Establishing a Construction Equipment Maintenance Program

Take a proactive approach to repairs by establishing a condition-based maintenance program.

In today’s economic environment, it is crucial to keep service and repair costs down. Many fleet managers get caught up in the daily grind of getting equipment back into service as quickly and efficiently as possible, moving from one priority to another. By developing a condition-based maintenance (CBM) program, your fleet manager can better manage equipment downtime and prevent costly component failures.CBM is a type of preventive maintenance that involves regular fluid sampling and analyses of a machine’s components. The types of fluids analyzed can vary and may often include fuel, engine coolants, engine oils, hydraulic system fluids, transmission fluids, differential oils and more. Each component’s fluid particulates and physical properties can provide valuable information about the equipment’s overall condition during different periods of time. These physical properties can be monitored on a periodic basis to provide significant early-warning indicators of component issues before failure. When monitored continually, critical changes in the fluids’ physical properties are readily evident and provide indicators that a given component might need to be repaired or replaced.

CBM is a supplement to traditional time-based maintenance programs that trigger equipment maintenance based on an elapsed period, a meter reading or operating hours. While a comprehensive time-based maintenance program is an effective tool in prolonging equipment life, this type of program often relies only on visible external indications during the inspection. Traditional maintenance programs do not sufficiently provide information on the internal replacement or repair indications that are not visible. 

Most CBM programs are developed to coordinate the sampling of fluids in conjunction with traditional time-based maintenance programs. This is done to avoid making extra trips when sampling fluid in the equipment. However, in some cases, the fluid sampling may require more frequent, dedicated visits. 

A CBM program’s proactive nature allows you to plan and schedule a repair and eliminate the cost of unexpected downtime and/or consequential damage caused by a functional failure. When repairs are made before a failure takes place, significant cost savings can typically occur.

Establishing a Program

Many equipment manufacturers provide some type of comprehensive fluid sampling and analysis program. These oil analysis programs are typically either administered internally or through third-party service suppliers. Most manufacturers have guidelines for sampling that depend on the nature of the application, the types of fluids taken or the type of components being sampled. Manufacturer-based oil analysis programs are normally designed specifically for their products and are often best suited to handle the product needs. 

When many brands of products are managed or serviced, coordination of an oil analysis program through multiple manufacturers may be cumbersome. In this situation, it may be best to find a third-party oil analysis supplier that can provide a comprehensive program for a range of products.

Choosing a Supplier

If you choose a supplier to perform your fluid analysis needs, it is important to consider their overall experience and capability to support the needs of both you and your customers. The supplier must have the analytical equipment and technical staff to perform a comprehensive analysis of your fluid sampling needs in an efficient manner. Most suppliers should be able to provide a turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours after receiving the sample. At a minimum, suppliers should be capable of performing the following types of analyses:

• Coolant, oil, fuel and water analysis
• Spectrochemical analyses for wear metals, additives and contaminants
• Fluid viscosity
• Water analysis (by percent or parts per million)
• Particle count [in accordance with requirements from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirements]

The supplier should also have an appropriate and effective way to notify the designated individuals of critical readings so that prompt action can be taken. Suppliers should provide the notification by a phone call, fax or email. Any non-verbal written communication (fax or email) must clearly indicate whether any results are critical that require immediate action. The supplier must also have a customer service or technical support department with sufficient hours and availability to handle questions about the types of analyses or the results of a sampling. 

The supplier should have a website that can display the results upon completion. Supplier websites often have various reporting and monitoring capabilities that allow fleet managers to track their equipment.

Implementing a Program

You will have to decide whether to conduct the oil sampling by in-house staff, a service company or a third-party provider. Base your decision on your company’s structure and available resources. The people who take the samples require some training of proper sampling methods. Following proper sampling methods are crucial for consistent and accurate analysis results. The sampling training can normally be provided by the product manufacturer or supplier. 

The foundation of each successful oil analysis program is based on a comprehensive definition of the sampling requirements for each of the products in the program. The fluid sample should be taken prior to fluid change. Otherwise, the critical indications of wear and/or condition may be lost from the operating period prior to the fluid change. Each product should have a schedule for fluid change sampling of each component. In addition, the sampling intervals, number of sampling points for each component and sampling location must be determined. Once this information is defined, a schedule can be developed to have the appropriate personnel perform the sampling. Often, the most cost-effective approach is to combine the fluid sampling with the fluid change intervals or other scheduled equipment maintenance visits. 

Most fluid analysis suppliers will have a CBM program involving a supply of sampling containers, sampling pumps and tubing for fluid extraction. Once the sampling of each product is completed, the samples are secured and sent to the supplier laboratory in sealed containers. The results are usually available in 24 to 48 hours. 

In some cases, the supplier may indicate that the equipment’s fluid sample is at a marginal, abnormal or severe level. Responding to this situation is a key part in implementing a successful CBM program. Fleet managers should carefully develop and implement a specific, systematic response to an abnormal or critical fluid sample. This response should consider the type of component and the sample’s critical nature. Depending on these factors, the corrective action would normally involve increased monitoring, maintenance or component replacement. The CBM program is most effective at this stage. Once a problem with a component has been identified, the fleet manager can plan the necessary maintenance or repair, rather than deal with unexpected downtime. 

Periodically review any program to measure its effectiveness. Most companies maintain historical operational/maintenance costs as part of their business management. After implementing a comprehensive fluid analysis program, the program’s impact should be reviewed by evaluating the effects before and after the program was established. 

CBM offers an opportunity to increase equipment productivity, improve machine reliability and reduce overall operating costs. Monitoring fluid condition through a comprehensive fluid analysis program provides the opportunity to take machine performance and condition to another level.

Construction Business Owner, May 2011