What are you doing to minimize the risk to your machines?

Everyone knows that preventative maintenance (PM) extends equipment life and minimizes unscheduled downtime. Here are seven key questions you should ask yourself about protecting your investment.

1. Do you understand the major causes of machinery breakdown?
   Part of an effective PM program is identifying potential causes of machinery breakdown. By identifying these causes of failure before they occur, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars and maintain a consistent workflow for your machine.
2. Do you know your machines inside and out?
   Understanding the equipment is a core principle of any PM plan. Reading the machine manual, and knowing the acceptable operating conditions, recommended service intervals for each component, and which servicing products to use is critical to identifying wear areas today that could be a problem tomorrow.
3. Have you trained your operators in effective machinery operation?
   Knowledgeable operators are more productive and cause less wear on machinery, are more respectful of your equipment and more likely to look after it before, during, and after their work. That’s going to save you money in repairs and replacement.
4. Do you follow factory-recommended maintenance intervals?
   These are a minimal standard and based on normal operating conditions. Maintenance standards are developed by the same team that engineered the equipment for maximum machine life and minimum operating costs. Following these intervals is important not just for your machine, but also to protect your warranty.
5. Have you documented your machine’s service history?
   Keeping detailed service records is an essential part of your PM plan. It’s impossible to mentally keep track of what type of servicing has been done on your machinery. You need to record both the dates maintenance was performed and when it needs to be done again.
6. Are you paying attention to what the machine’s fluids are telling you?
   Scheduled oil sampling and analysis can tell you what is going on with the machine’s components. Analyzing engine oil, fuel, coolant and hydraulic fluid tell an internal tale describing the health of your machine. These analyses are also indicators of maintenance effectiveness and predictors of potential failures.
7. How carefully do you monitor your machinery’s overall condition?
   Owning and operating heavy construction machinery is a large undertaking. Your investment is nothing to gamble with. Condition monitoring should be an overall part of your preventative maintenance plan to prevent breakdown and avoid unnecessary repair costs that rob you of efficiency and profit.

Up to 72 areas of your machine are inspected by a Cat-Certified technician.