When your livelihood is dependent on heavy machinery, you tend to take the care and maintenance of those machines seriously. LH Travis knows that you count on your equipment running properly and efficiently so that your company can keep up with demand. As anyone who works daily with heavy machinery can tell you, one major cause of unplanned malfunction and downtime is bearing failure. What causes bearing failures? Most times, the cause is improper lubrication. Keep your equipment running right by avoiding these common lubrication mistakes.
What NOT to Do
First of all, using the wrong type of lubrication is bound to cause problems. These problems can range from shortening the lifespan of equipment components to causing catastrophic mechanical failures. Avoid all of that by checking the equipment manual and consulting the professionals at LH Travis any time you are unsure of what the manufacturer is recommending.
Don’t mix different types of lubricants, either. You need to choose the right product to begin with, and then stick with it. Cross-contamination of incompatible lubricants can cause serious issues.
Skipping or neglecting the maintenance procedures can drastically reduce the efficiency and lifespan of your equipment, too, leading to unscheduled downtime and lost productivity. Don’t wait for something to break before giving your machinery the attention it needs on a regular basis.
Don’t assume that your new hires are familiar with the appropriate protocols for your specific equipment. Always train them on the way you expect them to maintain the machines, and check their work periodically to make sure that things are being done to the standard that you expect.
An Ounce of Prevention…
At LH Travis, we want to sell you the lubrication equipment that you need for your machinery, but we don’t want you to have to replace equipment frequently due to improper usage. We encourage you to invest the time in understanding what’s best for your equipment to get the best possible use out of it.
