Like anything else in life, whether it’s your car, your home or even your body, planning and conducting preventive maintenance creates long-term benefits that are well worth the investment. Why would your forklift and other materials handling equipment be any different?
There are many benefits of properly maintaining your forklift fleet and other equipment. However, we have recognized five major benefits that our customers have enjoyed. Planned Maintenance has been proven to:
Lower Your Maintenance Costs Proactive and preventive maintenance has proven to lower costs by catching small service issues before they blossom into giant repair headaches. Replacing worn or damaged parts early decreases the likelihood of breakdowns.
Improve Useful Equipment Life Equipment that is serviced regularly does not have to be “turned over” as frequently. This lowers your equipment costs over time.
Increased Productivity Equipment that is well maintained does not break down. This improves productivity as well as your bottom line performance. And equipment that is well maintained performs better and more efficiently
Increase Residual Values When you trade-in your forklifts, or sell it to purchase new equipment, well maintained equipment has proven to have higher values than equipment serviced on an “as needed” basis.
Enhance Facility Safety Equipment failures can have catastrophic consequences. Properly maintaining your forklifts will improve operator safety, as well as those that work around your equipment.
Having the right partner in maintaining your equipment is as important as selecting the right doctor for the maintenance of your health. Our trained, experienced technicians perform thousands of Planned Maintenance service calls each year. Whether we’re servicing a giant Taylor Machine Workscontainer handler a forklift or terminal tractor, you can count on our professional staff to minimize your downtime and maximize your productivity.
Getting hot under the collar is about as good for your forklifts as it is for you. Heat results in increased engine wear, part failure and lift truck maintenance expenses. Like most other facets of your operation, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and keeping your engine operating at recommended manufacturer temperatures will improve your productivity and bottom line.
If your lift trucks are inspected as part of a regular planned maintenance program with inspections being performed by trained lift truck professionals, it is likely that these elements of your cooling system are being inspected and abnormal wear is being brought to your attention. However, one oversight and the end result could be a repair bill mounting into the thousands.
Keeping your cool includes:
Replacing Forklift Engine Coolant with Coolant, Not Water
Water in your coolant system can be a very short-term patch, but can result in long-term damage to your engine and early failure. Water has a lower boiling temperature than coolant and will cause your engine to run at a higher temperature, resulting in oil viscosity breakdown and undue engine wear.
Replacing Forklift Engine Hoses Before You See Damage
Hoses wear over time, often from the inside out. Inspect for leaks on a regular basis and replace hoses at manufacturers recommended intervals. Leaks can result in loss of coolant over time, increase engine temperature and lower performance. Hose failure and the resulting spill can produce a hazardous situation for everyone in the vicinity.
Keeping the Pressure on
The coolant system is pressurized to raise the boiling point of the coolant. Radiator caps maintain the pressure in the system. When the cap is not functioning properly, coolant can boil out onto the floor at near normal operating temperatures, causing operators or technicians to incorrectly believe that the engine is overheating. Pressure testing the radiator cap is the only sure way to maintain proper coolant system pressure.
Keeping Your Forklift’s Engine Properly Belted
An engine’s fan belt creates air flow over the engine, removing external surface heat. It also drives the circulation of the engine’s coolant through the engine, keeping the internal temperature at normal operating limits. Worn belts can reduce the flow of coolant, increasing the temperature and creating a long-term problem for your engine. Belt failure can result in immediate overheating, engine damage and an expensive repair. Have your belts inspected for wear and replace them at factory suggested intervals to ensure proper coolant flow inside and out.
Inspecting Your Engine’s Greatest Fan
Driven by the fan belt to perform, a properly operating engine fan allows for the normal conduction of heat from the inside of the engine to the surface where the fan whisks away the excess heat. A cracked or damaged fan can reduce the effectiveness of the fan and increase engine temperature. Be sure to inspect the fan for wear and damage and replace it with a manufacturer’s suggested replacement. Heavy steel fans can produce undue wear on the engine and reduce the fan’s capacity to remove heat, or even create its own heat by increased demand for energy by a heavier fan.
Regular Coolant Fluid Replacement
Like oil, cooling system fluid has a recommended maximum useful life, and that can vary widely depending upon how your system was serviced and the type of coolant used to replace your current fluid. Every engine and application is different so don’t solely rely on factory recommended intervals for a flush and refill. Consult with us about an application survey and we can assist you in setting a schedule for regular coolant replacement that makes sense for YOUR operation.
Having your forklift’s cooling system regularly serviced ensures maximum engine performance and useful life. It reduces your maintenance expenses and improves your productivity. Forklifts on the floor, operating are far more essential to your bottom line than they are when they’re sitting in our shop.
If your lift trucks are not on a regularly scheduled Planned Maintenance program, they should be. Let us take the worry out of what and when to inspect, letting you tend to the business of what you do best.
Visit our forklift services page to learn more about how we can help you maximize productivity and minimize costs of your material handling operation. Or contact us at 800-322-5438 to learn more about our Planned Maintenance programs that keep your forklifts, terminal tractors and container handlers cool, under the pressure of Summer.
Forklifts must be inspected daily, or prior to each shift if used in a multi-shift operation. This may seem like a burden and for some large companies, indeed it is. We believe though, that the inspections are a good routine to fall into. Forklifts can be very dangerous machines if something isn’t working right or is damaged. Cracked forks, chains, leaky hydraulics, damaged tires and many other items that are easy to miss, can present a very dangerous, even deadly situation.
We used OSHA guidelines to develop the following forms. One for electric forklifts, the other for internal combustion forklifts. Please feel free to copy and distribute as needed. Remember to keep copies of each inspection, either in a file, or scanned and store digitally.
If you find that your forklift needs to be repaired or service, be sure to use a lockout tag and contact our forklift service department as soon as possible to schedule repairs. Should you need a replacement, we have a large forklift rental fleet to fill your short-term forklift needs.
Any questions about forklift repairs or service, please contact us at 800-322-5438.
Cal-Lift Inc. 