Efficient Cleaning of Construction Machinery

posted by Sunil Newatia on April 15th, 2021
Cleaning is very necessary for all construction equipment. Clean equipment lasts longer and protects your investment. Cleaning heavy equipment is an underappreciated chore. It’s messy and often delegated to an unskilled worker who sees this job as just hosing down dirty machinery. Well, there’s far more to effectively and efficiently cleaning construction equipment than meets the eye.

Heavy equipment washing requires specialized equipment like high pressure washers. And then there’s the safety factor to consider. Heavy construction equipment like excavators, loaders and gravel trucks are large, complicated machines presenting hazards to operators and those tasked to clean them on a regular basis.
There are many reasons to wash heavy equipment. Successful construction companies realize great benefits by keeping their expensive machinery clean and in top-notch condition. Equipment efficiency and long service life are critical to making sure machines are always operating when needed. A non-working machine is a non-paying machine. Unscheduled downtime is simply unaffordable in a competitive market.

Benefits of regular cleaning
Smart construction equipment owners realize the benefits from regularly washing their equipment. Here are the most important ones:

·       Regular cleaning is part of preventive maintenance. When construction equipment is regularly cleaned, there’s far less strain put on fixed and moving parts. Dirt and grime act as abrasives as well as a friction agents. Dirty machines wear much faster than equipment that’s regularly washed. It’s also much easier to clean machines that are regularly washed.
 
·       Clean machines keep cooler than mud-caked and grease-soaked equipment. Although regulated heat is a necessary operating condition with heavy machinery, excessive heat is a recipe for breakdowns. Overheated equipment has a shorter life cycle. 

·       Downtime is reduced by keeping construction equipment clean. Breakages caused by part failure due to dirty conditions are expensive in lost time and repairs. They’re also unnecessary. Regular cleaning removes foreign matter like mud, rocks and branches from the undercarriage. It reduces weight added to booms and buckets that have heavy, dried sludge solidly stuck to their surface.

·       Cleaning machines gives a great opportunity to inspect for potential problems. Metal fatigue cracks are exposed. So is oxidization or rusting. Worn or leaking fittings are obvious when machinery is clean. This allows mechanics to get on top of developing problems before they become a serious issue.

·       Regularly cleaned machinery enhances safety. Poorly-kept equipment is dangerous to the operator, work crew and others in the machine’s line of fire. Contaminant build-up around hydraulic and electrical systems can result in a serious blow-out of high-pressure oil or dangerous voltage.

·       Finally, clean equipment makes a loud and positive statement. It’s clearly heard by clients, investors and future customers.
Cleaning Equipment Easily
High pressure washers are mandatory in cleaning construction equipment. There is no better way to remove dirt, grease and grime that hitting it with high-pressure water. The force of concentrated water streams also gets into tight places like hinges and seams that are impossible to reach with hand brushing. The proper cleaning process:

·       Large dry chunks of material like clay and rocks are manually pried loose from the undercarriage and chassis with a steel bar and spade. This is a much safer than immediately attacking the machine with high-pressure water jet
·       The entire machine is sprayed with a water cannon removing large debris pieces that couldn’t be dislodged by hand. 
·       Grease accumulations are hand-removed by pulling chunks off or wiping them with clothes. By now grease will have softened by water force and temperature.
·       Cleaning solvents can be used for tough grease accumulations. Solvents to be applied and left for 15 to 30 mins. This gives time for surfactant molecular action to chemically dislodge all bonding.
·       Water cannon force starts again. It begins at the top of the machine and orderly flows toward the ground
·       Rubber tires and hoses are cleaned with a suitable surfactant. Glass surfaces are cleaned and polished.
·       Cab interiors are vacuumed and hand wiped. High-pressure washing should never be used inside cabs or around controls.
·       Once the machine is generally cleaned, it’s allowed to air dry. Sometimes, compressed air is used to hasten the process.

Call #SuretechInfra 1800 120 7873  sales@suretech.co.in  www.suretechinfra.com ​ #DrDigger #AttachmentSpecialists​ since 1990 Transforming the way you use your machines

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