Let’s look at some maintenance tips and ideas on how to improve heavy equipment reliability, by making small adjustments. After all, heavy equipment preventive maintenance and lubrication schedules are essential to keeping your equipment running smoothly and efficiently. But machine downtime costs you many more ways than simply fixing the machine.
5 Lubrication Maintenance Tips For Improved Heavy Equipment Reliability
A greasing program is vital to keeping your engine running well, as the moving parts are under constant stress. Furthermore, regular greasing is essential to ensuring they survive this endless punishment. They also help prevent breakdowns by extending the lifespan of essential parts. Resulting in less downtime and lower operating costs.
Grease Lubrication Tools
When your greasing tool is frustrating and messy to use, you’ll often avoid the chore of using it. There are several different tools available to apply grease to machinery which doesn’t have these problems. Some of these included foot operated grease guns, Lever Grease Guns with integrated pressure return valves and lock-on grease couplers.
Generally, traditional greasing tools don’t allow easy access to hard-to-reach points. Instead of going into the joint and bearings, the grease coupler leaks and grease gets wasted all over the machine. In addition, your arms grow tired from greasing all those joints from the coupler getting stuck on the grease zerk (nipple).
Obviously, all these things can make greasing unpleasant. When this happens, people take shortcuts that lead to injuries, and premature wear and tear. This results in high costs and unnecessary breakdowns. That’s why Gurtech™ developed the revolutionary foot-operated grease gun and lock-on grease coupler.
The G-Gun is foot operated which makes lubrication a breeze. Similarly, the unique two-stage pump creates a wave action in the grease, eliminating air locks.
Improving Bearing Life
When greasing the nozzle, you should inspect the bearings regularly. This is one of the great maintenance tips as it is something quick that you can do, that makes such a large difference in the long-term. Make sure that there aren’t any cracks or other signs of wear. If you find any issues, replace the bearing immediately.
When selecting a lubricant, consider the following factors:
- viscosity,
- temperature range,
- chemical resistance,
- and compatibility with other materials.
Viscosity refers to the thickness of the fluid; low viscosity fluids are thinner than high viscosity fluids. Temperature ranges refer to the operating temperatures of the equipment. Chemical resistance means the lubricant does not react with the material being lubricated. Finally, compatibility refers to whether the lubricant will mix well with other materials.
Maintaining Hydraulic System
You should check the pressure of the hydraulic system every day to ensure that the machine is operating at its optimal level.
To maintain hydraulic system reliability, selecting the correct type of oil and applying it correctly is essential. Many different types of oils are available today, each with unique properties. For example, excellent antiwear protection would be mineral oil. However, it does not provide much resistance against corrosion. Synthetic oils such as polyalphaolefin (PAO) offer better corrosion protection than mineral oil. But are less resistant to heat and oxidation. Polyol esters (POE), synthetic hydrocarbon-based oils, are very stable at high temperatures and resist oxidation well. POEs are often used in applications where extreme temperature conditions are present.
And the Last of the Maintenance Tips: Preventing Overheating
If you notice any leaks in the oil lines, stop immediately and contact your service provider. It is also essential to keep an eye out for signs of overheating. These include excessive heat from the engine, smoke from the exhaust pipe, and high temperatures inside the cab.
When selecting a lubricant, consider the following factors: viscosity, temperature range, chemical compatibility, and cost. Viscosity refers to the thickness of the oil; higher viscosities mean thicker oils. Temperature ranges refer to the operating temperatures of the equipment being lubricated. Chemical compatibility refers to whether the lubricant reacts with other chemicals found in the environment. Finally, cost refers to the price of the product.
It’s not enough to keep up with regular maintenance; you should regularly perform preventive maintenance on all machines. This will help ensure your machine continues running smoothly throughout its life. Contact Gurtech™ to learn more about our innovative products and how they can maximise uptime and protect your machinery, all whilst minimising operating costs. Call +27(0)33 234 2020 or marketing@gurtech.co.za
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