Preventive Maintenance of Construction Equipment: Best Practices
Heavy assets in the construction industry are incredibly expensive investments that require regular, preventive maintenance to maximize lifespan and performance. Unlike the break-fix or reactive maintenance approach, which addresses equipment issues after they develop, resulting in operational disruptions and hefty, unexpected repair costs, preventive maintenance is proactive; it seeks to prevent major issues before they occur.
Preventive maintenance is based on the manufacturer’s recommendations or experienced reliability engineering input, and is typically time-based or usage-based. When implemented manually vs using a maintenance management software solution, you will rely on paper-based processes such as handwritten checklists and work orders.
However, LLumin’s Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS+) has the potential to completely transform your PM program, making it easier to implement, organize, and track.
What Is Preventive Maintenance?
As previously mentioned, Proactive Maintenance (PM) is a proactive maintenance approach designed and implemented to keep unexpected equipment breakdowns at bay. In contrast to reactive maintenance, a maintenance approach that waits for equipment to fail before taking action, PM schedules regular inspections and maintenance tasks based on the manufacturer’s recommendations, time intervals, and equipment usage.
When a company cannot accurately budget or anticipate breakdowns and disruptions in daily operations, a proactive maintenance approach can be a highly effective and desirable alternative.
Why Is PM Important In the Construction Industry?
Preventive maintenance is important in the construction industry because it enables heavy assets and equipment to run more reliably and efficiently. High-performance, reliable equipment can help to reduce costs, increase profitability and team morale, and even improve customer satisfaction and the quality of finished products and services.
Unexpected breakdowns that cause delays and safety hazards on construction sites should be avoided for obvious reasons. Regular preventive maintenance is critical for keeping construction operations safe and equipment running smoothly.
Preventive Maintenance of Construction Equipment
It’s critical to understand that a preventive maintenance program is more than just following a routine; it’s a strategic approach that requires teamwork, training, consistency, and proper documentation to be effective. While it can provide significant benefits, certain best practices must be followed to achieve the best results.
We’ve compiled a list of best practices you can implement today to improve your PM program. You can read more about them below.
Best Practices:
|
|
|---|---|
|
Regular Inspections |
Conduct daily visual and operational checks to identify wear and potential issues. |
|
Scheduled Servicing |
Follow the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals for key components. |
|
Lubrication |
Maintain a regular lubrication schedule to reduce friction and wear on moving parts. |
|
Cleaning |
Keep equipment clean to prevent buildup that can lead to overheating and other issues. |
|
Record Keeping |
Keep detailed records of all maintenance activities to track equipment health and anticipate future needs. |
|
Training |
Ensure operators are trained on the equipment’s proper use and basic maintenance. |
|
Update Software |
For equipment with digital components, regularly update software to ensure optimal performance. |
How LLumin’s CMMS+ Can Support Your PM Program
LLumin’s cloud-based, mobile-ready CMMS+ solution was designed to improve and streamline preventive maintenance programs, allowing construction companies and maintenance teams to get the most out of their heavy machinery and equipment. With LLumin, keeping teams on track, documentation, information sharing, and task tracking has never been easier.
Some of LLumin’s top features include:
- Automated Scheduling: Instead of issuing manual work orders, enjoy the benefits of trigger-based, automated preventive maintenance scheduling based on time or usage thresholds.
- Real-Time Monitoring: Provides real-time, condition-based monitoring of equipment to predict and prevent potential failures.
- Maintenance Analytics: Gain insight with advanced analytics to optimize your maintenance schedules and reduce costs even lower than previously possible.
- Mobile Access: LLumin’s platform, maintenance data, checklists, and critical safety and historical data are all accessible via a handheld mobile device.
- Customizable Alerts: Send automatic notifications to your maintenance team to ensure prompt responses to maintenance issues.
- Inventory Management: Stop overstocking or understocking, reduce the cost of inventory, strengthen relationships with the right suppliers, and ensure that you always have the right parts and components at the right time.
- Compliance Tracking: Ensure all maintenance activities comply with industry standards and regulations. Improve safety levels for your maintenance and construction teams.
LLumin Can Take Your PM Program to the Next Level
Working with LLumin’s CMMS+ solution to support your PM program isn’t just an upgrade—it will enable you to overcome well-known implementation challenges and quickly experience the benefits of a fully integrated, streamlined, and well-managed PM program.
LLumin is designed to make maintenance management of heavy equipment and machinery easier. Every feature is intuitive and optimized to keep decision-makers, managers, and technicians updated with essential information throughout the day. The software is equipped with the tools they need to meet important performance goals and continuously improve their efforts over time.
LLumin can take your preventive maintenance of construction equipment to the next level, whether you’re just starting or looking to upgrade an existing PM program. Join the increasing number of satisfied customers who use LLumin’s CMMS+ daily to ensure equipment is always reliable and projects stay on track.
Getting Started With LLumin
LLumin develops innovative CMMS software to manage and track assets for industrial plants, municipalities, utilities, fleets, and facilities. If you’d like to learn more about the total effective equipment performance KPI, we encourage you to schedule a free demo or contact the experts at LLumin to see how our CMMS+ software can help you reach maximum productivity and efficiency goals.
Take a Free Tour
Caleb Castellaw is an accomplished B2B SaaS professional with experience in Business Development, Direct Sales, Partner Sales, and Customer Success. His expertise spans across asset management, process automation, and ERP sectors. Currently, Caleb oversees partner and customer relations at LLumin, ensuring strategic alignment and satisfaction.