Featured Image Caption: Importance of Maintenance
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When we use the term’ heavy equipment’, we are referring to machinery such as articulated dump trucks, bulldozers and graders; essential machinery that is worked 24/7 every single day of the year. In order to endure sustained punishment, these machines need to be maintained according to a strict schedule, which requires an entire industry that is dedicated to keeping these huge machines working.
Engine Maintenance
The huge diesel engines that power heavy machinery are serviced at specified hourly intervals; mileage is not accurate enough in this case, rather maintenance is carried out according to the number of hours that machine has worked. As a matter of course, engine & transmission oils are changed, as are the air & oil filters, which ensures the engines can perform at optimum levels.
Hydraulic Systems
The hydraulic systems used in heavy machinery require regular maintenance; take a mine as an example; whatever the equipment they use, they would have a complete set of hydraulic pipe replacements, along with many other spare parts to facilitate quick repairs. At large mines, John Deere Motor Graders work day and night to keep dirt roads clear for the heavy articulated dumpers that move material from the mine face to the processing plants. The contractor would have a full inventory of hydraulic pumps, pipes and connectors, making sure the equipment is always online and it is normal for heavy equipment servicing to be outsourced to a 3rd party.
Cleaning & Painting
When you see these huge yellow machines working in dusty conditions, rain and shine; these very expensive machines are regularly power washed and using sandblasting, the surfaces are covered with special protective paint. Schedules are created and heavy equipment is rotated and in the short time they are idle, all the maintenance is carried out. Full details of all maintenance are recorded for each machine on a computer database, which technicians can bring up on their laptop screen at any given time. Click here for information on safety in the workplace.
Heavy Equipment Rental
In the event a machine breaks down, the company might not have a back-up machine and therefore, renting a unit on a short-term basis is the next best thing. There are suppliers of articulated dumper trucks and graders that are fuelled up and ready to go and you can rent by the hour, day, week or month, depending on your needs. Mine management would have associations with heavy equipment rental outfits and they can replace a machine at very short notice. Many rental companies offer a 24/7 service, as mining operations must keep the process online at all times.
In Australia, there are many mining operations that require heavy equipment maintenance, which would be carried out by an outside contractor. Without these companies working tirelessly in the background, mining operations could not be maintained and the top manufacturers are John Deere and Caterpillar, who between them, build a wide range of heavy equipment. If you are ever in need of heavy equipment servicing, Google will help you locate a local company that works within your industry.
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