5 benefits of preventive maintenance in mining; cost reduction is one of them

Equipment maintenance in the mining industry is a relevant topic. Adopted preventively, it brings at least 5 benefits to mining and quarrying companies.

Reducing costs with parts and rework is one of them.

We asked the Technical Assistance team at Máquinas Furlan for tips on effective maintenance. Adopting a work schedule and following the equipment manual are two recommended practices.

They also answered if there is any type of machine in the plant that needs more attention. Check it out.

The benefits of preventive maintenance in the mining industry

Mining is an activity that takes place in aggressive environments, which requires durability of equipment and castings. At the same time, investors expect the plant to operate continuously and with high performance.

Therefore, preventive maintenance of equipment is a fundamental pillar for the efficiency, safety and longevity of operations. It can generate at least 5 benefits for the mining or quarrying company, when compared to the corrective solution.

They are:

1. Increased production - The fewer unplanned stops, the longer the production time.

2. Reduced repair costs - Preventive maintenance in industry avoids expensive and unexpected repairs when compared to corrective solutions. In addition, the monitoring schedule contributes to effective management of parts inventories.

3. Increased equipment lifespan - Scheduled replacements that are resistant to wear and tear on equipment in the medium and long term.

4. Improved product quality - Equipment that fails often results in materials that are out of specification. Monitoring machines results in lower rework costs and a contaminant-free final product, in addition to increasing customer satisfaction.

5 Safety in the company is a priority - Well-maintained equipment presents less risk of failures and accidents.

Furlan weather tips for effective maintenance

Preventive maintenance is directly related to Máquinas Furlan's operating concept. The Furlan team has already completed thousands of projects in the company's 62 years of existence.

Another distinguishing feature of the company is the fact that it houses three strategic sectors in its industrial park: the Equipment and Castings factories and the Services area.

Technical Assistance, which is part of the Services area, provides information about two other factories. This generates unique knowledge in the market.

Therefore, we asked Furlan engineers to provide 3 important tips for preventive maintenance in mining and quarrying companies.

• Tip 1: Plan all equipment shutdowns in advance using a timetable. This way, all the resources needed for the activities can be provided, as well as the size of the team mobilization.

• Tip 2: Actively follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance plan in the equipment's instruction manual. No one knows the equipment better than the manufacturer. Therefore, the manufacturer's recommended maintenance recommendations are actually followed.

• Tip 3: Always rely on specialized labor for maintenance activities. Any poorly executed procedure may compromise the availability of the equipment.

Maintenance is directly related to production goals

Furlan engineers believe that preventive maintenance is crucial to ensuring the availability of equipment that allows production targets to be achieved.

But is there any equipment that needs to be looked at more closely in case of possible breakdowns?

For Furlan experts, all equipment requires a lot of attention during maintenance, since each one has its role in the production line. However, some of them may require more frequent interventions due to their complexity, especially those that have a greater number of sensors, instrumentation and hydraulic systems.

An example of this is the British cone crusher. In this post, we talked about the importance of these machines working with a full crushing chamber.  

So, now it's time for you to talk to our team and find out how Máquinas Furlan can help your mining project achieve better results, reaching and even expanding production goals.

Click here and schedule a meeting with some of the world’s leading experts in rock processing equipment and castings.