It can strike dread in the heart of any construction site manager or industrial machine operator — the horror and hassle of a malfunctioning machine. Work slows down, screeching to a halt, as mechanics and technicians hustle to the scene to make speedy repairs on downed equipment. LH Travis has been there, and we know how much stress machine failure can cause — unplanned downtime, unexpected expenses, disgruntled workers, and unhappy clients. The best way to solve the problems caused by machine failure is to prevent the breakdown in the first place.
How to Stave Off Machine Failure
There are a few key steps you can take to prevent machine failure in most cases.
- Listen up. Abnormal noises are never good. Investigate any unusual sounds immediately to determine their cause and rectify the situation at once.
- Things are heating up. A lack of proper lubrication can cause excessive friction and heat. If you feel heat emanating from a location where the temperature is normally cooler, check it out. If it’s not friction, the cause could be electrical. In either case, heat can lead to fire, and that’s always something to avoid.
- Slowing down. A machine slowing down unexpectedly could be due to increased resistance and friction caused by insufficient lubrication.
- Unnecessary vibration. Managers and maintenance teams generally know what to expect from the equipment they handle, so variations in vibration should be recognized as a red flag. This could be caused by loose parts or by lubrication issues.
- Keep it clean. Maintaining a clean area will make it easier to notice things like unusual wetness or dust gathering at a seam or gasket that could indicate a potentially dangerous breach in the machinery.
If you suspect that a lubrication issue is causing problems with your equipment, let LH Travis take a look at things to determine if this is the case.
Diligence Pays Off
Don’t wait until a costly repair is needed to take care of expensive equipment. Installing automatic lubrication systems can relieve your maintenance team of that burden, freeing them to focus on other areas of concern. Call LH Travis today for a consultation at 863-967-0628.
