Companies utilising mining equipment throughout the year had to follow strict maintenance schedules to ensure that all vehicles and machinery remained functional throughout the process. Mining equipment especially underwent constant wear and tear to keep up with the tight schedules of production. The impact of moving across different types of terrain multiple times each day and performing repetitive tasks caused massive strain on most pieces of heavy equipment. This was particularly true of the body and componentry and many companies found they needed replacement parts fairly often to keep machinery in top condition during a mining project.
When equipment broke down, the downtime in production cost many companies serious capital and they would be forced to source replacement equipment while theirs was being fixed. For this reason, companies across Australia made it a priority to identify the signs of wear and tear in mining equipment and keep a steady maintenance schedule throughout a piece of equipment’s lifespan. To assist in the task, they made sure to train all workers in these signs.
Vibration
When operated, many pieces of heavy machinery began to vibrate. This was a sure sign that either the gears or belts were out of alignment and in need of maintenance. Experienced workers with the training to spot this sign often brought this issue up to their superiors and called for maintenance before they experienced a costly breakdown. Sandvik spare parts especially served to make the process of maintenance faster and more cost-effective over time and many companies utilised the reliable nature of such parts to keep safety standards high.
Shock
Accidents and poor operator technique often caused shock on pieces of machinery. Such shocks lead to the equipment experiencing unnecessary impact. Companies across Australia actively worked to reduce this occurrence by ensuring that their staffs underwent regular training and they usually achieved fewer instances of shock to the equipment with this method. However, many companies implemented such measures only after they had to perform extensive maintenance on existing machinery after serious shocks. To ensure you save as much time and money as possible, be sure to adequately train and prepare your workers before they sit behind the operating controls of a piece of machinery.
High Temperature
Some mining equipment first showed signs of trouble by producing high temperatures throughout the machinery. This was generally a sign that it had been in use for too long of a period of time and needed a break, it was experiencing friction, had poor lubrication, or was in need of new parts. A proper examination helped to quickly diagnose the problem and companies found it crucial to perform such checks and any maintenance found to be necessary. Any equipment regularly running hot posed a health and safety risk with the best scenario calling for replacement of several key components of the machine.
Oil Leaks
The appearance of leaks around oil seals often identified a problem with lubrication or a worn seal in a piece of machinery. Many companies identified the problem by testing their lubricants as some contaminants proved to be the key problem. In other situations, they simply had to replace key components to fix the leak.
