A Complete Guide for Planned Maintenance of Construction Equipment
Oded Ran, CEO and Co-Founder of Clue since 2019, expertly integrates AI and data tools to revolutionize construction equipment management and maintenance, positioning Clue as a premier software choice in the construction industry.
Ensuring your equipment and fleet vehicles are running smoothly and efficiently is a part of achieving process excellence in construction. Many construction site owners face multiple losses during their projects due to negligence in scheduling the planned maintenance of construction equipment.
As a construction site owner, your main goal is to provide your customers with projects on time, without complaints or losses. Keeping track of your construction equipment's maintenance is not only beneficial to your work but will also create a worthy reputation.
What is the Planned Maintenance of Construction Equipment?
It is a procedure that utilizes preventive measures that can save you a lot of time, money, and labor. The planned maintenance of construction equipment allows managers to resolve issues that might arise in the future.
This means workers won't be scrambling to fix a broken machine, halting all construction work. Instead, you'll have addressed the issue beforehand, keeping the project running smoothly.
In the year 2016, the National Institute of Standards and Technology provided insight into the costs of machinery maintenance which were a whopping $74.5 billion however when compared with the preventable losses because of maintenance were even higher leading to $119.1 billion in the manufacturing sector.
Various Maintenance Strategies for Construction Equipment
Reactive
This is not considered planned maintenance of construction equipment because it occurs when all hell breaks loose and one of your machinery items or fleet vehicles breaks down, causing havoc on the construction site. We are trying to avoid this kind of maintenance.
Pro-active
Two types of Proactive maintenance help efficiently utilize time, money, and effort.
Preventive
These preventive maintenance plans are based on time and usage. Maintenance planning is conducted every six months, annually, or after a certain usage limit (e.g., 12,000 Km or 20,000 miles). However, one must know which equipment needs the most maintenance; otherwise, it could be costly.
Predictive
This would be a cost-effective option but can be tricky sometimes because it depends on machinery performance to prompt maintenance planning.
It can be performed by the technicians or laborers working on the machine and does not require highly qualified professionals.
This technique can also be considered proactive because the problem will likely be resolved when the machine shows initial signs of failure.
This type of approach works with every machine individually.
Some examples would be oil changes, pressure checks, tire inspections, brake checks, fluid level checks, and many more.
Importance of Planned Maintenance of Construction Equipment
Reduction of Downtime
When you consider planning maintenance on your construction equipment, you are saving yourself from a lot of trouble in the future. For example, your high-powered machine may break down, or your fleet vehicle may be stuck in the middle of its route.
This will delay completing other related tasks. One problem will lead to another, and you won't know how many pieces of equipment will be idle, waiting for operations to restart.
Safety Regulations
21% of all deaths in the US are due to construction accidents, which accounted for 1,008 deaths in the year 2021. While most of these are caused by slips and falls ( 35%), others are due to electrocution(7.6%), being struck (17%), and being caught (5.8%).
As a construction site owner, it is your responsibility to develop a critical and effective equipment maintenance plan to ensure that no such fatalities occur on your property.
If a machine breaks down or experiences a component failure, it can damage not only the operator but also the workers working alongside it, other equipment, and machinery, and be hazardous to the environment.
Cost Saving
According to NIST, in 2016, the profit made due to maintenance planning in construction was up to $73.8 billion! $6.5 billion was garnered from reducing downtime, and the remaining $67.3 billion was from increased sales.
Consider this: If your machine breaks down, you have to order parts immediately, which costs you additional money for next-day delivery and the loss of downtime as well.
Not only this but if that machine causes other machinery to malfunction, it will be a huge mess that will cost you a large sum of money and delay the delivery of the project.
Increase the Longevity of Equipment
Wouldn't it be better if you didn't need to order new machinery now and then? Preventive maintenance allows you to maintain the longevity of your heavy machinery by constantly repairing and fixing any kind of malfunction before it gets too bad.
This will save you the hassle of ordering new machinery during a project (if it breaks down suddenly) and downtime.
How Do You Prepare for the Planned Maintenance of Construction Equipment?
You need to learn how to perform planned maintenance of construction equipment to ensure smooth and effective operation.
You can also utilize Clue's software to keep track of tools that need to be repaired and parts that need to be ordered before they wear out.
Let's check out how you can benefit from Clue!
Step #1: Choose a Tracking Software
While you can use Excel sheets, handwritten checklists, or boards to track and manage maintenance programs, Clue offers a more efficient solution. With Clue, you can seamlessly track, manage, and schedule maintenance tasks. Additionally, the app helps monitor inventory, equipment lifespan, and the workers assigned to each piece of machinery.
Step #2: List the Equipment in Need of Maintenance
Clue's inventory and rental management features help you know exactly what needs to be restocked, refueled, and repaired.
The software also offers an asset management feature that allows you to see an exact report of which machinery is working with the flow and which needs to be replaced, repaired, and inspected.
Step#3: Create a Schedule
You need a maintenance schedule depending on the number of hours the machine has worked or the distances covered.
For example:
Clue will remind you to schedule a construction equipment maintenance plan every 6000 hours your machine has operated or every 6 months/month/year. Depending on the type of fleet vehicle, it can be every 5000 miles/km.
The app is equipped with advanced technology that sends alerts for weather changes such as rain, snow, or storms.
Step#4: Train Your Staff to Upkeep the Machinery
In a case study, 150 samples were studied, and data showed that 64% of errors were skill-based, indicating the poor training of the staff present on the site.
Even though Clue can help you track your employees' work hours, in and out timings, and categorize responsibilities effectively, it is still important that you train your staff well enough that they don't abuse the machinery or try to work on it with visible defects showing.
Step #5: Assign Duties
With Clue, you can assign responsibilities to individual employees or entire teams, ensuring focused attention on specific tasks.
This system allows for clear accountability, making it easier to identify and address any issues.
Additionally, Clue can be used to plan incentives for employees who demonstrate skill and efficiency.
Step #6: Maintain a Checklist
Only 23% of organizations consider using construction project management software like Clue to run their business, which shows why 70% of these have had project failures in the past 12 months, wasting 122 million USD from the 1 billion USD investments.
With Clue, managing reports and follow-up actions becomes much easier, as the app maintains a detailed maintenance history.
This feature enables you to create checklists for items needing further repair and those ready for use again.
Step #7: Get Advice from Professionals
Bring your team of technicians and operators to the site and train them to use Clue for analytics and reporting.
The app integrates data seamlessly, providing your team with comprehensive diagnostics and actionable insights.
Comprehensive Reporting & Analytics
Make data-driven decisions with Clue's robust reporting and analytics features. Gain insights into your operations and improve performance.
Step#8: Identify and Find Solutions for Equipment Failure Problems
When you connect your heavy machinery and fleet vehicles to Clue's app via the GPS tracking system, you can monitor and address issues that might lead to equipment failure.
Given that aging equipment accounts for 40% of failures, regular maintenance is crucial.
Machinery can break down due to worn-out parts, lack of lubrication, or other maintenance issues. Even unexpected failures from electrical shocks or overloads can be anticipated with Clue's data warnings, helping you stay ahead of potential problems and minimize downtime.
What are the Important Steps to Take While Performing Equipment Maintenance?
Here's an extra tip to help you develop an effective maintenance plan: While Clue can identify problems and suggest solutions, it's still your responsibility to order repairs promptly. Staying proactive with maintenance ensures equipment longevity and reduces unexpected downtime.
1. Keep Note of Fluid Levels
With the fuel management category, you can track engine oil, hydraulic oil, transmission fluid, and engine coolant simultaneously.
These indicate a machine's true health.
2. Don't Forget Lubrication!
As mentioned earlier, lubrication is crucial to a machine's working ability. Without proper and frequent lubrication, the parts will wear out before the end of their life cycle.
3. Always Keep Electrical Wiring in the Cover
Electrical wiring will keep your workers safe from shocks or accidents and ensure the longevity of your assets. A secure cover can help prevent rainwater, melted ice, or snow from entering your wiring.
4. Check for any Potential Leaks
Keep an eye out for leaky valves. Timely inspections can save you a lot of time and effort. Leaks can cause many problems, so it's better to check those whenever possible.
5. Be Aware of the Tire and Axle Coordination
Fleet vehicles usually acquire mud, debris, or loose gravel on the way, which can cause poor tire and axle coordination. Getting it cleaned regularly can prevent sudden breakdowns on the field.
Get Clue to Help You!
Effective maintenance planning is essential for running a construction project efficiently. Relying on heaps of paperwork, manual notes, and paper checklists isn't practical for an aspiring contractor. Clue offers a streamlined solution that eliminates these outdated methods, ensuring your maintenance plans are organized, up-to-date, and easily accessible.
Instead of losing profits, customers and running around for repairmen and new parts, consider utilizing Clue's software, which brings all your management problems under a single pane of glass.
With Clue, you won't have to remind everyone about potential repairs and preventive maintenance; rather, the app itself will highlight issues, analyze data, and report on the health of your assets/machinery.
FAQs
What is the most important part of the planned maintenance of construction equipment?
The most important part of planned maintenance includes routine scheduling for mandatory service tasks such as lubrication and oil or filter changes. Fluid analysis is crucial in all equipment servicing. Additionally, visual inspections are vital, transforming routine maintenance into a proactive approach.
How can I track and monitor the maintenance history of my construction equipment?
What indicators suggest it's time for immediate maintenance of construction equipment?
- Low Fluid Levels: Leaking coolant or hydraulic oils indicate a problem.
- Exhaust Problems: Unusual exhaust emissions suggest maintenance is needed.
- Dashboard Warning Lights: Warning lights on the dashboard signal that immediate attention is required.
Are any specialized tools or software available to assist in managing planned maintenance for construction equipment?
Yes, several specialized tools and software are available to assist in managing planned maintenance for construction equipment, including:
- Inventory Management System
- Heavy Equipment Maintenance Software
- GPS Tracking for Construction Equipment
- End-to-End Equipment Software Solutions
- Work Orders Management
- Fleet Telematics Integrations
- Equipment Assets Management
- Equipment Maintenance & Repair Systems
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