Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Facts About Heavy Equipment Service

By Harriet Porter


Components of heavy machinery are subjected to severe destructive environmental conditions of wear. Using the hard-facing process, wear and tear can be reduced in a cost effective way that also increases the service life of such machines. There are various reasons why heavy equipment service is an important inclusion when considering their use. The problem of wear and tear is among the biggest that encourages servicing. Metal to metal and abrasive wear are the two most common.

Metal to metal wear is experienced when two or more metallic surfaces slide against each other when they are subjected to some pressure. This is mostly experienced in non-lubricated and dry surfaces. Abrasive wear is experienced whenever materials that are non-metallic roll or slide across surfaces that are metallic. The type of wear will be determined by properties of the wear material and the abrasive material. Such surfaces would need to be serviced regularly lest the machines break down.

Just like their name suggests, heavy equipment perform heavy duty work. For a smooth run, there needs to be routine checks on the machine as well as preventive maintenance. These have to be carried out because they do not only enhance performance but also safety. It will also ensure that equipment owners avoid high repair costs since operational problems are discovered in time and corrected.

It is important to work with mechanics that have the relevant experience and have been trained to handle such machines. After ensuring that is done, the operating manual which came at purchase time should always be ready. It will always have important information on how frequent servicing should be done.

The manuals of operation also have information on procedures of lubrication, oil level checks, emission control and other critical specifications. Maintenance schedule should be planned and is based on various factors. These factors include among others driving conditions, covered distance, loads carried and equipment speed. They have considerable effect on wear and tear since high speeds call for higher maintenance costs. The frequency of maintenance will increase as well. When loads are heavier, servicing has to be more frequent.

Maintenance manuals normally recommend optimum schedule and the one that is most suitable is selected and implemented from the available choices. Doing preventive maintenance will help in identifying and tackling problems which are certain to lead to bigger issues. There should be regular checking of engine oil and pressure of tires in the case of machines that have them.

Operators of these machines should be able to perform most of the required servicing, more so the little ones. Lights, air and oil filters, coolant, belts and hoses should be checked. These machines should also meet requirements of transport authorities just in case they get to check. There normally is an annual inspection to check whether they comply with safety rules.

Service is also done by professional companies. These specialize in repairs and can be contracted for such jobs. The main reason why it is best to have the job done by experienced personnel is the expertise with which the job will be done. Unlike in instances when the job is done individually, there is the guarantee that it will be done properly.




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