Job Site Efficiency: Have a Plan for Regular Machine Maintenance
Regular maintenance of machines is essential to keep them running efficiently and prevent breakdowns. Spending time each week to do regular maintenance on your insulation equipment can save you a lot of time in the long run, help you avoid costly downtime, keep your crews running efficiently, and can also prolong the life of your machines.
Cool Machines provides a maintenance schedule for every machine. It is located in their manual. Here is a plan for implementing this schedule to keep your machines in excellent working condition:
Create a checklist: Create a checklist of maintenance tasks for each machine. The checklist should include daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance tasks. Some common tasks may include cleaning, lubrication, inspection, and replacement of worn parts.
Assign and Train an Employee to Oversee Maintenance: If you have a larger company, you may consider having a full-time maintenance employee. If you aren’t able to do that, it is still a good idea to have an employee who is responsible for making sure the maintenance is done on your equipment.
Schedule downtime: Schedule downtime for maintenance tasks. This can be during off-hours or weekends when the machine is not in use.
Document maintenance: We recommend that you keep a binder that has a maintenance schedule in it for each machine you own. Keep track of the dates maintenance was performed, the dates and types of parts that were replaced, and who performed those tasks.
Train your crew to inspect machines daily for obvious problems and teach them to report issues. A company that fosters a positive attitude when overcoming problems will encourage its employees to report problems.
Conduct periodic maintenance reviews: Conduct periodic maintenance reviews to evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance plan. This review can help identify any gaps or areas that require improvement.
Make adjustments: Make adjustments to the maintenance plan as necessary. As machines age, their maintenance requirements may change, and the maintenance plan may need to be updated accordingly.
Some Additional Notes, Specific to Items for Maintaning Your Machines
Airlock Seals: If you dense pack with your machine, consider changing your seals every time the time changes. Even though these seals have longer life than 6 months, you will not have down time related to poor seal condition when you have to dense pack. Achieving proper PSI rates is important and good condition seals are important.
Oil Changes: Typically, gas engine companies recommend oil changes every 100 hours. Cool Machines recommend oil changes every 50 hours. The reason for more frequent changes is due to the harsh environment your machines live in.
By following these steps, you can develop a comprehensive maintenance plan that helps ensure your machines remain in good working order and run efficiently.