The global health crisis has brought the world to a standstill. Affecting the lengths and breadths of businesses, it had a great impact on industrial machinery as they have been inactive for a long time and then were subjected to extreme working hours to compensate for the business surge during the worldwide lockdown.
The material handling industry too met the same fate. Amidst all the inactivity during the lockdown period and the chaos after the lockdown was eased, forklift maintenance and repair took a backseat. Now for material handling businesses to thrive in the new normal, identifying service and maintenance issues with the equipment becomes a priority. A forklift being essential equipment to boost business productivity at large storage facilities, it is crucial to assess its working condition, ensure smooth material handling activities, and avoid any worksite accidents.
If you are facing difficulties in identifying whether it’s time for forklift maintenance or service, here are 4 signs that will help you decide.
1. Worn-out forks can be fatal
Forks are an integral part of a forklift as they load and unload all the time. This repetitive action causes the forks to wear at a faster rate. Distorted forks can pose a great risk as they may not be able to handle the load efficiently and may result in accidents at the worksite. If you observe misalignments, dents, or cracks on the surface, schedule forklift maintenance or repair immediately and without any delay. Buying new forks is always recommended if the current ones are in extremely bad condition. You can get a new fork from a genuine forklift spare parts supplier.
2. Damaged chains can hinder the forklift’s performance
Chains are an important part of the internal mechanism of a forklift as it helps in lifting the loads smoothly. If you observe the chains are rusted or corroded, noticeable wear, link plates, or chain elongation, these are signs that the chains need to be replaced. Damages to the chain can cause the forklift to stop abruptly while working causing serious damage to the load and the forklift as well. Check with the service engineer and take corrective measures as per the guidance provided. Any issues with the forklift chain need to be rectified immediately to prevent further damages. You can always consider buying a new chain from a genuine forklift spare parts dealer if the ones you are working with are beyond repair.
3. Oil leakages can lead to overheating
Oil leakage is certainly not a good sign. If you are noticing oil leaking out from your forklift, you need to act immediately. The oil promotes the smooth functioning of a forklift as it lubricates different machine parts and facilitate easy movements. Ask for a service visit from the forklift manufacturer and share the concern. Stall the equipment and take corrective measures immediately.
Fast discharging can affect the forklift’s efficiency
If you have battery-operated forklifts at your material handling facility, you need to pay attention to the battery life of the forklift. After the period of 2 to 3 years usage, the battery life goes down. It also depends on the rate of charging. To know the correct way of charging and use, check with the service engineer. If the battery power is discharging fast or the battery is not able to hold the charge as it used to, it is a sign that you need to repair or replace the battery. It is usually a good practice to charge a forklift battery when there is a 20% or 30% charge left in it. Using it until it gets discharged completely will have adverse effects on the battery life.
Forklift maintenance is a crucial exercise for every material handling facility as they possess the ability to boost or hinder productivity. To ensure forklifts are in good working condition, daily safety check and regular scheduled maintenance is important. Failing to perform a schedule check or maintenance can lead to major losses in terms of efficiency, and warehousing equipment, and can also hamper worksite safety.
The onus of offering a safe working environment falls upon material handlers, worksite managers, and forklift operators equally. If you are looking for annual forklift maintenance or genuine forklift spare parts or attachments, OM, a leading forklift manufacturer in India is here to serve you. Visit our website and explore our services to let us know how would you like us to help you.