Whether you are out there buying new or used construction equipment, it definitely can take a hit on your pockets. Heavy machinery, which is used for construction, requires constant maintenance to ensure that you make the most out of, conversely poorly maintained heavy machinery is not only inefficient but also; its life can be cut short due to constant breakdowns and high repair and maintenance costs.
These breakdowns are not only costly but also can comprise the health and safety of anyone operating that machine.
This article outlines the steps that one needs to certify so that you would be able to use your equipment efficiently and profitably. These are the few ways to extend the life of your equipment
1. Keeping in touch with your Supplier: Once you buy heavy material handling equipment, you shouldn’t just consider it as an end of the transaction, and instead, you should try to build on the relationship with your supplier. Your supplier isn’t just an ordinary salesperson, but preferably his experience and knowledge can be an asset for you. There can be many questions and queries which can arise if you are purchasing a piece of equipment for the first time, and having a good relationship with the supplier can serve as an anchor. He can adequately explain to you regarding assembling, operations and maintenance of your equipment and can still be available for after-sales service. Furthermore, he can hook you up with some excellent service and insurance deals and can even recommend or shop were shops where you can get replacement parts should in the future there is a need that arises. This relationship with the supplier would also be beneficial if going forward, and you would require another equipment or a piece.
2. Get Proper Training: Before you start working with any machine, you must learn the ins and outs of that. Getting trained before you start working can make a huge difference not only how efficiently you operate but also on the life of the equipment. The wear and tear and breakdown ratio are quite high when especially when operators are not aware and unsure as to how to operate the equipment. And since the cost of such material is significantly high, employers don’t want to see them breaking down so often, as repairs can be expensive.
By getting proper induction and training, and even one to one session in some cases, you are creating an environment where well-informed operators exist, and chances of accidents and reduced drastically. After a short period, you can also make use of the refreshers course so that you remain updated with the procedures of running the equipment smoothly
3. Having a Proper Maintenance and Repair Schedule: Construction equipment or heavy machinery requires regular preventive maintenance and checkup so that they can operate smoothly. You can check the manual script to learn about the maintenance schedule and the specific parts which need on-time maintenance or replacement. Regular checkups often include changing filters, fluids, power transmissions, tires, tracks, and lubricating gearboxes. You also need to look out for worn-out components and replacing them promptly.
Make a proper schedule and set reminders, since it is easy to forget this once you get going. Nonetheless, your equipment must be well kept and properly maintained. There is no room for negligence since the repairs would not only take a hit on your purse but would cause irreversible damage to the life cycle of your equipment.
This extra effort that you put in would save you time and money, especially during large construction projects. Taking extra care of your equipment would prolong its life and would give you a higher resale value.
4. Storage Facility: While on-time maintenance and regular checkup for worn-torn components is one part of the job, the second part is the storage area and facility. Although the construction equipment withstands all these shocks and tears from the construction, however, they are not intended to be left out in the open at the job site or exposed to the weather for prolonged periods. A proper storage facility can go a long way in extending the life of the equipment and preventing them from wear and tear by the weather. Temperature and weather-related stresses can be ignored if the machine is stored right away, once it’s no longer in use at the job site. This way, you save your machinery from elements such as rust and other effects from weather dump. It is also ideal to invest in covers and different protective layers, which may give your machine some additional resistance from the weather and temperature.
5. Record and Schedule Everything: Having a reliable business procedural system can make everything more systematic and more comfortable. Maintaining specific logs and records can help you a long way in making sure that your equipment is well looked after and handled. These records can help you keep track of all those costs which you have forgone and can help you estimate the number of hours the machine has worked, its operating costs, and it’s maintenance charges, etc. All this information is necessary when you try to book a schedule for maintenance and repairs. These records can also help you assist its performance and efficiency, and with specific dates and documents of repairs, you can also identify recurring issues and resolve them or devise solutions that can help in avoiding them in the future.
Without having a well-maintained record and a proper schedule system, chances of breakdowns and accidents substantially increase, and which not only causes delays but can shorten the life of your equipment.
Conclusion: Your construction equipment can last longer if you take extra care of them. You should not wait for problems to appear before you act; instead, you should act tactfully and plan since it would not only save your time but money as well.
