Routine & Preventative Maintenance of Construction Heavy Equipment

Heavy equipment is used for many construction projects including road construction. This equipment is large and heavy to tackle big construction jobs and to lift heavy loads. Because of the hard use it gets, it needs scheduled maintenance to remain in top shape and to be safe for the people operating and working around it. Good maintenance, safety rules, and intensive training of the operators will go a long way to avert heavy equipment accidents and mishaps.  

Inspect Equipment Often and Replace Damaged or worn Parts

Large equipment owners must do machinery maintenance to keep the equipment working and jobs getting done on time. They have a choice in types of maintenance. A large equipment owner can rely on reactive maintenance which involves repairing equipment once it breaks down or is having problems. This will likely require a quick emergency response that costs a large amount of money and job slowdowns. 

Large equipment owners should choose to do preventative large equipment maintenance. In this type of maintenance, equipment is regularly inspected and serviced to prevent breakdowns and problems. Preventative maintenance saves money and prevents job slowdowns due to equipment failure. Scheduled maintenance will include cleaning machinery and inspecting the equipment for any potential problems. Scheduling may depend on a set number of hours of usage or on mileage. Some companies schedule maintenance at set intervals. Older equipment should be inspected and serviced more often.

If a part needs replacing and funds are low, owners can consider purchasing used heavy equipment parts. A dependable parts company such as Columbus Equipment Company will stock both new and used equipment parts. Some parts are fine to purchase used and other parts should be purchased new. The right supplier will advise equipment owners on which parts to buy new or used. Do not attempt to operate heavy equipment with parts that are defective, damaged, or worn out.

Advice On A Good Maintenance and Safety Plan

Owners of construction companies who use heavy equipment should start by purchasing top-quality machinery. They should purchase the correct equipment for the type of construction their company will be doing. Once the heavy equipment has been purchased, it should be properly stored and maintained. The benefits of ongoing scheduled maintenance include better equipment performance, less downtime, and longer-lasting equipment. These benefits mean more money in the business owner’s pocket.

Daily maintenance should include checking equipment fluid levels, inspecting the tracks and tires, lubricating and cleaning all moving parts, and checking the functionality of safety equipment and parts. In addition to daily maintenance, the equipment manufacturer’s guidelines for maintenance and part replacement should be followed and some maintenance tasks should be done by trained technicians. 

Steps To Ensure a Good Maintenance Program

There are helpful steps for implementing a successful maintenance plan. Make a list of all the equipment the company owns along with information such as manufacturer’s guidelines, age of equipment, equipment owner’s manuals, and work history. List required maintenance for each piece of equipment.

• Train the equipment operators and the maintenance team in the proper operation of the equipment and in both preventative and reactive maintenance. Then ask for regular feedback on each piece of equipment.
• It is very helpful to create maintenance checklists for each piece of equipment. Checklists can be downloadable from the internet. They can also be developed on the company computers and be readily printable. These checklists should be made referring to manufactures’ manuals, recommendations, and guidelines.
• The maintenance manager can create maintenance schedules for each piece of equipment and assign the tasks to the right people.

Construction equipment gets heavy use in all types of conditions. This may lead to additional maintenance and repair needs. A maintenance schedule may need to be altered depending on the site conditions and the age of the equipment. But, good maintenance saves money and keeps construction jobs on schedule.