator coolants which can spray a mixture of water and anti freeze through the chambers of the engine and can eventually cool the engine so that it can once again perform with the same energy and vitality.

One thing which plays a significant role in heating the engine faster is dust. Though being in a construction site, you can’t do away with dust but one can certainly take measures to deal with it and thus keep the machine working round the clock. Before we talking what one needs to do to keep the machines away from dust, it is important to first understand how dust can play a mighty role in developing complications in the machine.

The engine of any vehicle is made up of several moving parts. As and when these parts move with great force, it develops friction which in turn heats the engine. In order to keep the engine moving, oil is pumped into the system which keeps it lubricated and also keeps the level of friction low and ultimately helps in keeping the heat on check. Now when it comes in contact with dust, it gets mixed in the oil that is supplied to lubricate the moving parts of the engine which in turn increases the friction than reducing it. This results in the engine becoming dangerously hot in no time leading to severe complications in the machine.

If remain unchecked, the dust may travel to other parts of the machine ceasing them to function appropriately. In other words, it means that in a matter of days, your sophistically designed equipment will get ruined by something it could have been easily protected. To get that repaired is the next big task as the mechanic will spend days to open all the parts, clean the dust, lubricate those parts once again and then check if it works like before. For those many days, you’re without a machine and that is taking a toll on your work.

In order to avoid such a situation, the simplest option is to keep the machine maintained at all times. You can’t avoid dust as that is an inseparable part of your work. What could be done is after you end the day’s work; spend some time to clean the outer part of the equipment with a cloth. Check if there are any openings which can allow dust to enter in. That should be sealed and get it serviced after every month depending upon the kind of activity it has to endure.

These few simple things will ensure that the life of your machine is increased by many more years and you don’t have to take the trouble to get it repaired every now and then.