There are many causes of breakdown or failure of heavy machinery with their predominance varying with the type of equipment, the industry, and conditions where it is used. Most of these causes are preventable or at least manageable and mainly revolve around the operation of the equipment. Here are the common causes of equipment failure you should be aware of during operation.<\/p>\n
Operation by untrained or unskilled personnel<\/strong><\/p>\n This is one of the major causes of breakdowns due to human-related errors. Untrained personnel lack the necessary skills, license, and certification needed to operate the machinery as they do not understand the key fundamentals and limitations of the equipment.<\/p>\n Disregarding the owner\u2019s manual<\/strong><\/p>\n Many breakdowns have been attributed to total disregard or lack of thorough reading of the owner\u2019s manual. Failing to read the manual thoroughly will ensure that you don\u2019t gain valuable knowledge relating maintenance, identification of problems, troubleshooting, and machinery tolerance.<\/p>\n Operating equipment beyond its limits and capability<\/strong><\/p>\n Even the most experienced and skilled of operators often fall into the trap of pushing machinery beyond its set limits. Every equipment has its capability that when exceeded, can cause failure due to excessive strain of various systems. These limits also vary according to the conditions of operations such as weather and terrain.<\/p>\n Improper servicing and repairs<\/strong><\/p>\n This is one of the obvious causes of sudden breakdowns yet is still very common. Every equipment should be serviced after certain hours of operation as prescribed by the designers. Failure to regularly lubricate parts, change filters, and other worn-out components can lead to catastrophic failures. Similarly, failure to repair and replace worn parts of equipment in time may exacerbate the problem and reduce its life.<\/p>\n