Heavy machinery, especially Mining, Industrial or Farming Equipment, requires constant maintenance to keep it in good working order. Conversely, poorly maintained large machinery equipment runs inefficiently. Breakdowns are costly and safety is also an important consideration.
Here are five top tips for large machinery maintenance:
1. Stay on top of large machinery operator training
Many types of large machinery have multiple operators. One of the ongoing inspections on any checklist should be overseeing the correct operation of the equipment.
Large machinery should be inspected as soon as it is purchased. Operator training is usually done at that point, but training needs to be kept up. Employees come and go, skills become rusty and poor operation leads to breakdowns.
Operator manuals can be revised for the specific work situation. They can be rewritten in simpler language. A short manual can be provided to each operator for easy reference. And, if you operate in a paperless environment, you can rest assured operators use the most current version of each manual.
One other note is to identify best practices, which can then be applied to other facilities or geographic locations. The knowledge you learn about how to maintain your equipment can become quite valuable – be sure to best leverage this important knowledge and use it at every applicable location.
2. Add and test lubricants frequently
Lubricants reduce friction around any moving part. A schedule of good lubrication maintenance extends the life of large machinery equipment and parts.
Lubrication is one of the first and most important of maintenance checks. Look for signs of excess oil or grease build-up on pistons. Check for leaks around oil seals.
Be sure to use the right lubricant. There are specific kinds of oil and grease for every component. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Getting the lubricants checked is a good way to diagnose problems with large machinery. Experts analyze particles in the used oil. The makeup of any contaminants will indicate which part may be suffering from wear or breakdown.
3. Check for signs of wear
Vibration, shock, high temperatures, friction and age all contribute to the breakdown of parts in heavy machinery.
- Vibration can come from gears and belts that are out of alignment
- Shock can come from accidents and from poor operator technique
- High temperatures can come from extended use, friction, poor lubrication and worn parts, among other reasons
- Age affects many key components. Over time, belts will warp. Seals will dry and crack. Bolts will loosen and stretch out of shape. Age is a factor to monitor in equipment.
Should you discover wear and tear on any moving parts within your heavy equipment, be sure to quickly perform the necessary replacement of any worn parts.
4. Keep large machinery clean, and maintain a clean environment
There are many seals and filters in place on heavy machinery to keep working parts clean and free of contamination. Seals should be inspected regularly to make sure they’re in good condition. Filters should be inspected and changed regularly. Breathers should be kept clean to avoid creating a vacuum in the cab which will suck contaminants into the cab. The electronics in the cab are susceptible to breakdown if contaminated. This impacts the clutch, for example.
Large machinery should be stored in a shed or other building if at all possible. Exposure to wind and weather can lead to rust and rot. The machinery should be run periodically if it is not in use.
5. Have a maintenance and repair schedule, and keep good records
Fluids, tires, tracks and electrical systems are among the components that have to be checked regularly for preventive maintenance. Know what needs to be inspected and when. Here are some examples.
- Power transmissions have many moving parts that need to be maintained in top condition. Gearboxes need to be checked for lubrication, vibration and damage to parts.
- Friction materials, seals, gaskets and bearings all need to be inspected for wear and replaced. Gears and shafts usually last a long time and don’t need to be replaced often, if at all.
- Drive train components need constant monitoring. Check pulleys and v-belts on CVT transmissions for alignment and wear. Check sprockets for correct meshing with chains and for breaks.
- Test the oil to diagnose problems. Change filters frequently.
- Bearings keep great amounts of force running smoothly and are vital to large machinery performance. Check bearing lubrication often. Maintaining bearings well extends their life.
- Lubricate gears frequently.
- Do a seal check to prevent bearing raceway contamination.
- Run torque checks on the bolts. Bolts can elongate and creep over time.
To conclude, following the above 5 steps can significantly extend the useful life of heavy machinery, improving the Return on Investment from these important purchases. In today’s global manufacturing world, even greater value can be extracted if you have a global knowledge capture and distribution system such that this knowledge of machinery maintenance can be effectively shared across your organization – letting you reap even greater benefits on a much wider scale.
Author Bio
This is a guest post from Jessica Noonan, who is a freelance writer knowledgeable on manufacturing operations. One of her clients is Statewide Bearings, an Australian supplier of bearings, linear motion and power transmission elements. Got an opinion on something within this article? Connect with Jessica on Google+ to discuss!
This eBook contains a collection of articles on Lean manufacturing initiatives from our MT blog.
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Mina Edinburgh
June 18, 2018 at 5:38 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I do like your suggestion of keeping the equipment in a clean storage and make sure that all of its components are clean because that will ensure that it continues to work in its optimal state. I will be sure to share this with my sister since she is planning to rent a few pieces of equipment for her apartment construction project. Considering that the items are rented, it only makes sense that she wants to keep them intact. Thanks!
Becca Holton
December 18, 2017 at 12:34 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It makes sense why having a knowledge of machinery maintenance can let you reap even great benefits on a wider scale. I feel like a little bit of maintenance can go a long way. I’ve heard that something else that can help is by making your equipment is up to date.
WinMain
June 19, 2017 at 1:28 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It’s important to get quality plant and machinery inspection informative site. This blog is really helpful to give a light in this issue. I like your point about training and maintenance
Kylie Dotts
June 13, 2017 at 3:02 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I like how you mentioned how important it is to quickly replace any worn parts. I think this would be particularly important on the machines used in the material handling field. The things used to handle all material is important because if they break then the material being handled has a potential to be damaged. Ensuring that the correct products can be purchased to replace those worn items is important in case an emergency occurs and repairs need to be made quickly.
USA Industrial Tools & Equipment Supplier
June 2, 2017 at 4:26 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Heavy Machinery need extra care and maintenance as compare to other machine. They need extra lubrication and oiling to stay in working order for long time.
John
June 1, 2017 at 12:10 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Such inspections and maintenance is really important in extending the life of your heavy machinery. Nice article you wrote about it…thanks
Alisa
April 14, 2017 at 12:25 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
It’s important to get quality plant and machinery inspection informative site. This blog is really helpful to give a light in this issue. I like your point about training and maintenance
Mathew
April 6, 2017 at 8:58 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Great article! This will help me keep all my equipment maintained for alot longer than usual, thank you for sharing this.
Nipul Dodia
March 20, 2017 at 11:31 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
As per my Experience Other 2 tips are
1) Understand the Warranty: Negotiate the terms and the length of your warranty when you order. Understand the warranty clearly and ensure that it covers the cost of repairs in addition to accidents.
2) Set Aside Emergency Fund: Machines can break down or may need repair work unexpectedly. Even if you have insurance, it is ideal to set aside emergency funds to cover the cost of unexpected, urgent repair and maintenance work.
Accutek Packaging Equipment
March 5, 2017 at 10:53 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks for sharing these amazing tips. Heavy machines need extra care and maintenance. All your tips are useful for machine operators and machinery manufacturers. I would like to get information about this. Keep sharing.
MindMesh
March 3, 2017 at 9:41 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Nice article! i was looking these type of engineering material. This product Is very helpful for engineering work.
polydrive
March 1, 2017 at 1:49 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Maintenance of equipments is very important for proper functioning. I must say tips which have shared are excellent. Practise of this tips will surely help one to extend life & ROI of equipments.
Bernard Clyde
February 23, 2017 at 12:23 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
These are some great tips we’ll have to keep in mind as we try to keep our pneumatic vibrators i good condition. Keeping the environment is something I didn’t realize could help with that. I would add that you need to make sure you are using the right tool for the right job in order to ensure that the tool doesn’t break sooner than intended.
Micro Spares
February 12, 2017 at 11:07 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
This is a great blog for manufacturing companies.
Deedee Lewis
February 6, 2017 at 2:06 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I agree with the tip about keeping working parts clean and free of contamination on heavy machinery. It’s not hard to imagine that heavy machinery can get dirty pretty quickly considering the work that’s done with them. Keeping the maintenance up with the machinery is crucial to how they will perform in the long-run.
Racking2go
January 25, 2017 at 7:44 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks Jessica I found this really useful and especially the last part about maintenance and servicing.
Zachary Tomlinson
January 24, 2017 at 3:21 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Your statement to check and replace lubricant frequently means a lot. In my opinion, people don’t realize that their car or whatever needs that kind of thing. I bought a used, old truck, and I’m trying to find a good machine shop to help me repair it, but I don’t know where to look.
John Ferrell
January 17, 2017 at 2:48 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I like that you said that vibration can come form gears and belts that are out of alignment. If a machine was being run by me then I would want to know that everything is in the right place and working the right way. I think that it might be important to do a quick inspection before running any machinery or packaging it.
jresquival
December 20, 2016 at 5:42 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
That’s a good tip to stay on top of large machinery training. You wouldn’t want to damage someone or the machine. I’ll have to keep that in mind if I ever have to operate a big machine.
Cindy Tesler
December 15, 2016 at 1:01 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks for the tip to stay on top of large machinery training, to make sure that everyone stays safe on the job. I agree that you should check and add lubricants as needed to your machines to keep them in optimal condition. I think it’s a good idea to choose a construction company that only employs licensed professionals so that you are confident in their team.
kk sharma
December 6, 2016 at 5:36 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Great post, these are so good tips and these are best to keep our machine healthy. we are using these tips on daily bases. these are practical tips for us.
john Mahoney
December 5, 2016 at 2:44 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
thank you for taking the time to write this tips, I find them very helpful. I hadn’t thought about making a maintenance and repair schedule to keep the systems and machines working properly. I can see why this would be useful, you want to know how your items are getting used and plan ahead when they look worn out.
Aiza shah
November 28, 2016 at 9:32 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Very useful information. Thanks for the sharing. When you have the heavy machinery then you do should be maintain them. You can check Other Machinery & Industry Equipment.
Helen
November 16, 2016 at 8:19 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Just like the annual check-up with your physician, a regular check-up on the overall functionality and condition of your heavy machinery helps keep the continuity of what is expected and the standard performance of your equipment.
Georgia Boothe
October 25, 2016 at 1:49 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m glad you listed staying on top of operator training as the first tip. It is so important to make sure that everyone who runs the machinery knows exactly how to handle it. It’s easy for little things to be missed when training is passed down from person to person. When one person is responsible for all the training, it ensures that every worker gets the information they need to operate the machinery properly.
Ecoblast Supplies
September 28, 2016 at 7:29 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
great advice on how to keep heavy machinery maintained
Jayesh Jani
September 4, 2016 at 9:54 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanking for sharing this informative article. It will help us for maintaining our machinery properly. Thanx for sharing this types of article. Keep Sharing this type of article in future.
Best backhoe loader
August 26, 2016 at 4:34 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Useful information. Maintainence of heavy machine is the big task for any project. Thanks for sharing is info. I am a civil engineer and currently I am working on 3 projects.
Paul
August 5, 2016 at 5:56 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
So simple yet so often forgotten about. A must-read, well done.
D.B Agasti
August 2, 2016 at 4:09 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Great post, thanks for sharing.
Zequek Estrada
June 15, 2016 at 6:18 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I think tip five about keeping a schedule is a good idea. Organization is a good skill to have. I’d imagine it would make these other equipment maintenance tips get done.
Sanket Singh
June 8, 2016 at 12:03 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Nice and Very Informative Post it is. I LIke this post and thanks for sharing this informative post with us…..
premierattachments
June 1, 2016 at 5:08 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanking for sharing this informative article. It will help us for maintaining our machinery properly. Thanx for sharing this types of article. Keep Sharing this type of article in future. All the Best.
Lillian Moore
May 19, 2016 at 2:43 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks for the article! I thought it was interesting that you suggest keeping a consistent maintenance and repair schedule for your machinery. Materials on the machines may require more attention to be able to run at the top level. I can see how making sure that each machine is specifically cared for can make jobs more efficient and effective. I really appreciate your input and hope to apply these tips to my own work.
Zequek Estrada
May 17, 2016 at 6:20 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
There are some really good quality points for keeping good machinery maintenance. Organization seems to be a key factor when it comes to keeping good maintenance. I’d imagine that forgetting to do one of these five things could really throw off the schedule.
Jack Davis
May 7, 2016 at 2:27 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi
Very useful information. Thanks for sharing!!
For proper maintenance cleaning of machines is also important. Cleaning machines have been developed to provide fast and efficient cleaning of manufactured components. Their are different cleaning machines models available to suit various component sizes.
Sandy Hopes
April 23, 2016 at 1:28 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Its really a good blog on plant and machinery inspection. I appreciate your article. Its important to get quality plant and machinery inspection informative site. This blog is really helpful to give a light in this issue. So thanks for sharing all that important information.
Hazel Owens
March 21, 2016 at 6:16 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I like your tip to have a maintenance and repair schedule for you equipment. Heavy construction equipment can start to have safety and efficiency issues if it gets worn down. Performing simple maintenance tasks and making repairs when needed can make your equipment last longer. Thanks for the tips.
Howard Reed
March 3, 2016 at 7:02 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks for pointing out that maintaining a good schedule can help extend the life of the equipment. With such large machines, they can experience a lot of stress, and making sure that they are looked at properly will keep the equipment as well as the workers safe. I’ll have to make sure that the companies that i hire are doing this as well.
Christina Grover
January 22, 2016 at 12:56 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I agree that keeping machinery clean and in a clean environment is important for proper function. My grandfather owns a farm and all of his tractors are always kept maintained. I remember helping him clean them when I was a kid. I’m sure making repairs is a lot less expensive than having to buy new.
David - Walshmfg.com
January 14, 2016 at 8:37 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Great maintenance tips! Machine maintenance can be a bit challenge if we don’t know the characteristic of each machines. Making a repair schedules with regular reports is a good idea to monitor the condition of the machine itself, in which we will know better time to do some parts changing or cleaning.
Daniela Adams
September 23, 2015 at 3:16 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Safety should be a top priority when working with heavy machinery. I like your point about training and maintenance. We always strive to have professionals who are experts at using the equipment, and we have them train others on how to use them and do checkups properly.
OnTrac Parts
August 5, 2015 at 9:03 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
We’ve been saying this for years!! Time is money in this industry.
I mean.. look at our tracks for example! They are the EXACT same product manufactured sometimes literally in the same exact plant, but John Deere, CAT and other dealers charge anywhere from $500 – $2,000 more for them!
Mark
July 3, 2015 at 3:14 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks for the useful tips and advice Jessica.
Visit Header Machine Website
June 17, 2015 at 12:42 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
The equipment maintenance tips are more useful for every machinery operators. Thanks for your post sharing.
Nice..
MachineryZone
May 26, 2015 at 7:32 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
These maintenance tips should be common practice for every heavy machinery operator. Indeed, a carefully maintained equipment is more likely to attract potential buyers when resold as a used machinery on the market.
Machinery Sheds Supplier
February 8, 2015 at 4:59 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
Katco CQ Plant Hire
January 4, 2015 at 10:44 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
This is such a great post. Every construction operator should know these maintenance tips to extend equipment life.
Polyurethane Rollers
May 28, 2014 at 11:37 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
with proper maintenance and care these machinery can run for longer time and you cant believe how much you can save end of the year by increasing the lifetime in 5 mins in every single replacement. Not like small machinery, these spare parts cost lot of money and by running them for 5 minutes longer mean,saving lots of spare parts cost.
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March 29, 2017 at 10:18 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Maintaining your equipment will make it last longer, thus maximizing your return on investment.
The Importance of Regular Maintenance of Farm Machinery – Site Title
March 15, 2017 at 7:33 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Also, it is easier on the wallet to replace small parts than to buy all new equipment. Visit this article if you want to learn more tips on how to properly maintain and get the best return on investment.
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December 19, 2016 at 2:58 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Of the major causes of technical issues in a business is that far too many people neglect the maintenance of their equipment. They take for granted that it all works fine right up until the moment that it doesn’t work.
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