Heavy Equipment Repair: What It Is and Why It Is Important

If you own or manage any business utilizing large machinery, then you know that the cost of every unit does not come cheap. For this reason, business owners have a common goal to maximize the life, value, productivity and cost-efficiency of each piece of invested equipment. As these industrial machines are subjected to continuous heavy use and harsh environmental wear, this is where heavy equipment repair and maintenance comes in.

First, let us have a quick recap regarding heavy equipment.

What does heavy equipment mean?

A piece of heavy equipment is a heavy-duty machinery that has a motorized heavy unit or non-motorized perts providing services and uses to various industries. These industries include agriculture, landscaping, mining, oil and gas, military, construction and transportation.

Motorized heavy equipment

Machinery

Heavy machinery involves restricted mobility and functions only in limited and particular working areas.

Examples:

• Excavator
• Loader
• Bulldozer
• Backhoe Loader
• Cranes
• Forklift

Vehicles

Heavy vehicles can do more movement as well as in extended distances. Moreover, these pieces of equipment work well in handling, loading and transportation. When attached to other heavy equipment, these vehicles can offer a lot more productive applications.

Examples:

• Tractor trucks
• Carrier trucks
• Dump trucks
• Tow trucks
• Boom trucks
• Concrete mixer trucks
• Buses
• Planes
• Boats
• Motorized caravans

Non-motorized heavy equipment

Attachments

An attachment is a complementary component that can be affixed to or removed from other heavy machinery.

Examples:

• Loader bucket
• Excavator shear
• Truck snow blade
• Loader forks

Containers

A container is a closed or partly-closed unit intended to secure cargoes, merchandise and other products. Additionally, a container may be an independent structure or a component to be linked to other heavy equipment, most often a truck.

Examples:

• Dump box
• Concrete mixer
• Cistern for truck

Trailers

A trailer is basically a container, but only mobile. Also, it usually connects to a vehicle, singly or together with another trailer.

Examples:

• Dry van trailers
• Semi-trailers
• Float trailers
• Flatbeds

What is heavy equipment repair and maintenance?

From the above, we learned what heavy equipment is. Correspondingly, heavy equipment repair and maintenance points to solutions enabling those industrial pieces of machinery to get working again in the event of breakdowns.

Reactive maintenance

Reactive maintenance refers to repairs done to heavy equipment after a problem has already occurred. It emphasizes only bringing back the machinery to its previous state prior to the breakdown at the quickest time possible. Furthermore, this includes emergency repairs which are usually more expensive than planned services.

Preventative maintenance

Preventative maintenance (PM), on the other hand, is scheduled and routine upkeep of large machinery. From the term itself, it prevents minor equipment malfunctions to escalate in the future through early inspection, diagnosis and repair.

Who does heavy equipment repairs and maintenance?

Heavy-duty (HD) mechanics or heavy equipment repair mechanics and technicians are the professionals who fix industrial machinery.

If you wish to know more about what services HD mechanics offer and how they qualify for the job, then read more on heavy-duty mechanics.

What is mobile heavy equipment repair and maintenance?

Mobile heavy equipment service is also known as onsite heavy equipment repair. In other words, the HD mechanic will be the one to come to your location, provide a diagnosis in the field and solve the issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.

More importantly, mobile HD technicians are onboard a vehicle loaded with the complete and necessary tools to get the job done.

What are the common causes of mechanical failure that will lead to potential repairs?

• Age of equipment

No matter how good you take care of your equipment, it will inevitably wear out over time as nothing lasts forever. In general, the maximum life span of heavy equipment is only 10 years. However, in rare cases and ideal setting, it could last up to 15 years.

• Fluid power contamination

Water can seep into the hydraulic systems resulting in fluid degradation. Consequently, the equipment fluid’s viscosity and load-bearing capability decrease, causing advanced component wear. Hence, large machinery loses its system performance at a faster rate than usual.

• User error

The thirty-five percent rate of industry-wide failure is due to user errors. And according to equipment warranties, repairs due to operator error are never covered. Thus, company owners need to make sure their employees are certified and well-versed in operating heavy equipment.

Reasons you need to repair and maintain heavy equipment

It maximizes efficiency and extends the life of your equipment.

Regular maintenance helps early detection of mechanical issues before they may even arise. If you have your equipment scheduled for consistent checks, then you can be sure that all components are working in good and optimal conditions, every single time.

Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that equipment parts complement one another. It is common malpractice to neglect one minor issue as it may not be that big of a deal.

But the poor performance of one component may lead to wear on the others. And overlooked wear can greatly decrease the life expectancy of your equipment.

Periodic maintenance protects your manufacturer’s warranty.

Repair costs can be hefty and the last thing you would want to do is to shoulder it at your own expense. Therefore, to increase the chance of the parts and labour to be covered by the warranty, make sure your equipment undergoes regular maintenance.

Otherwise, the warranty may likely be voided. In assessing repair costs, manufacturers tend to look at whether your machinery has gone through periodic maintenance.

It improves overall safety in the workplace and the environment.

When you are certain your heavy equipment is well-maintained, it gives you peace of mind. Proper maintenance reassures you, the workers and the people around the work site are always safe and hazard-free. Above all, it allows for uninterrupted workflow and smooth business transactions.

It minimizes downtime.

Downtime costs everything! It can take away your time, productivity, money, reputation as well as potential customers. The more time the equipment spends in a repair facility, the greater the losses a business suffers.

Need heavy truck repair and maintenance services in Edmonton?

Major Overhaul & Equipment Repair Inc. is your go-to heavy automotive repair facility. With over 18 years of trusted and reliable experience, Major Overhaul’s extensive services ensures the safety as well as productivity of owner-operators.

For more information, questions and service requests, fill out the form or call 780-468-1069 today.