Technical “
The radiator may well require cleaning from grass and other debris. This can be done with a hand brush; but it’s never going to be as
thorough as cleaning the radiator core with an airline
be done with a hand brush and perhaps a blower; but it’s never going to be as thorough as cleaning the radiator core with an airline, with sufficient air pressure to clear debris from the radiator core. There will also be dust screens to be cleaned and checked for damage and, of course, the coolant levels must also be checked before leaving the depot. Coolant should be topped up on a cold engine using a correct mix, which is usually 50/50 water and coolant. This should, of course, be available in the depot, but it won’t be available off site. Filling a system with water (which is all that may be available on site) will weaken the coolant mix and reduce the efficiency of the entire system, leading to more overheating issues in the future.
Air Filter checks: The air filter will get clogged with grass and dust during the working day. If the radiator has any debris in it, then the air filter is sure to have the same. The end cap must be removed, the filter element removed and cleaned, checked for damage and replaced if necessary. When checking the filter, the rubber boot on the end cap should also be checked for wear. If it is damaged or missing, it should be replaced, otherwise the air filter’s efficiency and ability to self-clean will be reduced.
Engine oil level: On an industrial engine, oil level checks are critical. These are hard working engines, often under pressure from driving hydraulic pumps constantly. What is often forgotten is that the engine oil provides cooling as well as lubrication to the engine, so keeping levels topped up is critical to the engine’s performance.
Away from the engine bay, there are other daily checks which are performance and safety critical, and must be carried out.
Greasing points: Whilst the number of greasing points has greatly reduced over the years, due to better design and sealed bearing systems, there are still greasing points on moving parts which need weekly and, sometimes, daily attention. Of course, the operator’s instruction book will detail what is required on your machine but, regardless of make or model, they must be greased regularly.
Cutting units, rotary decks, lift arms, drive shafts and steering axles: All will have greasing points and regular attention is needed to prevent wear, seizure and failures.
118 I PC APRIL/MAY 2017
usually recommended that an operator be allowed one minute per grease point, and the same again for cleaning and other daily checks.
So, a machine with twenty-four grease points will need to have forty-eight minutes for; cleaning down, engine and radiator checks, greasing up and fault recording. If it takes an hour per week to maintain the machine, then that time should be allocated for.
A tractor and gang mower combination will have many more greasing points, so will require more time to complete them.
Faults and defects: There will occasionally be faults and defects which are found whilst carrying out the required daily checks. They must be reported and the necessary remedial work carried out. So many operations fail to run an effective reporting system, which means that damage goes unnoticed and unreported. Poorly functioning machinery goes out on-site and attempts to work under increased loads, leading to greater downtime and repair bills.
Of course, in order to do this, a suitable amount of time has to be allocated within the working week for the cleaning and maintenance duties to be carried out. It is
Machinery Audits: The only way to run an effective system of reporting fault and defects is to audit the machinery on a regular basis, and target those individuals who do not carry out their daily checks correctly, or fail to report damage to their machines.
Cutting unit adjustment: Where cylinder mowers are used, the operators must set the cylinder and bottom blades correctly, or they will create additional loads in the hydraulic system, heating up the oil, stressing pumps and motors, valves and seals.
It is not difficult to see that this will result in premature wear of the bottom blades and
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