6 Tips for excavator maintenance

Excavators require routine maintenance to promote better equipment performance. It also reliably extends equipment life cycle, increases uptime and promotes higher return on your investment. As a bonus, a well-maintained excavator helps improve the moral of the operators. Fault free construction is ideal for everybody.

Although some machine-specifics do govern the process, most effective excavator maintenance programs follow a set of basic practices. Help your operators keep focus on production rather than repair. The following tips will help you develop a comprehensive equipment maintenance plan.

l Establish mandatory operator procedures: include required reading of the equipment operation and maintenance documentation

l Conduct mandatory-attend training classes – Do not permit untrained workers access to your construction equipment. Train every operator in matters pertaining to:

- Unit safety requirements

- Start-up check process

- Reading the instrumentation

- Maintaining an up-to-date service and maintenance check list

- How to check and correct daily fluid levels

- Preferred types of lubrication, coolants and operating fuel

- And how to know when the sounds of the machine are abnormal

l Routine track inspections – before each unit start-up, perform a basic under-carriage inspection. Visually examine the wear and tear of individual rollers, idlers and other track components

l Check for cuts, cracks and missing components. Look for signs of oil leakage; around the drives, idlers, rollers and more. Ruptured seals greatly increase the risk of a costly repair bill. Also be aware of the dangers associated with accumulated mud, random debris and winter-time freezing

l Excavator maintenance includes maintenance of the attachments. An effective maintenance program must include the excavator attachments. Perform the same type of checks, taking in:

- The condition of, or absence of, attachment-related safety guards

- The functionality of cylinders and hydraulic hoses

- The stability of all associated connecting components

- Wear and tear on all points of unit to ground contact

- Any associated fluid levels

l Planned scheduling – improve excavator uptime. Avoid unnecessary repair costs. Whether using your own team or a dealer contract, make certain that your equipment maintenance follows a well-defined schedule for servicing and maintenance