Routine & Preventive Maintenance Services for Heavy Equipment

Heavy equipment services are essential in construction and mining industries, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.

Without proper maintenance of heavy equipment, machinery can become prone to frequent breakdowns, delays, and a safety risk for workers and those around the equipment.

In this blog, we will dive into the critical aspects of routine and preventive maintenance services and answer the what, why, and how.

By the end of this blog, we assure you that you will have a solid understanding of your equipment and how to improve your equipment management.

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What is Routine and Preventive Maintenance?

Routine and preventive maintenance refers to the regular inspections and service tasks that ensure the equipment can perform optimally.

In the case of heavy equipment maintenance, this means reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns and prolonging the machinery's lifespan.

US factories use an estimated $40 billion of outdated equipment, costing them $50 billion in unexpected equipment downtimes.

Routine maintenance focuses on daily and weekly maintenance tasks.

These tasks include:

• Fluid checks
• Part inspections
• Cleaning

Preventive maintenance, on the other hand, the proactive steps taken by project managers to help avoid any delays and downtimes, based on proper research and looking into the equipment history.

Preventive maintenance aims to combat the wear and tear that the equipment experiences over time.

Project managers can easily prevent and address issues using a routine and preventive maintenance plan before they progress further.

Construction equipment maintenance becomes much more manageable when a clear plan is in place, helping you avoid downtime, ensure safety, and reduce operating costs.

According to a study, approximately 76% of manufacturing firms prioritize preventive maintenance 

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What Is The Importance of Routine and Preventive Maintenance?

Implementing a solid preventive maintenance plan has numerous benefits for businesses operating heavy machinery, including:

• Construction equipment maintenance prevents unexpected failures of scheduled maintenance for construction equipment. Anticipating and managing potential problems in the early stages helps you to sidestep costly failures that might shut down your operations.

• Preventive maintenance permits the recognition of little issues that could advance into critical breakdowns if they go without attention. Investigating and solving these little problems prevents the need for construction equipment repairs, thereby saving you replacement expenses and shortening your project duration. 

• Routine care of heavy equipment lengthens its functioning time. When overseeing either a set of heavy trucks or unique construction machinery, maintaining a preventive maintenance plan keeps your equipment in optimal condition for the most prolonged period, lowering the frequency of requiring early replacements. 

• Improved equipment maintenance leads to seamless operation and, thus, better site operations. Contractors and operators can eliminate disturbances caused by malfunctioning equipment by implementing construction equipment maintenance routines. 

• A construction equipment daily checklist helps to enhance a fleet's reliability when followed. Ensuring that your projects remain on time and under budget is possible with improved operations and fewer interruptions. Inspections are carried out to reduce risks and improve job site safety by stopping accidents tied to equipment malfunctions.

• An effective heavy equipment program that includes safety standards for maintenance work mitigates liabilities and creates a safer work environment for all staff. 

• Poorly maintained equipment can manufacture substandard results, leading to material squandering. A preventive maintenance plan helps you lessen errors and ensure your equipment runs efficiently, thus decreasing scrap materials and unrequired waste.

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How To Prepare Routine and Preventive Maintenance Program

Creating an effective preventive maintenance plan requires a comprehensive approach. Here are essential steps to help you develop a successful maintenance program for your fleet.

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1. Identify the Preventive Maintenance Program Components

Start by reviewing your fleet at a single time. Each piece of heavy equipment used for excavation, transportation, or material handling should have a specific maintenance schedule based on its operational hours.

This schedule should also be based on manufacturer guidelines and the working environment.

Tailor your plan to each machine's unique requirements for construction machinery maintenance.

Some significant components you should focus on include:

• Asset Inventory
• Equipment Prioritization
• Routine Inspections
• Lubrication 
• Usage-based Maintenance
• Equipment Lifecycle
• Reports and Analytics 

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2. Administer the Equipment Maintenance Plan

Appoint a dedicated team or individual responsible for overseeing the heavy equipment services. 

Ensure they know the manufacturer’s recommendations and industry standards for heavy equipment maintenance. 

Some of the main industry standards that must be focused on include:

• Inspecting the hydraulic system.
• Checking the transmission fluid level.
• Inspecting the electrical system.
• Checking for the dashboard warning lights.
• Testing the wipers.
• Checking the wheel alignments.
• Inspecting the tires for wear and tear.

Maintenance tasks profit from an organized division of labor that ensures guarding against inconsistencies.

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3. Set Servicing Intervals or Milestones for Equipment 

Determine certain milestones or service intervals for each piece of machinery according to hourly usage, miles traveled, or days from the calendar. 

For instance, heavy truck maintenance may require more frequent inspections due to constant road use, while stationary equipment may have different service needs.

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4. Documenting Equipment Maintenance

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Full records of every maintenance effort are necessary for monitoring the equipment's history. 

Accurate records of inspections and repairs help equipment managers manage the fleet more efficiently and provide valuable information for future service decisions, warranty claims, and potential resale.

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5. Communicating Equipment Maintenance Information Clearly

Ensure your maintenance team can access all necessary documentation, including equipment manuals, construction equipment daily checklist logs, and maintenance guidelines. 

This confirms that relentless maintenance practices agree with the manufacturer’s recommendations and best practices.

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Preparing a Heavy Equipment Maintenance Checklist

A heavy equipment checklist provides a structured, easy-to-follow guide for your operators and maintenance personnel. 

It ensures that significant phases obtain attention and that gear works optimally.

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1. Elements Of a Good Checklist

A good checklist should include the following elements:

A) Safety

Safety should be your priority. You should check safety reviews, including assessing emergency systems, verifying that safety characteristics are operational, and confirming that equipment is safe to use.

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B) Time Structure

Set a specific time period for reviewing inspections, from daily to weekly or once a month. 

The intervals should correspond with the manufacturer’s suggestions and how users engage with the equipment.

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C) Ordered List

Order essential engine and hydraulics tasks before engaging with auxiliary components, including attachments.

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D) Concise

All operators and mechanics should find the checklist simple to understand, regardless of skill level. 

The inspection process benefits from consistency by being straightforward.

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Building a Heavy Equipment Maintenance Checklist

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Creating a detailed and actionable checklist for heavy equipment services ensures that all necessary maintenance steps are followed consistently. 

A checklist does more than protect against missed items; it also aligns operators and maintenance teams with the day-to-day standards. 

Because of this, routine and preventive maintenance is easy to accomplish with a clear list in place. 

Below are essential steps to include in your maintenance checklist:

1. Inspect

First of all, an analyst should carry out the primary assessment of the equipment, providing only a visual evaluation. 

Try and find signs that the deterioration has occurred and signs of future failure. 

Wheels or treads, hydraulic lines, and implements are areas of interest. All defects found, such as small cracks, leaks, or loose bolts, should be marked down and rectified without delay. 

Inspecting for minor issues early can prevent more significant problems later, which is essential for construction equipment maintenance.

2. Service

Regular servicing is fundamental for keeping heavy equipment maintenance on track. 

This is where the engine oil is usually switched, the air cleaners are changed, and movement parts are greased.

Hydraulic oil, transmission, and coolant fluids are also refilled here.

Appropriate lubrication controls the friction between parts, increasing the useful life of the equipment's moving parts. 

Failing to perform these can result in a product failure or needing more extensive service than usual.

3. Calibrate

Dexterity is an essential requirement when operating cranes, graders, and loaders. 

The equipment used by those operators may shift in calibration over time, meaning they perform their work less efficiently than required. 

For efficiency to be achieved, the machine must be set to its optimum by following the standard procedures from the manufacturing company from time to time. 

4. Test

Before you begin your field operations, you should perform some functionality tests. 

Test other hydraulic units, such as brakes and lights, and check on other customers who benefit from electrical power to determine their current functioning. 

These components can be performed in a controlled or simulated environment, so problems will likely be observed before application, thus limiting the potential for issues arising during the operation. 

Testing should be a regular part of your construction equipment daily checklist, as it ensures that critical systems are functional and safe.

5. Align

Misalignment can lead to uneven wear and tear on moving parts like tracks, tires, or blades. 

Poor alignment affects equipment efficiency and increases the risk of breakdowns. 

Misalignment can cause the tracks to wear out prematurely for tracked vehicles. 

At the same time, incorrect blade angles can lead to suboptimal performance and higher fuel consumption on blade-based equipment such as bulldozers. 

Check and adjust the alignment of these parts regularly to ensure efficient operation, saving time and money on repairs.

6. Adjust

Every piece of equipment has specific settings that must be adjusted periodically to match the job. 

Adjustments can include modifying hydraulic pressures, changing tire inflation levels, or setting blade angles for specific terrain conditions. 

By making necessary adjustments based on the equipment’s current operating condition and the task it needs to perform, you can optimize its performance and avoid undue stress on components. 

Always consult the manufacturer’s guidelines for recommended settings and adjustments to avoid improper use.

In addition to these critical steps, it’s essential to tailor your checklist to the specific types of machinery you are maintaining. For example:

• Heavy Trucks: Include checking for engine diagnostics, brake system evaluations, and fluid checks.

• Excavators: Prioritize inspections of the boom, bucket, and hydraulic systems.

• Cranes: Pay close attention to the wire ropes, load-handling equipment, and control systems.

• Graders: Regularly check the blade’s condition and alignment as well as the hydraulic and electrical systems.

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How Preventive Maintenance Software Helps You Get There

Incorporating construction equipment maintenance software into your workflow simplifies scheduling and tracking maintenance activities. 

These digital tools offer several benefits that improve the efficiency and accuracy of your maintenance efforts: 

• Automated Scheduling: Based on either calendar days or operational hours, automated maintenance duties help to reduce the chance of missed service intervals. 

• Data Management: These software develop a core area managers can tap into to find details about equipment performance, repair needs, and inspection history. It provides them with improved reports and analytics on how each machine works. 

• Cost Management: monitoring repairs and downtimes enables important insights into equipment costs that help eliminate unnecessary expenses.

Preventive maintenance software ensures you can effectively operate multiple heavy equipment while keeping all your machinery in excellent condition.

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Conclusion

A skillfully designed preventative maintenance plan is important to keep your heavy equipment in ideal condition. 

With the right mix of routine checkups, a structured construction equipment daily checklist, and the support of preventive maintenance software, contractors and project managers can significantly reduce downtime, enhance safety, and improve overall project efficiency. 

Making a proper maintenance investment now will prevent expensive repairs and help keep your fleet running efficiently for many years.

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FAQs

How often should heavy equipment undergo preventive maintenance?

Preventive maintenance should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, typically every 250 to 500 operational hours or according to set milestones.

What tools are necessary for heavy equipment maintenance?

Essential tools include:

• Oil dispensers
• Wrenches
• Testing kits
• Calibration tools
• Fluid refilling equipment.

What is included in a daily checklist for construction equipment?

A daily checklist typically covers safety checks, fluid levels, tire or track condition, and tests for brakes, hydraulics, and lights.

How can I manage multiple pieces of heavy equipment efficiently?

Preventive maintenance software helps track all maintenance schedules, inspections, and performance metrics, enabling you to manage your fleet more efficiently.

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