Heavy Equipment Maintenance 101: The Repair Checklist

Investing in heavy equipment is not cheap, which is why keeping your machine running smoothly is very important. In this article, we will discuss how heavy equipment maintenance and having a comprehensive repair checklist in place helps you and your operator continue to work seamlessly.

Extend Heavy Equipment Life with Regular Maintenance

Most heavy equipment owners and operators are aware that the life of their heavy equipment is maximized when they take proper preventative measures to extend its life. This is particularly true for the status of a machine’s primary components, such as engines and transmissions.

Why You Should Take Heavy Equipment Maintenance Seriously

Heavy equipment managers and operators should know what, how, and when machine maintenance is needed. Regular maintenance prevents expensive downtime, because it lets you predict when breakdowns will likely happen, which gives you the necessary pointers to prevent failures before they occur.

8 Things to Keep in Mind for a Better Machine Life

It is essential that you know what equipment maintenance your machine requires, when to perform it, and how to do it properly. And we’ve got it down to eight points for you.

1. Make Use of Preventive Maintenance

One of the best ways to save money on new equipment is to have a preventative maintenance program implemented. Preventive maintenance is a process of inspecting, testing, and modifying equipment in order to minimize the chance of breakdown. It can extend the life of your equipment, and in turn, reduce expenses.

2. Pinpoint Machinery Failure and How to Address It

The most common causes of machinery breakdown are overloading, improper lubrication, and component failure due to the increased use of the equipment. The key to avoiding these problems is to identify, plan for, and address these problems before they occur.

3. Learn about Your Equipment

Know what your machines are capable of, know when and how to service them, and be aware of the limitation of time and money. The more you know about your machines, the more time will be saved and less cost will be incurred.

There are several ways that can help you be mindful of your equipment’s capabilities. You can leaf through the specs manual of your machine to learn about the exact capacities the piece of equipment can lift/haul/break. If you’re not the one who’s operating the machine, listen to the ones who do. The daily operator has access to insight you may not necessarily know, they are able to sense when something is going wrong.

And lastly, shut down operations if you believe there’s an issue. Stopping the machine to look into a potential problem is an ideal way to save on enormous failure costs and losses.

4. Your Operator Is the First Line of Defense against Machine Failure

You should implement effective machinery operation training so that your operators know more than just how to start and run the machinery. The training doesn't have to be too complicated. A right step would be to keep a checklist, so that minor maintenance checks are kept on record. The clear understanding of a machine’s limitations helps increase the performance of your equipment. Remember, well-trained operators are your frontier reporters of any early warning signs the machine may showcase. Listening to their valuable input will maximize overall uptime.

5. Stick to a Flexible Maintenance Schedule

If you're having a tough time maintaining your heavy equipment, maybe you should look into sticking to a flexible maintenance schedule. A maintenance schedule should be a minimal standard that is based on operating conditions. This may vary according to the local environment and jobsite specifications like dust, mud, humidity, &c.. Following this sort of maintenance guideline as well as keeping accurate records is vital for the ongoing operation of your machinery.

6. Record Your Equipment Service on File

It is important that you keep detailed maintenance records because they stand as documented proof that your machinery is being serviced according to the recommendations of the manufacturer. Service records not only provide a timely documentation of maintenance, they can also be a good reference for daily operations.

7. Keep Your Machine's Fluids in Check

Arguably the most important, yet least inspected aspect of your machinery’s maintenance. You must pay attention to your machine’s fluids to ensure complete protection. You should sample all oil-lubricated components, such as engine, transmission, and hydraulic system. When you identify fluid issues early on, you can avoid downtime and unplanned repairs by a long shot.

8. Don't Stop Monitoring Your Equipment's Condition

Operating heavy equipment is no gamble. Keeping your investment safe goes beyond fluid level checks. Regular machinery inspections are a must, and monitoring your machinery’s condition should be a vital part of your preventive maintenance program. Make routine machinery maintenance a part of your fleet management strategy to avoid breakdown and unnecessary service costs and maximize uptime.

Why Creating a Repair Checklist Matters

A great way to keep track of your service schedule is through creating a repair checklist. A checklist could be used on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, to better identify your service phases and tasks. This will help you stay on top of any potential issues and prevent them from turning into bigger problems that take a lot more time, money, and effort to repair.

As an exclusive dealer to some of the world's top brands for the regional market, Al Marwan Heavy Machinery delivers reliable heavy equipment maintenance solutions. Our comprehensive service and repair packages are a go-to for many contractors looking for reliable technical support that makes sense for their budget.

When you choose Al Marwan, you benefit from:

• On-time service at our workshop or at your jobsite;
• Emergency response and 24/7 support;
• Regular inspection and early detection programs.