How to Repair Heavy Machinery on the Jobsite

Repair Heavy Machinery to Save Time and Money

Operating heavy machinery is a difficult thing to do. Repairing broken machinery is even harder. Construction sites are perhaps the busiest and noisiest place on the planet. With so many people working together on a single project, there are bound to be a hundred if not a thousand things that go wrong. Amidst all this chaos, the last thing anyone wants to be worrying about is how to repair heavy machinery.

Faulty machinery, though common, is one of the worst things that can happen on a jobsite. Since it is impossible to continue working without machines, broken machinery can make an entire day’s work go to waste. Fixing machinery in a workshop can take a lot of time. This is why many job sites use welding to fix machines on location, without tearing them open.

If you are managing or working on a construction site, oil rig, or any other jobsite in an alienated location, you might be concerned about what to do when things go wrong. To help you figure out how to deal with trouble in the field, this article will discuss all the things that can go wrong on a jobsite, and how to repair heavy machinery if you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Things That Can Go Wrong On The Jobsite

Various things can go wrong on the Jobsite. Though facing trouble in the field is inevitable, knowing what these issues are and how to combat them can greatly improve your chances of success. Here are a few signs of trouble you can expect to encounter on a Jobsite.

• Damage Due To Bad Weather

The biggest challenge of working on a construction site is adjusting to different weather. Bad weather can cause delays in the schedule and ruin your progress. If you are lucky, bad weather will only rob you of time. However, in some cases, if there is a big storm or hurricane, your project or the machines you work with will get damaged.

Buildings or machines getting damaged may seem like a big problem that needs a lot of time and money to get fixed. However, if the damage is not too extensive, repairs can be done through welding or soldering. Rather than tear apart and build from scratch, you can remove damaged parts and replace them with new parts.

Another common but impactful misfortune of fieldwork is faulty machinery. A lot of the time the heavy machinery you rent for a project will be old and rusty. Even if they are brand new, the chances of machines breaking down during a crucial point of the construction are always high. Stopping an entire project to take a machine to a workshop is not a viable option on most job sites.

Not only does fixing machines very expensive, but repairing machines at a workshop can take a lot of time and money. Being able to fix machines is often the determining factor of a project’s success or failure. This is why most job sites have cast iron welding tools on-site to quickly repair machinery without dismantling them completely.

• Mistakes Or Last Minute Revisions

Everything that happens on a construction site is planned ahead of time. The chances of last-minute constructional mistakes or revisions are low. If you are on a tight schedule, you won’t have the time to dismantle something just to make a few changes. Aside from the time issue, making constructional changes is also expensive.

If the change is minor, you can hire welders to help make small adjustments. Welding lets people fix cracks or add joints to a machine or building without tearing things down. If you need a quick solution to make minor adjustments to the construction of your project, welding is the right way to go.

Construction sites, oil rigs, or any other job site can also face the wrath of hidden costs. Regardless of how many precautionary measures you take, there will always be at least one unforeseeable expense. Perhaps one of your machines will completely break down and require fixing. Or perhaps a new law will require you to obtain additional paperwork done before you can continue with the job.

It is good to keep some extra funding in large projects to combat any surprise expenses. Other than this, it is also helpful to keep track of anything that can impact your project. For technical issues, you should check machines and make sure they are in good shape. And for paperwork, you should make sure you have all the documents necessary to continue your project.

A less common but highly impactful difficulty you may face on a Jobsite is errors in the actual design. Buildings require a lot of different calculations and measuring before they get built. What works on paper may suffer from minor complications in real life. Fortunately, most of the time these issues are minor and can be fixed on the job without too much trouble.

The way by which you can correct faults in the design depends on the type of issue at hand. Sometimes some extra plaster and bricks can fix miscalculation issues. Other times, you can get construction or structural welders to help strengthen the joints of a building. However, any measures to fix design errors should be discussed with an engineer first. Trying to fix things without the approval of a professional will only lead to more trouble down the road.

Why It Is Important To Fix Heavy Machinery Quickly

When you are on the job, sitting around with faulty machinery is not a problem. Construction sites always need to be active. Most times, you will not have the luxury to wait around or mull over how to fix your machinery without facing severe consequences. Here are the main reasons heavy machinery must be instantly repaired on a jobsite.

• Faulty Machines Can Lead To Accidents

The most important reason to fix your machines quickly is to prevent accidents. Heavy machinery is already dangerous when they are fully functional. Broken heavy machinery heightens that danger by making the possibility of accidents even higher. This is why it is important to have the proper resources on the jobsite to fix machines on the spot.

The most common way of fixing machines on the Jobsite is through welding or soldering. Both of these are good options to fix heavy machinery without dismantling them entirely. However, there are specific materials required to make sure welding can be done. Firstly, you will need a professional welder on site. Second, you will need proper materials such as a torch, rods, flux, etc.

• You Are paying Workers By The Hour

At a construction site, time is money. A lot of your workers are being paid by the hour. Any time wasted in the field is money washed down the drain. Workers can’t do their jobs if machines aren’t working. Thus it is important to ensure things are repaired quickly so that time isn’t wasted on the Jobsite.

Furthermore, broken machines can lead to delays in the original schedule. Since the work on a construction site involves a lot of people who are codependent on each other, one minor hiccup can disrupt many people’s schedules. To ensure that people can do their jobs properly, it is necessary to fix machines as soon as possible.

How To Tell If Your Machine Requires Fixing

It is not too difficult to tell when a machine needs fixing. Most times you will be met with obvious signs that tell you something is wrong. Other times, the machine itself will inform you about its declining health. Here are some signs you can look out for to figure out if your machine needs to be repaired.

Visible Signs of Weakness: The most obvious way of telling if a machine needs repairing is by looking at it. Observe its actions. Look for any signs of weaknesses or rust. You should also take note of slow or awkward movements in the heavy machinery.

Check The Interior: You can also check if anything is wrong with the engine. Heavy machinery is always around dust and dirt. Sometimes, small flakes can enter the machine and clog its vents or filters. Check the interior of the heavy machinery properly and clear any unwanted clogs.

Strange Sounds: If a machine is damaged, it will create unusual sounds. The type of sound you hear will indicate what needs repairing. If you hear creaking sounds or the sound of rusting metal, the machine needs to be oiled. If you hear beeping sounds or a loud vibration, there might be issues in the engine.

Check The Dashboard: Like most cars or trucks, heavy machinery has systems that detect when it needs repairing. The machine will let you know it needs fixing through blinking lights on the dashboard. The warning sign will differ based on what type of machine you use. Pay close attention to the dashboard and check for any new lights that weren’t there before.

Low Fluid levels: A common way machines start falling apart is through leaks. You can tell your construction machine is leaking by checking the fluid levels. Keep track of how much fluid is entered and lost. If the fluid levels are low, you should get your machine repaired.

Strange Smells: If your machine has leaks, you can also tell through the smell. Construction sites have various types of odor in the air. Thus catching any unusual smells from a machine will be difficult. However, if you happen to catch a whiff of any strange smell from a construction machine, check its fluid levels to see if there are any leaks.

What To Do If Your Machine Breaks Down On The Job

A machine breaking down on the job is unfortunate. Thankfully, there are various steps you can take to fix heavy machinery quickly to get them up and running. What you must do to repair your machine depends on the type of damage that has occurred. Fortunately, Muggy Weld offers a variety of products to enable quick and easy repairs on the job site.  Our cast iron repair kit is an invaluable on-site tool designed to make repairs without special treatment or disassembly.  Check out our many cast iron and heavy machinery repair videos at:  https://www.muggyweld.com/videos/cast-iron-welding to learn how to repair heavy machinery quickly on the job.