Every professional understands the value of selecting the right trenchless equipment to perform the job effectively. We’ve all heard the idiom, “You don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.” Nobody wants to start a difficult project with a huge disadvantage because they’re not prepared or don’t have enough resources. Project teams spent countless hours reviewing documents, estimating, and scheduling projects with the anticipation of safe, successful, and profitable results. While preventative maintenance of equipment is a seemingly straightforward concept, it can easily fall by the wayside and quickly derail profitability.
Properly maintained equipment makes equipment safer, optimizes performance, and boosts operator confidence. Below are some strategies to consider implementing into your Preventative Maintenance Strategy.
Jobsite activity ebbs and flows with personnel performing specific functions to keep the project moving efficiently. Once the project is completed, many shift their attention to the next challenge. Successful contractors ensure that a project wrap-up is conducted to evaluate both successes and pitfalls.
Downtime in underground construction is costly. Equipment professionals need to ensure that they adequately budget for onsite spare parts and preventative maintenance. In trenchless construction, it is recommended to inventory a minimum of 5% of your maintained asset replacement value in spare parts. Specialized trenchless contractors often inventory 10% or more in spare parts.
Trenchless equipment is exposed to some of the most rigorous operating conditions in utility construction. Drilling fluids can be highly corrosive to steel components and the soil structure may contain contaminants that can be detrimental to the equipment. Cleaning the equipment may appear tedious and arbitrary, but it is often overlooked.
As mentioned above, trenchless equipment is exposed to harsh environments. Trenchless equipment is some of the only equipment that is anticipated to ruin the paint job during the first use. Instructional and safety decals also take a beating over time. This is why many equipment manufacturers such as Akkerman will provide replacement safety decals for their equipment at no charge.
If you haven’t already, it is time to get onboard with some form of checklist for your preventative maintenance schedule. The use of checklists is an effective strategy for ensuring accuracy and accountability that tasks are being accomplished. They shouldn’t be viewed as “just more paperwork”.
Jason Holden is the Vice President, CRO of Akkerman and will be celebrating his 20th year with the trenchless equipment manufacturer in May. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) and is a Forbes Business Development Council member. Jason currently sits on the National Utility Contractor Association’s (NUCA) Board of Directors and is an active participant in multiple industry committees.