How Often Should Heavy Equipment Be Serviced?

As a result of owning a piece of heavy equipment, your goal is to maintain it in order to keep it functioning as long as possible. In addition to extending the lifespan of the equipment, proper maintenance increases productivity while the machines are on the job.

It’s very important to pay close attention to the operator’s manual when making maintenance decisions for heavy equipment. Keeping a chart for each machine could be beneficial so you know when these intervals fall; thus, you can plan accordingly. Performing heavy equipment repairs during the midst of a large project is not a good idea when you could have done the work ahead of time.

Furthermore, you should inspect your parts frequently and evaluate how they perform. It is vital to get a machine serviced if you know that a part or function isn’t working as well as it should. Communication is key to ensuring that small problems are reported as soon as they arise in your organization.

It is more cost-effective to be proactive about heavy equipment repair and maintenance work rather than reactive, as allowing small problems to fester, or not keeping service up to date, has many negative consequences. Getting small issues fixed quickly will likely result in a simpler, cheaper repair. Repairing something earlier is less expensive than fixing it later.

In addition, if your heavy equipment is not performing at its peak due to a lack of maintenance work, you’re not going to get the job done as efficiently and productively as you could. As well, if you experience a major service glitch in the middle of the project, you could experience costly downtime, which will delay your project and lead to unnecessary expenditures.

You may find it helpful to keep in touch with your heavy equipment service provider if you have questions regarding a specific situation. They will tell you if an issue is serious, and when you should have your heavy equipment serviced. Finding a reputable service dealer is like finding a reliable mechanic. You need someone who you can trust to be honest and trustworthy, while also possessing the requisite expertise and experience to help you.

The Purpose of Preventative Maintenance

No matter whether the equipment is having operational problems or not, preventative maintenance needs to be performed on a schedule. A regular inspection can be integrated into your company’s repair and maintenance schedule, preventing your equipment from needing to stop operating before it is serviced. A regular inspection increases uptime and productivity in your company.

Maintaining your fleet is one of the most valuable practices to maintain if you want to prevent construction project delays caused by inclement weather or other factors that are out of your control.

The regular maintenance schedule should include frequent cleaning. In fact, the idea that it is important to clean before inspecting is fundamental to preventative maintenance. In addition to cleaning heavy equipment, a visual inspection should be performed to identify any potential issues that might arise.

Despite the fact that preventive maintenance can’t prevent all breakdowns, it can reduce how often they occur, which is one reason why it’s so important. You might want to consider predictive maintenance in order to push your service to the next level. Although similar, both have unique factors that make one more suitable for your fleet.

Comparing Preventative Maintenance With Predictive Maintenance

Machines should undergo prevention servicing on a set schedule regardless of whether they need immediate attention. When checking for replaceable items, it examines factors that could indicate deterioration in the equipment.

The term “predictive maintenance” refers to when monitoring equipment alerts a requirement for maintenance. Your fleet may need less predictive maintenance than preventative maintenance, depending on how old it is. Older machinery will have to be repaired more frequently as it ages, so you will likely need more services. If you opt for these methods, you’ll need to store accurate records of your service schedule and install monitoring devices on your equipment.

As you monitor your machines, you will determine when the best time is to service your fleet. You will no longer need to perform regular inspections, as the monitoring equipment will do it for you. Innovative technologies are making fleet maintenance more efficient with methods such as this.

An easier, lower-tech approach is to schedule service intervals for your fleet on a regular basis. Nevertheless, if you find that the machinery has more wear each time you service it, then you may have to modify your schedule, especially for older equipment. Inspecting and repairing heavy equipment becomes more necessary as wear increases.

A certain number of usage hours or mileage may trigger preventative maintenance. The schedule is based on the equipment’s use and requires records of how the employees use the equipment, but it doesn’t consider conditions that might cause more strain on the equipment. Motors that run in freezing temperatures are more likely to strain batteries, and motors can overheat if they aren’t properly cooled during hot weather. You may be able to get better service if you apply predictive maintenance to your equipment after use in extreme conditions.

Maintenance of Heavy Equipment Through Preventative Measures

Changing the styles of service you offer does not need to be drastic if your business relies on reactive maintenance. You can use many methods to enhance your maintenance program’s service side. You should employ as many approaches as possible to get the best performance from your equipment, including:

• Equipment purchase: When purchasing equipment for your business, make sure you select the correct model. Do not buy an undersized piece of equipment just to save money. Over time, it will wear out sooner and end up costing you more money. Consider the job when choosing construction equipment.
• Use correct machinery: Do not use machinery that is not approved for the weight at hand. Incorrect use of equipment, overburdening it, or overloading it can void your warranty, put your workers at risk, and stress the engine and components.
• Inspect to clean: After the equipment is cleaned, the worker needs to thoroughly inspect it. During an inspection, the worker should use a checklist to ensure they have checked all components to determine if service is needed. If anything unusual is found, then the machine must be repaired or replaced before going back to work.
• Schedule services according to OEM recommendations: Refer to the service schedule recommended by the manufacturer. The vendor, or the manufacturer, will have this information on their website. Technicians that are approved to work on that brand will also know what the scheduled maintenance intervals are.
• Worker education: Train employees on how to operate the machines they use. Heavy equipment can be adversely affected by improper use. Untrained workers should never operate the equipment. Also, operators must be taught to recognize potential issues with machinery during operation.
• Education of maintenance workers: Reeducate workers who have only performed reactive maintenance on your heavy equipment on the importance of proactive maintenance to prevent bigger problems. Explain to them the importance of preventative maintenance so they’ll understand why their tasks are important to your business.

Find out more about heavy equipment in BC by contacting Great West Equipment today. As your trusted Volvo Construction Equipment dealer, You can also call us at 1-888-492-4365.