Increasing company efficiency and improving interoperations, heavy machinery in today’s rapidly growing industrial age is one of the greatest assets of a business. By decreasing the need for manpower and shortening the time for production, these pieces of equipment are crucial to a company’s success. However, due to their demanding tasks and strenuous operations, severe wear and tear are inevitable.
As the owner, this is where you come in and supervise its regular maintenance. Every machine will have its distinct problems and challenges. From rusting parts, clogged pipes, and broken chains to name a few, to ensure a complete repair one has to find the root of the problem.
Doing so will help you extend the machine’s lifespan, save money on repairs, enhance the safety of the workplace, increase productivity, and reduce potential litigation.
Top 6 Maintenance Tips
Protect your equipment and employees by following these machine maintenance tips:
- Clean and Upgrade
From dust, grime, and rust, machines can be exposed to plenty of environmental muck. And, when neglected, these cruds and dirt could accumulate, block integral parts, and lead to severe damage.
Instead of waiting for these untimely situations to happen, which could cause major setbacks, make sure that you regularly clean your machinery. Daily, they should at least be inspected for any damages, wiped down, and dusted up.
And, depending on your schedule, these machines should undergo thorough cleaning to remove any deep-seated dirt. To further guarantee that your machines are performing efficiently, consider researching for the latest updates that could improve them. You can even install sensitive sensors inside the machine to detect any anomaly or need for repair.
- Create an Inspection Checklist
To ensure that you don’t miss any of these crucial factors, create a meticulous and specific inspection checklist that you and your employees can follow.
This way, workers will be more adept and proficient in conducting the machine’s check-ups by ticking every box. You can even create a mobile app that your employees can use and access for a more organized and detailed inspection system. These checklists are especially useful for companies like truck repair in Milton or transmission repair in Whitby since it requires a full and detailed examination of every part.
- Evaluate the Machine’s Environment
How your machine is situated and housed can greatly affect its performance. As with any equipment, they generate heat energy as a by-product.
Extremely high temperatures can lead to overheating, damaged parts, and malfunctions. To combat this, machines have their personalized cooling systems. However, when operated beyond their capacity, these systems tend to fail, as they are unable to cope.
By ensuring that your machine is well-situated and running, place them in an average cool environment with mild weather exposure. Direct contact with sun, rain, or snow, could induce moisture and rust, destroying its internal workings.
- Refill and Check Machine Fluids
Machine fluids, be it for cooling, lubricating, and fuel are vital in its daily operations. If they lack any of these chemicals, you may run into overheating and malfunctions. Fortunately, machines have gauges that inform you of any fluid level.
Once your machine warns you, you should never ignore it and see to it that its fluid vessels are regularly checked and filled. From oil, petroleum, water, and other chemicals, each fluid plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of your machine and workplace.
And, if you ever have any lift trucks in the warehouse, you can contact the nearest truck repairs to install a counterbalance lift truck rear guard in Toronto to prevent any accidents and damages to vehicles.
- Document Repairs and Services
Having documentation of your regular machine check-ups and repairs is a good way to keep track of any unresolved damage or pending upgrades. Doing so will provide you with visual proof if you ever need a refund from insurance or mother companies.
It also helps you determine which equipment has been through the ringers and deserves to retire. By having a repair history in hand your warranty won’t be voided, if the machine malfunctions.
- Conduct Proper Training
The condition of your machines relies heavily on how it’s treated and used by your employees. To guarantee that the equipment never works beyond its capacity, the involved persons should be trained well in how to operate it. First-aid repairs and common maintenance steps should also be practiced to minimize damage and accidents.
Safety drills should be regularly practiced if ever the machines exhibit dangerous behaviour. So, if you’re a company specializing in materials handling systems, make sure that your employee is informed, protected, and capable of operating all equipment on hand.
Heavy machinery can be unpredictable especially when they’ve been used for long durations without any rest or repair. Though they may be tougher than your company’s manpower, they also deserve a little pampering and a break from work. To extend their lifespan and guarantee that they continue to work at optimum levels, regular maintenance and repairs are crucial. So, never skip any of these maintenance tips, because it might cost you in the long run.