Holiday Material Handling Maintenance Tips
“To resent efficiency is a mark of inefficiency.” – Henry Ford
With the Holiday season fast approaching, are you ready to operate at maximum uptime?
Here are four tips for your Holiday Season. It is best to perform a full-scale preventive maintenance checks on your system regularly. KMH technicians can come to you to complete the inspection and schedule as well as perform any needed repairs.
Preventative Maintenance
1. Forklift Checklist
Do you have a complete checklist for your operators?
Take the time to create a detailed checklist for your operators. Prevent accidents and repair costs and raise your bottom line, especially during the busy Holiday Season.
This list is a general overview, and not exhaustive. A complete checklist should be available for your operators.
Visual Inspection: Remember to check carriages, forks and locks, tires, masts and look for any leaks before operating.
Operational Inspection: Check your attachments, tilt, lift and cylinders. Be sure your brakes, lift and steering are in proper order and pay close attention for any unusual noises or exhaust that may signal a problem or failure in the unit. Stop and have a closer inspection at the first sign of any unusual sounds or activity to avoid accidents and injuries.
Engine Compartment: From your fluid levels, fuel lines, belts, oil filter and cooling system to brakes, panels and even hinges. Make sure your operators take the time to check your units to keep them running smoothly every shift.
Electrical Systems: Wire connections, battery electrolyte, brushes, switches and connector points.
Lastly check your Fuel System & Hydraulic System to lubricate your units on a regular basis.
2. Conveyor Care
Many components should be checked on a regular basis. Have responsible team members check your drives, take-up systems, belts, pulleys, idlers, and guards.
Cleaning and lubrication of your conveyor can take place on a weekly basis. More in-depth examinations of belts and pulleys should be done on a monthly basis. Preventive maintenance will help you avoid unnecessary downtime and to keep your operation running smoothly all year long.
A busy holiday season is the time to consider making any necessary part replacements and keep any spare parts on hand that would cause extended downtime. Our free operational audit can help you prepare in advance of the upcoming holiday season.
3. Conveyor Parts Preparation
During your operational audit, we can help you list and make preparations for parts you may want to have on hand. Making the right parts decisions in advance can prevent possible repairs & prevent multiple maintenance calls. For example you can pre-order a variety of regularly needed parts:
1. Motors
2. Belts
3. Drive and pulleys
4. Couplings
5. Rollers
6. Air bags and brake pads
7. Sensors
4. Software Maintenance
1. Is all software up to date? Check Windows updates, security software, and the applications that run the business. Are they performing as expected?
2. Backups… Are you backing up regularly? Do you have offsite copies? Do you have a procedure in place to restore files if needed?
There are many material handling maintenance checks that you should perform. We hope this list encourages you to get ready for the busy season! These are only a few tips that will help you review and prep the critical areas of your system before the Holiday Season.