What Breaks in Construction Machinery? An Overview of the Most Common Failures

Most common faults in construction machinery

The old Polish wisdom saying "it's better to prevent than to cure" perfectly applies to machines, including of course those known from road construction, houses and other objects.

Construction machinery failure is of course a major problem for any company, but especially for smaller companies that do not have a large number of replacement equipment at their disposal. Downtime in such situations can be particularly severe.

Excavator, loader, grader and every other equipment is built from many components - practically all are exposed to minor or major failures.

In addition to mandatory preventive control, during the work being carried out, you must definitely have eyes around your head, because each of these elements can refuse to obey and usually it happens at the least appropriate moment.

A good operator is a conscious operator!

Taking into account the cause, we can divide failures into two groups:

• • being the result of improper operation (human errors and neglect)
  • having a technical basis (i.e. those that are the result of operation).

All machines and devices have this in common, that they wear out over time, which can lead to a serious breakdown.

With age, the risk of breakdowns increases and this is a natural thing, and it depends on the people responsible for the machine whether the signals preceding the breakdown will be noticed in time.

As one of the most important preventive actions, appropriate training of operators (repeated cyclically) should be indicated, who will not only have the appropriate qualifications, but will also be able to thoroughly get to know the machine they will have to work with, will be aware of the dangers and capable of proper risk assessment.

It is also important to monitor mandatory inspections, as well as carry out all service activities provided by the manufacturer.

We must not forget about regular maintenance and proper storage of the machine during breaks between work and we mean not only seasonal breaks, but also under what conditions the machine stands at night.

 What should you pay special attention to?

• • Internal combustion engine which is the central part of every construction machine. The catalog of potential failures is very large. Our attention should be drawn to any irregularities in the operation of this key component. Unfortunately, very often faults are noticed too late, which ultimately leads to costly repairs.
  • Hydraulic system - probably the most common failures concern this system, especially the hydraulic pump. Among the common problems with hydraulics in the machine, you can mention decrease in performance and efficiency, lack of some function, jerks or strange sounds. In such situations, it is very important to stop work; accurate verification of the problem and carrying out all necessary measurements to make the correct diagnosis. Only after obtaining reliable measurements should you proceed to replacement or regeneration of a given component. In order for the hydraulic system to be efficient, it must be necessarily tight - otherwise its efficiency drastically decreases. Many problems with hydraulic components result from the improper condition of the hydraulic oil.
    
  • Cooling system - a critical part whose task is to maintain the proper engine temperature and thus prevent its overheating (as well as underheating which is also harmful). In construction machines, internal combustion engines can be cooled by air or liquid. In the first case (called direct), the control consists in checking the cleanliness of the cylinders and possibly removing dirt. Control and preventive activities in the liquid-cooled system (called indirect) consist in cyclic checking of the condition of the water pump, fan, belts, level and quality of the coolant, as well as possible leaks and leaks. The most important thing in this case is the aforementioned proper control and an appropriately quick reaction. It is worth emphasizing that it is unacceptable to use ordinary water - cooling is intended for specialist fluids with specific properties, including anti-corrosive ones. 

• • Lubrication systems - there may be minor or major differences between individual machines, but generally each lubrication system consists of many interconnected components, such as pump, tank, pipes, connectors. The proper and effective operation of many machine components is conditioned by proper lubrication - the result of its lack can be seizure of certain elements. It is worth adding that lubricants should be high quality and protect against the action of many harmful substances such as salt or dust.
    The operator's tasks include regular checking of the level of lubricant in the tank and possibly topping it up.
    The above tips of course apply to machines with a central lubrication system - if there is none, manual lubrication should be carried out frequently and regularly.
    
  • Electrical system - as a result of high intensity of work as well as adverse weather conditions, individual elements such as cables, wiring harnesses, plugs or terminals may be damaged. Checking these parts involves checking whether they are not cracked, worn or damaged in any other way. Any signs of tarnishing or rust are a signal for immediate replacement or, if possible, cleaning.
    Most often we have to deal with such problems in winter due to low temperatures which in combination with moisture has a negative effect on the electrical installation (it can lead to short circuits).
  • Running gear - such failures usually have a mechanical character resulting from the wear and tear of a given component. Special attention should be paid to elements such as rollers running, tensioning wheels, chains etc.
    Tracks (especially rubber ones) also require regular control, as they wear out relatively quickly.
  • Attachments such as buckets, grabs, scissors, hammers. The nature of the work of this type of equipment makes it prone to damage.
  • All kinds of control cables and rods - these are also very heavily loaded components due to the high intensity of work.
  • Windows and body parts - often unfortunately they are overlooked because their damage does not directly affect the efficiency of the machine.
  • Problems with starting - there can be several reasons: fuel system, battery, starter. Proper diagnostics is important to avoid unnecessary costs.

Safety first!

During the work being carried out, the most important thing is to take care of safety and minimize risk. Haste is a bad advisor, and anyone who is responsible for an excavator, loader or any other construction equipment should be guided primarily by common sense.

Of course, this applies not only to operators themselves (although their role and responsibility are invaluable - after all, they are on the front line) but also to owners - their duties include creating appropriate standards and formal regulations for the use of construction equipment.