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Heavy equipment is one of your greatest assets, whether you run a construction business or agricultural enterprise. Ensuring that this equipment is properly cared for when problems arise is essential. But what if you could eliminate potential issues before they impacted your operations and earnings?
A heavy equipment maintenance program ensures that your most costly and valuable business assets work correctly year-round. Creating systems to help you learn whether synthetic or conventional oil is better for diesel engines and catch potential problems before they occur can save thousands of dollars and immeasurable stress.
While scheduled maintenance focuses on addressing issues from unexpected breakdowns, routine or preventative maintenance ensures that problems develop in the first place. Not only is this valuable to operations, but employing a consistent heavy equipment maintenance program can save you up to 25 percent on maintenance costs. Installing these programs protects your operations and finances while increasing your return on investment (ROI).
Now that you're ready to implement a heavy equipment maintenance program in your business, you might wonder where to begin. The following five questions provide the framework for developing a practical approach.
First, it's crucial to develop a heavy equipment maintenance checklist. Any holistic check will comprise three major maintenance categories: visual inspection, fluid analysis, and parts replacement.
The first part of any heavy equipment maintenance program should be a thorough visual inspection of every part of the machinery. Start from the ground up and pay attention to details that might indicate wear and tear.
A fluid analysis consists of examining, evaluating, and replacing internal fuel levels like engine coolant, oil, fuel, and hydraulic fluid. Caring for these vital fluids keeps systems running optimally and provides an accurate picture of your machines' health.
Conducting a thorough visual inspection and fluid analysis should indicate whether any parts might need replacement. Being proactive about parts replacement helps avoid a costly unexpected breakdown.
Identifying a leader to take charge of preventative maintenance plans should hinge upon the size of your company. This person should have general mechanical knowledge, working knowledge of what the business demands of its equipment, and a keen understanding of the specific machinery the company uses.
Working with a company like All Bay Diesel helps identify those best qualified to be preventive maintenance program leaders. We know the qualifications needed, so we can ensure that the leader is reliable.
Service intervals and milestones will indicate when to implement preventative maintenance. While these barometers depend on many variables, there are a few cornerstones to creating this schedule.
First, ensure that you adhere to the factory and manual's recommended service intervals. These recommendations factor in the production and design of the machinery.
Next, work with your preventative maintenance checklist leader to consider geographic and industry-specific variables.
Finally, use what you know about your specific machine to make any adjustments to expected service intervals.
Creating a maintenance history is essential for ensuring long-term, successful business operations. Although you might have a qualified individual to lead your maintenance practices now, you may need to train new leaders in the future. Therefore, having a detailed log creates a vital record for future leaders to reference.
When deciding how you will maintain these records, consider access and sustainability. While paper records might have been the norm a couple of decades ago, computers and modern technology provide more flexibility and maintenance monitoring.
Keeping accurate maintenance documents is also essential for planning and legal positioning. Tracking data like machine efficacy and breakdown frequency with your heavy equipment maintenance program will provide insight into the strength of your preventative maintenance. Furthermore, should you need to file insurance claims for new parts, digitized records makes it far easier to legitimize these claims.
Learning more about preventative maintenance processes is critical for keeping your practices up-to-date. There are a few reliable sources for this kind of information.
First, communicating with the supplier and manufacturer of your machinery is always wise. Since they are responsible for manufacturing these machines, they'll know about maintenance practices changes or new design recommendations.
Another great source is an external mechanic. While you might be able to create an effective heavy equipment maintenance program yourself, companies like All Bay Diesel specialize in this type of service. Referring to a business whose core competency is preventative maintenance can help guarantee the implementation of successful practices.
Now that you understand what's necessary to craft your heavy equipment maintenance program, these tips can ensure long-term, successful implementation.
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For an excellent mobile mechanic in the Bay Area, contact All Bay Diesel. Call us at 925-522-1780 to learn how our mechanic services can benefit your heavy equipment maintenance program today.