Tired of your heavy equipment unexpectedly going offline and causing expensive delays and repairs?  

For construction, mining and agricultural operations, your heavy equipment is the lifeblood of your operation. If your equipment isn’t working, neither are you. Instead of spending good money after bad on costly repairs, have you thought about getting to the real root of the problem?  

Many times, skyrocketing operating costs and poor equipment performance can be the direct result of an ineffective preventative maintenance program.  

Heavy equipment preventative maintenance are routine tasks that make sure your equipment is running at optimal levels. These programs help you anticipate change, wear and tear, and spot problems before they lead to failure. Preventative maintenance (PM) includes tasks like regular inspections and oil changes, but it can also include hose and fitting evaluation, fluid checks, filter changes, tire pressure checks and cleaning.   

Preventative maintenance typically includes:  

• Planned downtime to inspect and service equipment 
• Replacement of parts when they near end-of-life cycle (before they fail) 
• Comprehensive visual inspection of all parts/components to proactively identify issues 
• Detailed record-keeping of repairs, part replacement and predicted lifespan of parts 

However, many times these routine tasks are overlooked, especially when crews are up against tight deadlines or labor constraints.  

Have questions on improving your preventative maintenance program?   

Give us a call at 314-638-6500 OPTION 4. 

Why is Heavy Equipment Maintenance So Important?  

Without planned maintenance, your equipment runs the risk of unexpected failure. Unscheduled machine downtime costs money in lost production, wasted labor hours and missed deadlines. It also leads to last-minute repairs which are often more expensive.  

Having scheduled and regular maintenance helps businesses prevent unscheduled downtime from occurring. It also makes sure equipment is running at peak performance all year long.  

And while you can’t avoid every instance of breakdown, you can minimize it with a preventative maintenance program. Here are just a few other ways that planned service and repair can help your business operate more efficiently and profitably.  

• Optimized service life 
• Reduced expenses  
• Increased worker safety 
• Higher confidence in capacity 
• Greater availability when you need it 
• Reduced downtime 
• Better return on investment (ROI) 
• Controllable costs 
• Increased safety 

Does your current maintenance program look like this? 

🩹 Reactive, rather proactive service. 

🩹 Not regularly inspecting equipment before use. 

🩹 Only applying preventative maintenance to some equipment, not all. 

🩹 Not tracking and documenting service and repairs. 

🩹 Using whatever parts, hoses, fittings or lubrication that is on the shelf. 

🩹 Crossing fingers and hoping for the best. 

Or does it look like this…?  

🛠️ Regularly scheduled preventative maintenance noted on the calendar. 

🛠️ Operators are trained on proper operation procedures. 

🛠️ Operators are aware of common causes of system failure.  

🛠️ Management considers conditions and environment where equipment lives and performs.  

🛠️ Company-wide standard operating procedures (SOP) are in place.  

🛠️ Checklists are used for commonly repaired systems.  

🛠️ Repairs are completed with quality parts and components.  

🛠️ Spare parts are on hand for routinely replaced components.  

🛠️ Repair technicians and operators adhere to manufacturer’s recommendations. 

🛠️ Service and maintenance is tracked and documented. 

🛠️ You have a trusted and reliable supply and service partner. 

Heavy Equipment Preventative Maintenance Checklist for Longer Service Life 

Creating a customized maintenance plan for your construction or mining operation isn’t as simple as scheduling service or adding maintenance checks to your calendar. There are many different factors that must be considered and included in your maintenance planning.    

When developing your own maintenance plan, be sure to answer the following questions:  

1. What equipment requires maintenance?  
2. What level of maintenance does each asset require? 
3. Who will be responsible for performing maintenance?  
4. When and where will equipment maintenance occur?  
5. How will data from these tasks be tracked and stored?  

Pro Tip: We recommend inspecting machines daily before use to spot anything that may have occurred during the previous shift. But more detailed maintenance should be done on a scheduled basis, either based on hours or weeks, depending on your business and how often the equipment is used.  

As the industrial and hydraulic hose experts for the extended St. Louis region. We wanted to offer some tailored advice for inspecting your hoses for wear and tear. 

Even with the best preventative maintenance plan, there’s no guarantee on life and performance or when elements like industrial or hydraulic hoses will give out. But failure to regularly inspect and maintain hose assemblies can make that day come faster than you want. 

Leaks, pressure surges and system failures are all unwanted side effects of hose neglect. But what’s the biggest culprit? How do I know my hose system is going bad? One noticeable sign is when your equipment seems to be running louder than usual. Other signs of potential hydraulic hose failure may include:   

• Abnormal noises  
• High fluid temperatures   
• Slow or erratic operation 

Here are some hose maintenance tips to help minimize unexpected failure of your hose assemblies:   

1. Visually Inspect Equipment Daily Before Starting Equipment 

Walk around the unit and look for leaks or other potential problems. Look for cuts, holes, soft spots or kinks in hose covers. Inspect hose wear points such as bend and flex areas, nozzle bodies and other connection points. If there is excessive wear, cracking, defects, bubbling or corrosion in these areas, it is time to replace the hose and fittings.

2. Visually Inspect Couplings, Clamps and Fittings on your Hose Assembly 

Look for signs of defect or damage on all fittings and connections. Watch out for bulging hose ends, clamps that have moved, rusted or broken clamps, hoses collapsed from clamps, fittings that show seepage, and fittings that are chafed or abraded. If you note any of these issues, it’s time to replace the hose and fittings.

3. Visually Inspect Equipment During Off-Season

In addition to daily inspections, it’s critical to inspect for wear even when the equipment isn’t in use. Over time, hose layers can begin to disintegrate, leaving pieces of the hose to be sucked into the pump and machinery causing further damage. Remove hoses to inspect them completely. If the insides of the hoses are intact and smooth, the hose can be returned to service. If the inside of the hose is collapsed or rough, it’s time to replace the hose and fittings.

Superior Pro Tip: Never exceed the manufacturer’s maximum hose working pressure and always refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines for proper hose handling procedures. Contact Superior Industrial Supply for all your industrial hose supply needs. 

Learn more: Hose Assembly Repair: Prevention Tips for Longer Service Life 

Danfoss Hoses and Fittings, Plus the UniqID Asset Tracker for Better Performance 

We partner with Danfoss, formerly Eaton Hydraulics, to deliver the widest selection of hydraulics, industrial and specialty hoses, along with the fittings and connectors your jobs require for optimum performance.  

We’re also pleased to provide Danfoss’ UniqID Asset Tracker. UniqID is a solution that tracks the Danfoss hoses, tubings, fittings and connectors you purchase through us and connects them to your assets, along with test certifications, inspection requirements, replacement schedules, photos, drawings, and much more.   

By using Danfoss hoses and UniqID Asset Tracker available through Superior Industrial Supply, you can:  

• Access asset life cycle: Label, track and manage products while meeting your industry’s OEM compliance requirements.  
• Reduce downtime: Repair and replace quickly and accurately with instant hose assembly information for fast and efficient reordering.  
• Manage assets on the go: Accessible on smartphones and tablets — anywhere, anytime. This is especially important on remote worksites.   
• Set schedules and run reports: Proactively manage upcoming maintenance and replacement needs via built-in scheduling.   
• Streamline record keeping: Upload inspection info, testing certifications, engineering drawings and much more. 

Learn more: Danfoss UniqID Asset Tracker for Better Supply Management and Machine Uptime 

Onsite Industrial Hose Repair from Superior Industrial Supply  

Superior is your industrial and hydraulic hose distributor for the St. Louis region and beyond. We understand having a hose fail onsite can quickly halt production. Finding someone to replace that hose quickly can be challenging and expensive.  

For companies that run heavy equipment regularly, we can place a hose crimping machine onsite, complete with bulk hose and hose ends. We also offer thorough training for fast and effective hose replacement when you need it most. 

Give us a call at 314-638-6500 OPTION 4 and speak to a knowledgeable representative today! 

We’ll manage your heavy equipment repair supplies including identifying, labeling, establishing ranges, and supplying you with a recommended procurement list. We’ll come onsite to keep your inventory levels in check, and scan for replenishment as needed. Superior Industrial Supply will also help you plan for future inventory needs. Don’t forget to visit our website or read our blog for more information!