Construction sites, farms, factory loading docks and warehouses. What do these things have in common? They each have the necessity of heavy equipment for the moving, lifting and building of heavy materials and structures. And to reach the desired outcome in each of these settings, these large machines need to be in proper working order, which can take a lot of hard work, a keen eye, and plenty of training.
Why your business needs routine heavy equipment servicing
Whether you are ensuring that your loader bucket cutting edges are still in good condition or you are checking on heavy equipment hydraulic cylinders, it is essential for the safe and proper operation of the massive machinery that every last piece, whether major or minute, is working as it is supposed to. A good portion of being prepared, being on top of safety requirements, and knowing you have a working machine is to require and execute thorough safety and operation training in regards to the work site and machinery. The types of equipment failure that can be most easily avoided are those caused by user error, which are also not covered under any warranty. User error can account for more than 35% of equipment breakdown issues. As with just about anything else, being properly educated leads to the highest success rate.
Understanding every nut, bolt, and gear pump
Being familiar with heavy equipment parts will help to guarantee that things will go smoothly, and if they don’t, the machine operator should be able to examine the parts and easily identify the problem. One aspect of these machines is the intricacies of heavy equipment hydraulic cylinders. Hydraulic cylinders are powered by a fluid such as oil, which is pressurized. The heavy equipment hydraulic cylinders are made of a barrel, piston, and rod that moves back and forth. The hydraulic logic elements, or cartridges, can withstand fluid flows anywhere from five to over 5,000 gallons per minute, with pressures of 6,000 psi, or pound-force per square inch, or even higher.
When there are fluid power failures, there is a good chance that there is some sort of problem with contamination. Using hydraulic filters can help operators avoid the approximate 75% of breakdown and failure issues that can be attributed to some level of contamination. Another common problem with hydraulic components is the diesel effect, which happens when air is pulled past the seals of the rod and mixes with the fluid. This will result in an explosion when that air is pressurized.
The heavy machinery industry is a massive one, and not just because of the size of the products, services, and projects. The market in North America in 2011 was a world leader, being the second largest heavy equipment market across the globe. The generated revenue during that time was around $25.8 billion. And worldwide, the market for construction equipment was estimated to be worth about $145.5 billion in 2015. With the way our world is growing, the construction and heavy equipment industry will continue to boom for years to come.
