Just like in a person’s life, babies and children need to be carefully cared for, young people need to fully exert their energy, and in their old age, they need to pay more attention to the conditioning of all aspects of their body functions. Machines also have a life cycle and a very important period that requires our special care.

Today, let’s talk about the most important stages in the life of a loader.

As a heavy machine, a loader can move dozens or hundreds of tons. Although it is made of steel and iron, it is also delicate. If we do not pay attention to maintenance at each important stage, the high maintenance costs in the future will be very distressing.

1. The infant and toddler period of a loader

The infant and toddler period of a loader is what is usually called the running-in period of a new machine.

We often see a very interesting phenomenon: if it is a car, especially a private car, people tend to be very concerned about the use of the new car during the running-in period. They dare not drive fast or far, and are always worried that the vehicle will not be well run-in during the running-in period and affect future performance. However, loaders do not get such care.

The first 60 hours after the loader leaves the factory is the running-in period. However, for this big guy who works right after buying it, people are concerned about making money in a hurry. Since it is a new machine, it has to be used vigorously. Anyway, there is a warranty period. As a result, the machine is often overloaded, early failures occur frequently, adding a lot of troubles, and the service life of the machine is greatly reduced.

In fact, we need to understand that the new machine has just been put into use because the parts and components are rough. When the machine is running, the concave and convex parts rub against each other, and the metal debris that is wiped off participates in the continued friction. Therefore, the parts during this period are easy to wear. If it is overloaded at this time, it is easy to cause damage to the parts and early failures. In addition, the gap between the newly assembled parts is small, and it is not easy for the lubricating oil to form a uniform protective layer on the surface of the parts, which causes wear and tear, and in severe cases, it will also cause surface scratches. In addition, the various differences in the shape, size, material, and assembly of the new parts will always cause deformation, looseness, etc. during the operation of the machine.

In addition, many people never read the instructions when buying a new machine, and act based on experience. It is easy to ignore some important precautions and operating rules. Under such operation, the machine will certainly be damaged.

2. Do not overload during the infancy of the loader:

1. Do not overload. The workload during the running-in period should not exceed 60% of the rated workload to prevent overheating caused by long-term continuous operation of the machine;

2. Do not drive the car immediately. Check the dashboard, oil, and sealing. Grease the lubrication points every shift;

3. Do not make the car dirty. Tighten the parts frequently;

4. Do not ignore maintenance;

5. Do not throw the operation manual aside.

3. The young and middle-aged period of the loader

This is the stage where the machine plays the greatest role. Although all parts have gone through the running-in period and lubrication and coordination are in place, the workload cannot be increased without restraint. In fact, there is already a maintenance and repair schedule on the Internet for more precautions. Here is another schedule for everyone.

Every day:

1. Check for oil, water, gas leakage and overheating of parts;

2. Check the diesel engine oil, coolant and hydraulic oil levels;

3. Check tire pressure and damage;

4. Check instruments and lights;

5. Press butter at each hinge point.

Every 50 hours:

1. Check and tighten the front and rear drive shaft bolts;

2. Check the gearbox oil level;

3. Check and adjust the foot brake and hand brake, and the brake booster oil level;

4. Check the throttle control and speed control system.

Every 100 hours:

1. Replace the gearbox oil (replace every 600 hours thereafter) and clean the oil pan filter;

2. Replace the engine oil (replace every 600 hours thereafter);

3. Check the battery fluid level and apply vaseline to the battery terminal;

4. Check the tightness of the rim and brake disc bolts and bridge bolts;

5. Check the tightness of each fastening bolt.

Every 200 hours:

1. Check the oil level of the front and rear axles;

2. Clean the air filter (replace the filter element if necessary);

3. Clean the engine oil, diesel and transmission oil filters;

4. Measure the tire pressure to 0.27~0.31Mpa;

5. Check whether the working device and the front and rear frame welds are cracked;

6. Check the tightness of the generator and fan belt.

Every 600 hours:

1. Replace the front and rear axle gear oil (replace every 1000 hours thereafter);

2. Clean the oil suction filter of the diesel tank;

3. Remove pollutants from the surface of the water tank and radiator;

4. Replace the engine oil, engine oil and diesel oil filters;

5. Replace the transmission oil and oil filter;

6. Check the engine valve clearance.

Every 1200 hours:

1. Replace hydraulic oil, clean or replace oil filter, clean oil tank;

2. Check engine operation;

3. Check hydraulic system operation;

4. Check steering system performance;

5. Check brake system performance and replace brake oil.

Every 2400 hours:

1. Repair engine according to engine manual;

2. Disassemble and inspect gearbox and torque converter;

3. Disassemble and inspect front and rear axles;

4. Check welds of various parts of the whole machine.

IV. Extension of loader life

The depreciation period of loader is 10 years, but basically various problems will begin to appear after 5000 hours of use. Therefore, in addition to maintenance in the young and middle-aged period, more attention should be paid to methods to extend the life of the loader after 5000 hours.

1) Adhere to the “two-fixed and three-guarantee” system

Fix personnel and machines, guarantee use, storage and maintenance. Loader operators must achieve “three understandings” (understand structure, principle and performance) and “four skills” (know how to use, maintain, check and eliminate general faults). Use loaders correctly, strictly implement safety and technical operating procedures, implement target cost management for mechanical equipment, link the operator’s economic benefits with the loader usage fee (such as fuel, repair, maintenance, material, tool, etc.), and change the loader driver’s passive daily maintenance equipment to active daily maintenance.

2) Reduce the invisible wear and tear caused by environmental climate to loaders

That is, reduce the impact of environmental factors on its service life. Since most construction machinery is open-air and the work site changes frequently, its performance is greatly affected by factors such as temperature, environment and climate of the work site. For machinery that is used for long-term fixed operations, there must be a parking room (shed), or maintenance measures such as covering the top and using wood to support the bottom must be taken to reduce the invisible wear and tear caused by sun, rain and rust. Many construction units ignore the impact of environmental factors on the use of machinery (low ambient temperature can also cause catastrophic consequences for machinery). Failure to take appropriate protective or adaptive measures has resulted in reduced mechanical performance, shortened service life, and even accidents.

3) Regular maintenance of loaders is the key to extending life

The “Ministry of Transport Road Construction and Maintenance Machinery Warranty Regulations” has clear provisions for the maintenance of loaders. However, many construction units often ignore maintenance work when the construction period is tight and the task is heavy, thinking that the machinery is running normally and there is no fault, so there is no need to stop for maintenance. This lays the hidden danger of causing mechanical accidents in the future. Because maintenance can eliminate mechanical hidden dangers, if it is not maintained in time, it will often cause major failures of mechanical equipment and even personnel injuries. This will increase maintenance costs and delay construction period.

4) Use advanced mechanical testing and other auxiliary maintenance methods

Mechanical maintenance work is an important part of extending the service life of machinery. The use of reasonable maintenance methods can effectively extend the service life of construction machinery. According to relevant statistics, the use of advanced condition monitoring methods can reduce maintenance costs by 25% to 50%, reduce the failure rate by 75%, and extend the service life of machinery.

5) Low-cost and fast repair method

The “low-cost and fast repair method” proposed by the machinery industry is also an effective way to extend the service life of machinery. In implementing this method, in addition to adopting a maintainable design during mechanical design to improve the maintainability of the machinery, the following methods can also be used in maintenance practice:

First, the replacement of parts. Many parts on construction machinery, such as bulldozers, track pins of excavators, diesel engine cylinder sleeves, etc., often bear unidirectional loads during operation, resulting in uneven wear. If the position of the parts subject to uneven loads is replaced in a timely manner to balance their wear, their service life can be extended.

Second, the use of advanced brush plating and adhesive repair technology can also quickly and low-cost repair failed parts. Such as wear-resistant surfacing, spraying diamond electroplating, magnetic electroplating, laser electroplating, etc.

The machines we buy are not just tools for us to make money. We should take care of these big guys like our own children. Paying attention to maintenance and correct use methods at every stage of them can save us a lot of repair costs and also make us worry-free and labor-saving in our daily work.