Equipment failure is inevitable. Based on variables including costly repairs, overall downtime, health and safety concerns, and influence on production and supply of services, the impact might range from readily remedied with low losses to disastrous.
There are several common reasons for heavy lifting equipment failure, and knowing why yours is failing is your first step in taking action against the catastrophic implications of unexpected downtime.
Aging Equipment
As per the 2019 Plant Engineering Maintenance Survey, the primary reason for equipment malfunction is aged equipment, accounting for 40% of unscheduled plant downtime.
Over time, devices that run continuously every year require more regular maintenance. Unfortunately, natural degradation means additional money spent on components, shipping expenses, and production downtime. It also necessitates a steady shift from preventative maintenance (PM) to reactive maintenance (RM).
Furthermore, the older a model gets, the more challenging it becomes to earn new components. Because manufacturers make fewer outdated components, owners of older equipment frequently have difficulty obtaining what they want when they want it.
For these causes, plants should permit equipment that has reached the end of its useful life to fail. Though new machine installation is unquestionably costly, most businesses will save money in the long term through reduced repair costs, improved productivity, and better parts management.
Operation error
Operator mistake is yet another major cause of heavy lifting equipment failure. Humans aren’t robots, which is both good and bad! As a result, we commit mistakes along the way owing to exhaustion or forgetfulness.
Most factories provide educational instruction, understandable standard operating procedures (SOPs), and accessible communication channels to machine operators to operate complicated pieces of equipment correctly. When workers fill in for others, it’s not uncommon for them to work on unfamiliar machinery.
For instance, a machine operator, who usually runs the equipment, has to deal with an incident. As a result, someone requested an unskilled employee to fill in for a while.
Because of the worker’s lack of specialized expertise, not only might the technology fail, but it could also lead to an accident. It may also violate OSHA’s operator training standards.
Lack of Preventive Maintenance
There’s a cause why globally popular maintenance programs prioritize preventative maintenance over reactive maintenance: it reduces downtime! According to studies, preventative maintenance plans can minimize equipment malfunction by up to 45 percent.
Many leaders, however, still follow the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t change it.” While quick maintenance is frequently the best method for simple equipment, a shortage of planned checkups might cause subtle signals of increased risk of complications. As a result, tiny signals of imminent failure are missed, and performance suffers. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure maintenance after any equipment installation.
Over-Maintenance
Doing excessive maintenance, on the other hand, might be harmful. Over-maintenance, although uncommon, can hasten the deterioration of an item.
Regularly disfiguring heavy lifting equipment parts can cause even the most reliable devices to become less efficient.
Furthermore, maintenance professionals may be more prone to “going through the motions,” considering routine chores as just another thing to cross off their to-do list. Finally, excessive maintenance takes time away from busy professionals that could be spent somewhere else.
