Heavy Construction Equipment: Why They Break Down And Demand Spare Parts

Running a successful construction company goes hand in hand with owning and using quality heavy-duty equipment. These include bulldozers, loaders, graders, dump trucks, and cranes. Unfortunately, construction equipment is susceptible to wear, damage, and breakdowns like other machines. Most of these are commonplace and happen over time as equipment tackles demanding tasks. On the other hand, others are preventable and happen for the following reasons:

1.       Hiring or using unskilled operators

Most heavy-duty construction machines are not automated and, therefore, require you to hire operators. Now, whereas training a member of your team to handle the equipment in question may save you time and money, it's highly inadvisable. That is so because operating unique heavy-duty devices like cranes requires special training and certification. Otherwise, letting untrained personnel use construction equipment exposes them to numerous risks, including safety and inappropriate application. For instance, an unskilled operator may exceed a dump truck's load limit, leading to inefficient braking and a crash. To avoid that, ensure all your employees have the training required to operate the equipment at their disposal safely and efficiently.

2.       Poor maintenance practices

Regular and periodic servicing and maintenance is a foolproof way of ensuring your heavy-duty equipment has a long lifespan, free from frequent breakdowns. That means the construction equipment you use needs some TLC (tender, loving care). You can provide that by, first, cleaning every machine after use. That is crucial because construction equipment is exposed to dirty conditions. That is why, for example, cleaning an excavator's undercarriage is necessary to prevent premature deterioration of components and, eventually, unnecessary breakdowns and downtime. Another crucial maintenance practice involves lubricants. Heavy construction machines have numerous moving parts that can be adversely affected by friction if they are not properly lubricated.

3.       Ignoring warning signals

Heavy-duty construction machines often give you warnings before breaking down. For instance, if the equipment in question is a dump truck, the warning lights on its dashboard may go off whenever an engine problem is detected. If not, unsettling, strange, loud, or grinding noises from components like the wheel or steering system should get your attention. And more importantly, any equipment with faulty parts is highly likely to have poor overall performance. Therefore, if your excavator's performance is going downhill fast, it's high time you troubleshoot. Ignoring warning signs is detrimental because it gives the issue in context more time to aggravate and affect other parts, reducing the equipment's longevity and efficiency.

Buy Heavy Construction Equipment Spare Parts

If your construction company's heavy equipment has damaged components that need replacing, you have no option other than to purchase quality spare parts. The most common heavy equipment spare parts available today include hydraulic cylinders, gearboxes, transmissions, engines hydraulic pumps. Whichever product your equipment needs, ensure it's from a reputable manufacturer,  vendor, or supplier. To learn more information about heavy construction equipment, reach out to a company such as Mantra Enterprise LLC