Healthy equipment that runs efficiently and achieves top production is the hallmark of a profitable equipment fleet. To achieve this goal, equipment must be effectively maintained at the least possible cost.
The following tips from Moline, Ill.-based John Deere Service Marketing Manager Diego Navarro are designed to help equipment fleet managers realize maximum productivity and uptime from their mobile equipment while minimizing the costs to their operations.
CONDITION-BASED MAINTENANCE.
Condition-based maintenance is exactly what it sounds like—proactive maintenance procedures that are based on the condition of the machine. To provide maintenance, the technician reads the health of the machine and provides services based on that information. The most powerful technique used in condition-based maintenance is a complete oil analysis."With many inferior oil analysis tests out there, it’s imperative to use one that will give you complete information," Navarro says. "Any John Deere dealer can analyze an oil sample and really read what’s going on with the machine."
Another technique commonly used in condition-based maintenance is root-cause analysis, according to Navarro. "Any problem has three root causes," he says. "One of them obviously is human error. Then there’s fiscal error—for example, using the wrong kind of oil or not using enough. Administrative error also can play a part. In short, if you don’t find the reason the machine is failing, it will fail again. Root-cause analysis helps us get to what is really causing the problem, so we can address it. It’s treating the disease instead of just relieving the symptoms."
ALWAYS BE PREPARED Preventive maintenance before cold weather hits helps mobile equipment, such as material handlers and excavators, operate better in winter, according to William Moore of Brandenburg Industries, Chicago. He recommends replacing batteries if necessary before cold weather as problems are more likely in the winter. Ryan Priestly, president of Priestly Demolition, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, also advises demolition contractors and recyclers not to wait until winter to prepare their machines. "Keeping the services up regularly is key to being able to get a good winter start," Priestly says. "The key is fall leading up to winter." Priestly also advises taking care of preventive maintenance in advance, making sure things like oil changes and battery installations are done before cold weather. Once winter arrives, Priestly advises contractors and their crews to exercise patience and allow for more time. "Get there early in the winter, give the machine a chance to warm up before you start working," he says. Brian Baumann of Cleveland-based demolition contractor B&B Wrecking and Excavating says keeping equipment warm on the jobsite is key to keeping it running properly, even in adverse conditions. "I’ve seen companies make a makeshift tent at night to keep something warm," he says. Extra attention to keeping equipment covered and warm on the jobsite, coupled with proper preparation before winter hits, can help recyclers and demolition contractors be productive throughout winter months. – Jackie Gubeno
PARTICLE COUNTS AND FILTRATION.
"You may need to use bypass filtration, which is an aftermarket product. An on-site filtration caddy, on the other hand, can clean the hydraulics very fast while you’re performing other services. The bypass will take two or three weeks to reach that cleanliness," Navarro says.
Another technique, magnetic filtration, is effective for components such as axles. It is primarily used to capture iron particles. "Iron in big quantities damages veins, oxidizes the oil and consumes the additive," Navarro says. "When you change oils, not all the iron goes out, so it’s important to collect that iron using magnetic filtration."
PROPER LUBRICATION.
Lubricants are designed for a specific purpose, then are tested and developed with stringent quality control. During the testing, they are subject to a wide range of temperatures, pressures and more to determine how they will perform. As a result, mixing lubricants is a risk machine owners won’t want to take."When your machine needs more oil, and you simply add any product you find instead of sticking with what’s already being used in the machine, you are instantly changing the formulation," Navarro says. "This produces a new product that has not been tested, and it can often affect the machine negatively and accelerate wear, as these two lubricants aren’t designed to work together."
One negative reaction that mixing lubricants can cause is copper generation. Copper comes from bronze, which is an alloy used in all high-pressure systems in the pumps. If copper is being leached from the pump’s bronze, the alloys will weaken, and pump efficiency will suffer, resulting in contamination of the entire system and components, according to Navarro.
He adds that if the oil analysis reveals excess copper, the equipment dealer can determine why it is being generated and repair the problem.
ELECTRONIC INFORMATION DOWNLOAD.
One useful tool to maximize uptime and keep operating costs as low as possible is a system that allows for electronic machine download. Machines with this type of system can record up to 10,000 hours of operation information, from fuel consumption to pressures and temperature to percentage of use of the arm, bucket, swing and more. For example, this kind of data can be retrieved from John Deere excavators using a tool called Machine Information Center, Navarro says."Machine Information Center is vital to keeping costs in line," he continues. "It helps you determine how much time your operator spends idling or working or when the way he is operating the machine is wearing out the tracks—it records just about everything about machine operation." Navarro adds, "The result is hours and hours of information that can really help the fleet supervisor manage cost and maintenance."
This article was submitted on behalf of equipment manufacturer Deere & Co., Moline, Ill. Additional information is available online at www.john
deere.com.
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