Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, announced today its Leica Ready machine control kits will now be offered on excavators by JCB, an equipment manufacturer for construction, agriculture, waste handling and demolition. The JCB generation X Excavator 131X, 140X, 150X and 220X will now be supported with a new cable kit
The Hillhead trade fair for quarrying and construction machinery has been postponed by a year due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. With Hillhead taking place in 2021 instead of 2020, the organisers of the PlantWorx trade show have agreed to move their event forward by a year also,
For almost 51 years, stevedoring company, ZHD Stevedores, based in Dordrecht in the Netherlands, has been using Bobcat skid-steer loaders to clear the holds of ships and to move material around so that the grabs on the large unloading cranes on the dockside are kept busy. This way of working
A-Plant will rebrand as Sunbelt Rentals from 1st May 2020. This change brings all A-Plant’s brands under one banner and aligns it with the other operating businesses of Ashtead Group plc, which trade under the Sunbelt Rentals brand in the United States and Canada. Andy Wright (pictured), CEO of A-Plant,
Kubota, a leading manufacturer of machinery, has unveiled an electric prototype for the construction sector. The mini excavator model will be powered by lithium-ion batteries and are currently displayed at a new product exhibition held in Kyoto City. In response to the move towards banning the use of diesel engines
DCV Engineering Ltd is a plant hire business based in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, UK. The company has purchased the first Doosan wheel loader for its extensive rental fleet – the new DL300-5 wheel loader has been added along with a number of new Doosan crawler excavators, including DX140LC-5 and DX140LCR-5
If you want to move your belongings across the country, truck rental is your best option. Although you will save a lot of money, driving a rental truck is a huge responsibility. You may find it intimidating to figure out how to drive a 12 foot or longer truck with
Doosan Portable Power To Show 7/31+ Compressor Generator Bobcat’s E10e, the industry’s first battery driven, zero tail swing mini-excavator in the one tonne class, will be shown on the Doosan Bobcat Stand I40 for the first time at the Executive Hire Show (EHS), the UK’s annual national exhibition for the
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has launched a new three-year initiative targeting plant operatives and assessors. This training commission will boost the development of plant professionals to help address an industry shortage. According to Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) research, 39% of of employers find it difficult to fill plant
Regular maintenance of earth-moving machinery is essential for ensuring a smooth operation. The last thing you want is to encounter a technical issue while you’re out there operating on the mining site. Improper equipment maintenance will not only result in unwanted downtime, but it can also reduce the lifespan of
Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, announced today its Leica Ready machine control kits will now be offered on excavators by JCB, an equipment manufacturer for construction, agriculture, waste handling and demolition. The JCB generation X Excavator 131X, 140X, 150X and 220X will now be supported with a new cable kit for the Leica iCON iXE1D, iXE2D and iXE3D machine control solutions for excavator guidance. The kit for these models has been designed for simple and clean factory installation with cables developed between JCB and Leica Geosystems. “Offering such integrated solutions advances the industry and the construction professional,” said Leica Geosystems Machine Control Director of Product Management Kris Maas. “Our strong working relationship with JCB brings added values to users worldwide.” Complete control for excavators With the Leica iCON excavator system, high precision GPS monitors the excavation position with a 3D model. The Leica iCON iXE3 is used for point collection and stake out activities on projects, such as large road and infrastructure construction, subdivision building, industrial sites and dereliction works. The built-in GSM modem quickly supports and transfers files while the 3D system enables detailed monitoring of any site project. Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right With more than 200 years of history,Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, is the trusted supplier of premium sensors, software and services. Delivering value every day to professionals in surveying, construction, infrastructure, mining, mapping and other geospatial content-dependent industries, Leica Geosystems leads the industry with innovative solutions to empower our autonomous future.
The Hillhead trade fair for quarrying and construction machinery has been postponed by a year due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. With Hillhead taking place in 2021 instead of 2020, the organisers of the PlantWorx trade show have agreed to move their event forward by a year also, to 2022, to avoid clashing. Hillhead, which tales place every two years, had been all set for 23–25 June 2020 at Hillhead Quarry, near Buxton in Derbyshire with a record 550 exhibitors booked. It has now been postponed to 22–24 June 2021, at the same usual location. Hillhead event director Richard Bradbury said: “The health and safety of exhibitors, visitors, contractors and employees is our number one priority and with the peak of the epidemic predicted to coincide with the show in June, this would be severely compromised. “Following an extensive consultation process, the decision has been taken to delay the event by a year to allow market conditions to stabilise and to best support the construction and quarrying industry during this challenging period.” Rob Oliver, chief executive of the Construction Equipment Association, which owns PlantWorx, said: “Of course we didn’t want to postpone our show, but after discussions with the Hillhead management we concluded that it would be in the best interests of our exhibitors and the wider construction and quarrying industries if we reset the clock and allowed Hillhead the diary space in 2021. Few people expected the impact of coronavirus just a couple of weeks ago, so we thought it best to make a quick decision so the industry had some clarity. As a trade association now, we need to focus our resources on helping our members through the unprecedented challenges arising from coronavirus which affects both lives and livelihoods”. Hillhead and PlantWorx are just two among myriad industry events, meetings and exhibitions – not just in the UK but around the world – to be rescheduled or cancelled because of the pandemic. Vertikal Days, the lifting equipment exhibition, has also been postponed. It had been planned for 13-14 May at Donington Park, Leicestershire. A new date has yet to be set. Also postponed is the Commercial Vehicle Show, which had been scheduled for 28-30 April at the Birmingham NEC. This has been put back a year to 2021.
For almost 51 years, stevedoring company, ZHD Stevedores, based in Dordrecht in the Netherlands, has been using Bobcat skid-steer loaders to clear the holds of ships and to move material around so that the grabs on the large unloading cranes on the dockside are kept busy. This way of working was introduced to be able to unload or load a ship as quickly as possible so that it can sail again, as idle time costs money in shipping. Any part of the load that remains out of reach of the grabs on the cranes is collected and removed by the Bobcat loaders using hydraulic sweeper attachments. The Bobcat skid-steer loaders for this work including the new S770 models that ZHD Stevedores has just purchased, have to undergo many modifications before they are delivered to the company. This work is carried out by Inter-Techno, the Dutch importer for the Bobcat range for more than 40 years and Inter-Techno describes this as creating a ‘port edition’ of the skid-steer loader, after special modifications are implemented in the company’s workshop in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. This special edition machine was developed jointly with ZHD Stevedores. ZHD Stevedores is a family business that provides stevedoring services for a large number of clients in Dordrecht and at three locations on the Moerdijk industrial park. A number of important customers are located on the ZHD site, where they carry out production processes with materials that enter via the port. ZHD takes care of the storage and transfer of the materials for them. This can vary from steel rolls and scrap to bulk materials such as coal, iron ore, slag sand, pebbles, gravel, sand, sugar, salt and basically anything that can be loaded and unloaded with a grab. To meet this demand, ZHD Stevedores has more than 100 grapples at its disposal. Over the years, ZHD has invested heavily in flexible mobile and floating cranes with a high capacity to optimally serve its customers in Moerdijk, Dordrecht and Rotterdam. The showpiece machines include a self-built 50-tonne self-propelled floating crane (gripper company, general cargo 100T), a 170-tonne hydraulic tyre crane and another two self-propelled 25-tonne floating cranes (40T general cargo) in Antwerp, Belgium. The floating cranes are used to load big sea-going vessels including the largest Capesize ships or to transfer their cargo to inland vessels and coasters. Operators Request Bobcat Machines The method of discharging ships using skid-steer loaders has been around since the 1960s. It proved to be the most flexible solution. The circumstances and the materials involved make it impossible to use other methods such as conveyor belts or suction systems. Initially, Bobcat skid-steer loaders were almost always used for this work at ZHD, with the exception of the period between 2000 and 2009. “When new skid-steer loaders had to be ordered in 2008, our operators were able to try out a new Bobcat S330 model with air conditioning. This worked much better than the skid-steer loaders of another brand that were in use at that time. At the request of the operators, ZHD Stevedores switched back to Bobcat skid-steer loaders in 2009,” said Jan Elferink, material management manager at ZHD Stevedores. In 2009, the first Bobcat machine to be purchased was given the number 28. Currently, there are 16 machines in use; with numbers from 36 up to 51. At the end of January 2020, two new Bobcat S770 skid-steer loaders – given the numbers 52 and 53 – were delivered to ZHD Stevedores to replace the machines with the numbers 36 and 37. ZHD has kept one of the two older models and the other one has been sold at an auction. Modification and Maintenance Before they can be used for unloading work, the Bobcat skid-steer loaders undergo a number of important modifications, which are mainly dictated by the environments in which the machines must operate. All modifications are made at Inter-Techno in Apeldoorn, after which the machines are delivered ready for use in the corporate colours of ZHD Stevedores. Regular maintenance and repairs are carried out by ZHD Stevedores itself. Whilst a dedicated engineer is responsible for the maintenance work within the material management department, ZHD has also added extra Protection Plus warranty for the machines, which offers an extended warranty period of three years to provide extra security in case the company’s engineers are faced with a problem they cannot handle. In this way, ZHD has ensured that the loaders are up and running again quickly with little or no downtime. Protective ‘Fresh Air’ Cab “The modifications on the machines include the treatment of plugs and cable harnesses with a special moisture-resistant coating. The moist and dusty environment is not good for the electronics on board,” Jan Elferink explained. “The adjustments to the cabs are also important. Drivers used to work in an open cab with a cage construction, but the requirements for working conditions and safety have become increasingly strict. To protect the driver against dust, overpressure cabs have been used for around 12 years to keep the dust out. The air that is blown into the cab goes through a P1 and P3 filter that captures very fine particles. P3 filters remove particles up to 50 x WNG (Legal Dutch Limit Value) so drivers no longer need to wear air masks.” The standard cab on Bobcat skid-steer loaders is both ROPS (Roll-Over Protection Structure) and FOPS (Falling Object Protective Structure) certified, but to protect the driver even more, instead of the glass in the door of the machines, this is replaced by Bobcat-Lexan, a very strong plastic material that is very difficult to break or damage. In order to give the driver even better all-round visibility, a special ZHD rear-view camera is mounted on the rear hood. Tough Design Made Even Tougher A number of modifications have also been made on the outside of the Bobcat loaders. First of all, the machines are sprayed in the house colours of ZHD, blue and yellow. Four additional tie down points
A-Plant will rebrand as Sunbelt Rentals from 1st May 2020. This change brings all A-Plant’s brands under one banner and aligns it with the other operating businesses of Ashtead Group plc, which trade under the Sunbelt Rentals brand in the United States and Canada. Andy Wright (pictured), CEO of A-Plant, said: “Our rebranding to Sunbelt Rentals is the culmination of work to unify our UK brands under one powerful banner.” A-Plant’s businesses include Hewden Industrial, Live Trakway, A-Plant Lux, Rapid Climate Control, Mather+Stuart Power Solutions, Leada Acrow, A-Plant Rail, Tool Hire Express, A-Plant Powered Access, PSS Hire, Inlec, Evercal, Hoist It, Opti-cal Survey Equipment, FLG Services, Astra Attachment Solutions, GB Access, A-Plant Accommodation and Plantfinder. These businesses will all be branded as Sunbelt Rentals, and the company says each will have an identifiable sub-brand that recognises the services they provide.
Kubota, a leading manufacturer of machinery, has unveiled an electric prototype for the construction sector. The mini excavator model will be powered by lithium-ion batteries and are currently displayed at a new product exhibition held in Kyoto City. In response to the move towards banning the use of diesel engines in Europe and the global shift towards electric vehicles (EVs), Kubota has engaged in the R&D of electric powered equipment. Kubota has also ensured that the prototype models will align with the needs of the industry both now and in the future. The electric mini excavator prototype will operate using the equivalent output of existing diesel engines. It is also been developed specifically to operate uninterrupted for longer on a single charge, to maximise efficiency and increase output. And finally, the engine of the new prototype will meet emission limits and has extremely low noise output. This will make the new machine suitable for construction work in urban environments. Glen Hampson, Business Development Manager, Kubota UK, said: “At Kubota, we pride ourselves on our ability to develop machines that meet the needs of our customers. The unveiling of the prototype in Kyoto City is testament to this. Kubota is focused on overcoming the challenges that come with the use of electric machines, such as the issue around the amount of charging infrastructure available and limited battery capacity. In 2020 and beyond, we will work to ensure we have created a machine which is both more sustainable and built for the future.” Kubota Corporation has been a leading manufacturer of agricultural, turf, hay and construction equipment and Industrial Engines since 1890. With world Headquarters in Osaka Japan, and offices in more than 110 countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia, Kubota achieved revenues in 2018 of $ 17 Billion. Although, agricultural equipment is Kubota’s primary line of products, Kubota also produces a diverse portfolio of other products including city wide water filtration systems, irrigation, piping, roofing, housing and large underground valves.
DCV Engineering Ltd is a plant hire business based in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, UK. The company has purchased the first Doosan wheel loader for its extensive rental fleet – the new DL300-5 wheel loader has been added along with a number of new Doosan crawler excavators, including DX140LC-5 and DX140LCR-5 14 tonne and DX225LC-5 25 tonne models. The new Doosan DL300-5 wheel loader is currently on hire to a local recycling and recovery business in Wellingborough. David Venn, Joint Managing Director of DCV Engineering, comments: “We began purchasing Doosan equipment in 2014. Our first Doosan machine was a DX225LC-3 crawler excavator. With the excellent quality, reliability, performance and residual prices offered by Doosan equipment, it is not surprising that we have continued to purchase Doosan excavators and now Doosan wheel loaders.” Part of a fleet comprising over 500 pieces of equipment for hire, the range of excavators available from DCV Engineering (www.dcvengineeringltd.co.uk) covers all sizes from 1-30 tonne and, in addition to the larger crawler excavators from Doosan, also includes a new 1 tonne DX10z mini-excavator from Doosan. Nationwide Hire Service Centrally based with very close connections via major roads such as the M1, M6, A45 and A14, DCV Engineering provides a nationwide service. As well as self-drive and operated plant hire, the company has branched into road sweeping and access equipment and has a large telehandler fleet. The company also has specialised knowledge and experience of the recycling industry, with a wide variety of mobile waste recycling equipment for hire, including crushers, trommel screens and deck screens. DCV Engineering is accredited with silver under FORS (Fleet Operators Recognition System). DCV Engineering also offers engineering services including equipment repair and installation/relocation of equipment and the company is a recognised hauler with FORS Silver accreditation. David Venn added: “We started as a one man and van operation. Today the company has four service engineers and three full time delivery drivers. Other members of our staff are also fully trained with HGV licences so they can help out with deliveries if necessary. We are a family company and this is indicative of the extensive training we want to provide for our staff – DCV Engineering believes very strongly in investing in our people.” Since the company was established in 2001, DCV Engineering has achieved considerable year on year growth. This has been achieved by offering a large, modern stock of plant at very competitive rates, backed by excellent customer service. David Venn continued: “The residuals are part of the excellent low cost of ownership offered by the Doosan range of construction equipment. The excellent service/parts support Doosan provides is also crucial and parts are correctly priced. We expect the same and better support from our suppliers than that we provide for our customers.” Wide Range of Applications for the New DL300-5 Wheel Loader With a bucket capacity of 3.0 m3, the new Doosan DL300-5 wheel loader at DCV Engineering is intended to meet a wide range of material-handling needs from loading and transporting granular material (such as sand and gravel) to industrial, mining and quarrying applications. The DL300-5 wheel loader is powered by the Doosan DL08 6-cylinder diesel engine, with an output of 202 kW (271 HP) of power at 1800 rpm. The cab on the DL300-5 places operator comfort at the very centre of its design priorities. Offering generous headroom and an ultra-comfortable, fully adjustable, heated Grammer air suspension seat, the cab features a steering column design giving more clearance for the operator’s legs and knees. The steering wheel can also be tilted and moved telescopically to match the operator’s preferred position. The increased space, better visibility and plentiful storage space in the cab allows operators to work for hours without fatigue or discomfort. Meeting ROPS/FOPS regulations, the cab also offers a wide emergency exit (located on the right hand side) to provide fast and easy evacuation in critical situations. The 5.7 inch full colour LCD panel in the cab is suitable for day and night work. The user-friendly monitor has two customisable screen displays to suit the operator’s preference, giving a full readout of machine settings and maintenance data. The rear-view camera greatly enhances visibility and safety. The screen in the cab shows the operator what the camera sees and includes several lines to help judge distances; it also has other functions, including light intensity control, viewing angle control, language setting and power on/off setting. For more on Doosan construction equipment, visit the website: www.doosanequipment.eu
If you want to move your belongings across the country, truck rental is your best option. Although you will save a lot of money, driving a rental truck is a huge responsibility. You may find it intimidating to figure out how to drive a 12 foot or longer truck with your loved ones and belongings on board. This feeling will also double if you have never driven a large vehicle before. However, it is not all that different from driving a car. Although you will have to figure out where all the blinkers, blind spots, and buttons are, you likely to be fine if you are used to driving a standard car. Read to discover the first time driving tips of a truck rental. Inspection. You do not want to start your journey only to burst your tire in the middle of nowhere and realize that you do not have a spare one. Do a thorough inspection before you pick the truck from the rental company. Check the lights, oil, signals, and even the mirrors to ensure that the truck is in good shape. Request and insist on the rental company to get you the newest truck in their parking lot. Check for any damages both in the interior and exterior to ensure that they do not blame you when you return the truck. Safe Distance. Trucks are often more massive, and they take longer to come to a complete stop. Always keep a safe distance from other cars so that you can brake on time in case of an emergency. You can keep double the distance you would keep if you were driving your regular car. Take it Slow. Most truck rental companies do not specify their speed limit. However, always follow the speed limits you will find on the road. The speed limit may also vary from state to state. As such, make sure you are aware of these regulations. You can also opt to drive at half the speed of a regular car to be on the safe side. Rest. If you drive for a long distance, make sure that your shift does not exceed ten hours. a professional truck driver drives for eleven hours a day. Rental companies recommend that you drive for ten hours. Take several breaks to keep fresh. Make sure that each break is about thirty minutes long after the first eight hours of driving. Breaks will help you keep your energy and sharpen your senses. Navigating Through Mountains. Nobody will ever teach you how to navigate a truck through mountains. Such roads may be challenging since they may not allow you to rest. As such, ensure you learn your route in advance and plan for these long and slow stretches. Remember that mountain curves are dangerous, and they require undivided attention. Now, you are well prepared to rent a truck and drive it across the country. Be safe and follow all the traffic rules.
Doosan Portable Power To Show 7/31+ Compressor Generator Bobcat’s E10e, the industry’s first battery driven, zero tail swing mini-excavator in the one tonne class, will be shown on the Doosan Bobcat Stand I40 for the first time at the Executive Hire Show (EHS), the UK’s annual national exhibition for the tools, equipment and plant hire industry, being held in Coventry, England from 5-6 February 2020. The Doosan Bobcat stand will also present the 7/31+ compressor generator from Doosan Portable Power, which incorporates an 8.5 kVA generator and is aimed at the utilities industry and rental companies serving this sector. Launched in 2007, the Executive Hire Show is a trade-only event open to rental company executives throughout the UK and Ireland, and it has also attracted hire industry visitors from Europe and beyond. Senior executives from the procurement and purchasing departments of the national hire operations attend the Show, along with large numbers of independently-owned entrepreneurial hire outlets. Game Changer for Indoor Work As well as indoor work such as demolition and basement projects, there are many other sites where zero emission, low noise machines are required such as urban/city centre developments, night-time work and contracts in quiet zones such as hospitals, cemeteries, schools and so on. Until now, particularly for indoor applications, there has been no standard OEM solution for such work – many jobs had to be worked on manually with less effective tools or with aftermarket conversions providing third party machine adjustments (that often did not meet desired standards). The new Bobcat E10e mini-excavator is a unique proposition in this area. Developed at the Bobcat EMEA Innovation Center, in conjunction with electric vehicle suppliers, the E10e is based on the design of the very successful diesel powered E10 1 tonne mini-excavator, which has achieved sales of well over 10,000 units in just 10 years [the E10 is now called the E10z to reflect that it is a zero tail swing (ZTS) mini-excavator]. The new E10e has the same ZTS profile and identical external dimensions as the standard E10/E10z machine and offers equal or better performance. For example, the E10e offers very low noise levels on site with an LpA of only 71 dBA vs 80 dBA for the standard E10/E10z. As the new machine is designed to be used in demanding indoor applications such as breaker work in demolition, it is equipped with auxiliary lines and an efficient oil cooler system for continuous hydraulic breaker operation. The cooling system capacity has been increased to meet extended demolition application requirements. Amazingly Compact Like the E10/E10z, the E10e is easy to transport. In addition to the access provided by its retractable undercarriage reducing its width to only 710 mm, the integrated foldable TOPS (Tip Over Protective Structure) facilitates passage through openings with low headroom, for work inside buildings and in basements. Once the excavator is positioned and ready for work, the undercarriage on the E10e can be expanded to 1100 mm, for maximum stability in all working conditions. The E10e’s minimal width enables excellent manoeuvrability in confined spaces, while the ZTS design is an additional advantage when working in tight areas. The E10e and E10z are part of a comprehensive selection of mini-excavators from Bobcat covering models from 0.8 to 8.5 tonne, alongside a full line-up of skid-steer, compact track and all-wheel steer loaders, telehandlers and attachments, all aimed at the tool and plant hire industry and the markets it serves. Doosan Portable Power: Meeting the Needs of the Utilities Market Compressor generators from Doosan Portable Power are aimed at the utilities industry and rental companies serving this sector. The larger 8.5 kVA generator option meets a specific requirement in utility work to meet the demands of the latest fusion welding equipment, providing electrical power that can also be used for lights and tools together with compressed air for powering breakers and other pneumatic equipment. The generator option is available on two machines – the 7/31+ model, providing a free air delivery of 3.0 m3/min at an output pressure of 7 bar and the larger 7/41+ portable compressor, supplying 4.0 m3/min of compressed air at 7 bar output pressure. Another option on these compressors is the ‘Tough Top’ polymer canopy combining durability with aesthetic design, making it an especially attractive investment for everyday applications in the toughest working conditions. In addition to its outstanding durability, the Tough Top canopy is also non-corrodible. It can be supplied in customer colours and retrofitted to existing Doosan compressor units. Like all Doosan compressors, the modular design of the 7/31+ and 7/41+ ensures that a wide range of optional equipment can be added easily. As well as the polymer canopy, they can include LED lights, a Heavy Duty light grill, a number plate clip, wheel nut indicators and a ‘bunded base’. Doosan Portable Power offers a comprehensive range of portable compressors, generators and lighting products for the plant and tool hire industry. Completing the line-up are construction tools such as air-powered chipping hammers, pickhammers, jackhammers and paving breakers for work in demolition, utilities, quarrying and industrial markets. For more information about Bobcat and Bobcat products, visit www.bobcat.com For more information about Doosan Portable Power products, visit the website: www.doosanportablepower.eu
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has launched a new three-year initiative targeting plant operatives and assessors. This training commission will boost the development of plant professionals to help address an industry shortage. According to Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) research, 39% of of employers find it difficult to fill plant vacancies. Construction employers, trade bodies and training providers are all being asked to submit proposals to help address a gap between industry demand and supply. The CPA; Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA); Hire Association Europe (HAE); Build UK; Highways England; HS2; West Midlands Combined Authority; Balfour Beatty; BAM Nuttall; Willmott Dixon; Flannery Plant Hire; Lynch Plant; Hire A-Plant; and Plantforce are among industry stakeholders that shaped CITB’s plant operators training commission. Training in plant specialisms is currently low, with only 149 N/SVQ Level 2 qualifications in plant specialisms gained in 2016, while a CPA survey showed that more than 80% of respondents didn’t employ any plant apprentices and a further nine out of 10 employers didn’t expect to take any on in the next 12 months. With plant training necessarily using expensive equipment, projects that make use of innovative methods such as simulators are also sought. Other sectors such as health, aviation and the armed forces have seen learners with simulators spending 40% more time at the controls – instead of standing around watching others practice on real machines. Steve Radley, CITB Policy Director, said: “Employers have been clear that more plant operatives and trainers are needed to tackle the skills shortage. This commission will help support training provision to the sector both now and in the future.” The deadline for applications is 28 February 2020.
Regular maintenance of earth-moving machinery is essential for ensuring a smooth operation. The last thing you want is to encounter a technical issue while you’re out there operating on the mining site. Improper equipment maintenance will not only result in unwanted downtime, but it can also reduce the lifespan of the machine itself. Faulty machines also increase the risk of accidents as many workers lose their lives each year due to mechanical errors. To make the work environment safer and more efficient, it’s imperative to keep earth-moving machinery maintained at all times. This should include professional maintenance from the leading mining equipment supplier but requires these 5 tips that you can apply when maintaining heavy equipment to prevent injuries and death. 1. Make sure the equipment is lubricated at all times Earth-moving machinery consists of many moving parts. These parts are prone to failing if there isn’t sufficient lubrication due to excess friction. This friction can accelerate the wear and tear of the machine and deteriorate its performance. Also, the lifespan of the moving parts will shorten and the repair costs can add up significantly over time if the equipment isn’t properly lubricated. Before operating earth-moving machinery, check if there is enough lubrication in the moving parts. The key is to lubricate these parts with just the right amount. Too little lubrication and the parts won’t move freely and too much lubrication can cause leaking, grease accumulation, and inefficient energy transfer. Refer to the equipment manual on which lubrication to use as different manufacturers recommend different types of lubrication for their machines. 2. Keep the machinery as clean as possible Earth-moving machinery is frequently exposed to all kinds of dirt, debris, and other environmental particles that can damage its parts if not properly cleaned. To ensure optimal performance, the machine should be cleaned on a regular basis. While the seals and filters do a good job of keeping dirt and grime at bay, over time these particles can accumulate and deteriorate the condition of the seals. If a seal cracks or breaks, the intricate parts of the machinery will be exposed. Clogged filters will reduce the efficiency of the equipment and contaminated machine cabs will malfunction if left uncleaned. Keep earth-moving machinery as clean as possible by blasting it with high-pressure washer to dislodge stuck particles. Accumulated grease should be treated with a degreaser to effectively remove the gunk. One of the best ways to protect your machinery is to store it inside a building. A sheltered machinery will remain clean for much longer compared to one that’s frequently exposed to the elements. Anything from a garage or shed will work just fine as long as it’s clean and free of any standing water. By sheltering earth-moving machinery, you’ll prevent rust and grime build-up while keeping maintenance quite low. 3. Create a maintenance schedule Creating a maintenance schedule will go a long way towards ensuring the equipment stays in good condition all year round. Within this schedule should be notations on how frequently the parts should be serviced. Identify potential problems through thorough inspection and make sure to address any issues immediately. Maintaining heavy equipment every now and then is not enough to keep it in good working order. Thus, a consistent maintenance schedule is crucial to its overall performance. As part of the maintenance routine, gaskets and seals should be checked to ensure they’re not broken or damaged. Belts and pulleys should be properly aligned and the bolts should be tightened with the correct torque. 4. Train employees on how to properly operate earth-moving machinery More than anything, it’s the knowledge and proper training that will help minimise unwanted accidents while operating earth-moving machinery. Without these, the workers could potentially damage the equipment and risk injuring themselves. The workers must be skilled to operate heavy equipment and knowledgeable enough to look for potential issues. All incoming workers must undergo extensive training and current workers should be given refresher courses to not only maintain the condition of the equipment, but their safety as well. 5. Pay attention to wear and tear Earth-moving machinery such as Vibrating Feeders WA are subject to wear and tear on a regular basis. Being aware of these signs is important to the function and performance of the equipment. If neglected, worn-out parts can cause machinery to malfunction (which requires costly repairs). Some of the most common signs of wear and tear are excessive heat, vibration and dragging issues, and distorted belt shape. Higher temperatures are often a result of improper lubrication while vibration issues are caused by misaligned belts and/or gear glitches. The sooner you identify these signs, the less likely it’s cause long-term damage to the machinery. Maintaining earth-moving machinery is something most operators neglect. But doing so can end up with catastrophic results and harm the workers surrounding the equipment. Make sure to follow these tips when maintaining heavy equipment to prolong its lifespan and ensure a safer work environment.