Your heavy equipment, whether for mining or for construction, also need some pampering and proper maintenance. Keeping your heavy equipment well-maintained and well-conditioned ensures its utmost working efficiency, thus giving you good results.
Keeping your heavy equipment in good condition is an important way of taking care of your investment as well. Otherwise, breakdown of these equipment may cost you more than what you are expecting since tremendous repairs can be very expensive.
Moreover, operating a poorly maintained machine can cause a lot of hazards to you and your operator. Accidents can happen unexpectedly so prevention of such is really important, hence, proper training and periodic machine maintenance should be observed.
To help you out, here are some tips on keeping your heavy equipment in tip-top shape:
- Engage your operators into comprehensive training. One thing that you should remember In taking good care of your heavy equipment is you should assign someone who will operate and take care of it. That person should also be responsible in maintaining and keeping the machine well-conditioned. Seminars and hands on training or even short courses on heavy equipment management and operations can be very helpful in making sure that your personnel are knowledgeable in maintaining your machine. In addition, there will also be a need for an expert who knows how to do Condition Monitoring, Technical Analysis and Equipment Management to keep track of your heavy equipment’s health and condition.
- Make machine fluids one of your priorities. Machine fluids like lubricants and oils help in reducing friction around any moving object or part. Regular checking and testing of the lubricant in your machine is one of the most vital parts of maintenance checks. Preventive maintenance tools and materials like oils, coolants, and grease are importance to ensure the quality of your heavy equipment’s performance. You just have to make sure that you got the suitable machine fluid for your machine. Keep your operator’s manual or visit your heavy equipment provider to keep you well-guided.
- Inspect your machine for any wear or damage. As part of your regular heavy equipment maintenance, you must be keen on observing any leaks, cracks and misshaped parts. Before it gets worse, seek some help from the experts on machine and engine repairs as well as overhauling, if needed. Be reminded that too much vibration, shock, high temperatures, friction, and age itself affect your heavy equipment health and may sometimes cause breakdown or downtime.
- Keep your machine clean; store properly. Seals and breathers in your heavy equipment should be cleaned properly on time while filters should be checked and replaced regularly. Also, make sure that the cab and controls are being cleaned on a regular basis as these play vital roles on the functionality of your heavy equipment. Moreover, storing your heavy equipment in a shed or a building that is safe from extreme temperature is also a must to prevent corrosion.
- Create a plan and record everything properly. Keep track of the necessary information about your heavy equipment and plan a schedule of preventive maintenance and repairs, if needed. Have someone to help you with your Equipment Management Solutions to ensure that your equipment are properly taken care of.