Taking the Chequered Flag: The Importance of Equipment Service and Maintenance

They say it takes a perfect weekend to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Every little detail from the driver, to the engine, to the timing of the pit stops has to go exactly to plan in order to achieve success. It’s not always the fastest or flashiest car that wins the race; but the team with the best plan, upkeep and attention to detail on the vehicle. It’s no different when mining, screening or crushing.

According to Global Mining, maintenance is the single biggest industry expense, accounting for a third to a half of total operating costs annually. And for good reason. There’s nothing more damaging to a site than unplanned downtime. Emergency breakdowns can often cost up to $180,000 in lost revenue per incident and account for around 60 hours of lost productivity.

How can an unplanned downtime crisis be avoided?

The answer is in regular servicing and preventative maintenance of your fleet of machinery. The highest demand for machines is for those which increase productivity and reduce unplanned downtime.

While this is often correctly attributed to the reliability and trustworthiness of the machine itself; this can be enhanced and supported by regular attention from skilled experts who monitor critical equipment closely. Identifying and repairing problems before downtime.

Millions of dollars are spent managing and maintaining fixed assets of mine sites with companies committed to prolonging the life of their equipment and facilities; thus increasing the efficiency of these assets.

However, despite outlay, preventative maintenance can save sites significant amounts of money in the long run. By taking this approach, organisations stand to avoid unplanned downtime, in turn reducing their total operating costs and maintaining optimal productivity of the site.

An effective maintenance plan can help crushers, screens, diggers, cranes and shovels operate more efficiently and ensure their longevity. It can also reinforce workers confidence in a safely maintained plant and enable continual availability and usefulness of all site equipment. Typical preventative maintenance plans are calculated using hours of engine running time, allowing service experts to predict breakdown frequency and necessary repairs. Prevention is better than a cure and this means scheduling maintenance for optimum times when machinery will not be in high demand. 

Image courtesy of Walsh Equipment Services

Maintenance programs with pit stop precision

Introducing and remaining accountable to a scheduled preventative maintenance program is difficult and time-consuming. Often machines are located at high altitudes which can make it difficult for large equipment to access the site. Unwanted downtime can be exacerbated by lack of access to necessary parts, communication difficulties and generally poor maintenance procedures.

Thus, it is imperative that sites ensure the right engineering company is employed to oversee asset management and maintenance. This must be a team of skilled experts, who are knowledgeable about the machinery at your plant and who can detect problems quickly to avoid emergency shutdowns and technical failures.  

Like Formula 1, the mining and aggregate industry is highly competitive and companies must be looking for innovative ways to ensure the highest productivity rates possible.

Your service team is your pit crew and your maintenance program your race plan. Put the right elements in place now and your site will be well on the way to achieving that chequered flag on race day.

More about Walsh Equipment Services

Walsh Equipment Services offers 24 hour emergency breakdown repair service to any industrial equipment, in any location. We will repair; Trucks on the roadside, Earthmoving equipment, Crushing plants, Mine equipment, Concrete batching plants, Steel recycling plants, Straddle cranes, Forklifts and more. Our industrial maintenance team is the best resource for keeping your quarry, mine or plant running at optimum pace.We regularly service all makes and models of crushers and screeners, as well as comprehensive service for all types of wear plates, plastics and rubbers. We also offer general maintenance for weigh-bridges, site buildings and workshops.

With over 80 service and engineering experts, Walsh has a fleet of service trucks at the ready fully set up with cranes, air compressors and generators, while our service trailers are equipped with oil tanks, pumping gear, waste oil recovery pumps and tanks. We provide fast and efficient onsite servicing and emergency breakdown repair to ensure that you can get back on track as soon as possible.

Connect with Walsh Equipment Services on PlantMiner today. 

Sources: National Instruments, LinkForce, Mining Global, Scanimetrics