Keeping your industrial equipment in good working order requires a lot of maintenance and the help of an experienced industrial millwright Los Angeles company. Whether you are operating farming, mining or construction equipment, failing to take care of the machinery will have you replacing parts or the entire unit long before you need to. While breakdowns are a natural part of equipment ownership, following good maintenance tips can help your preserve performance and longevity with your equipment.

Start With Operator Training

The best way to take care of your equipment is through the people that will be spending the most time with it. Your operators need to be thoroughly versed in how the unit operates to know when something isn’t going quite right. Letting a machine run incorrectly is extremely damaging. Daily inspections, before and after use, can help identify maintenance issues.

Each piece of machinery comes with an operator manual, and these should be consulted when something appears out of place or it is making an odd sound. The maintenance routine will also be presented in these manuals, and each operator should be familiar with what to check more frequently to avoid breakdowns or misuse. Manufacturing insurance coverage can be a way to help with the costs of breakdowns, but preventative maintenance is most effective in reducing repair costs.

Look for Noticeable Decline

As a machine is run, it will experience wear and tear. High temperature, vibrations and the friction of the moving parts can cause failure on any of the components. Overworked belts or the wrong gear can also contribute to premature wear and tear. Always be on the lookout for signs of overuse or pay attention to harsh conditions the machines may be operating in. When heavy production is expected, paying attention to important parts and giving them extra maintenance can help get out in front of a potential breakdown. Replacing worn parts, even before necessary, may sometimes prevent expensive fixes down the road.

Maintain a Cleaning Schedule

Many of the work environments where industrial equipment is housed or operated are full of dust, dirt or other debris. These particles can clog up a machine and jam the belt or gears. Contamination of the lubricants or fluids is another concern. Seals need to be continually inspected, as do filters and fluid reservoirs. Keeping these areas clean can avoid contamination, rust or breakdown problems.

Cleaning properly often requires high quality commercial lighting to be able to adequately see the machinery in question. Proper maintenance extends the life of your industrial equipment. If your team isn’t comfortable with the task, bring in the professionals.