Do you work in construction and use heavy equipment regularly? Can the environment make it hard for the machinery to operate correctly?
We happen to know a few ways to ensure that your equipment performs well.
A variety of tests are available to test the durability of the material you use on the job. They ensure that your tools function no matter what the weather is like.
With these techniques, you can save money on new machines and learn how to use your equipment in different scenarios. By using our services, you can have an easy time operating cranes, bulldozers, loaders, excavators, and other machines.
Here are five different types of testing to perform on your equipment to ensure their functionality.
1. Shock Testing
The quality of construction equipment depends on how well they can handle being moved around. There’s a way to make sure that it doesn’t fall over in these scenarios.
The material testing equipment for this option includes free-fall shock towers that simulate shock waves. Common sources of shock waves that construction equipment deals with include shipping, loading, and transport.
No matter how careful you try to be with your machines in loading docks, the wrong move can cause it to fall over. Even if you have to drop the equipment during placement, the force can cause it to tip to the side.
The shock towers can drop your machines from different heights and angles to see how much force they can take. It’s best to drop it from all angles to see if there are any weak spots.
We recommend this testing for those working with larger amounts of equipment. This can come in handy for projects in populated areas, or those that involve large structures.
2. Temperature and Humidity (Different Types of Testing)
The extreme heat and cold of the summer and winter can make it harder to operate cranes, bulldozers, and other large equipment. While the majority of these machines are designed for these conditions, you can never be too safe.
If you want your equipment to perform consistently, you should try it at different temperatures and humidities in environmental test chambers. The best options are below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Not all equipment is made of the same material, so some machinery will be able to handle specific temperatures better than others. We suggest testing everything you use, from iron to steel.
These material testing methods may not be needed during the Fall or Spring, which don’t experience such extremes. However, you should be ready just in case the temperature is still relatively high in November, or it’s still cold enough in April to get snow.
These chambers also come in handy in case you have to move the equipment to another part of the world that’s warmer or colder than where you are now. This will prepare your machines for whatever the area you’re traveling to has to offer.
3. Chemical Resistance Testing
Your equipment may be tough enough to handle extreme cold and heat. However, it may not be able to withstand certain chemicals.
Anti-freeze, fertilizers, insecticides, and other chemicals may be more harmful to machinery than they are to what you are usually using them on. This can lead the tools to degrade and break apart over time.
The age of the equipment may affect how much of these chemicals it can take. If you’ve been using the same machines for years, then you’ll have a tougher time in this situation.
Make sure to spray these chemicals and their components on your tools. Some machinery may take longer to react than others, but you’ll need to keep an eye on them.
This test is significant if you’re going to be renting equipment for a certain project. Spraying chemicals on it before you use it will save you plenty of time and money on finding replacements.
4. Sand and Dust Testing
Some people in the construction industry have the luxury of working in more pleasant environments. Others, however, have to work in places where dust and sand are common.
This material can keep your machines from working by collecting into parts that affect movement. If they stick to your tools long enough and in certain conditions, they can reduce the toughness of the object’s surface.
That’s where lab testing machines come in. Enclosed chambers have been designed to blow sand, dust, and gravel at your machines to test their resistance.
You will need to consider factors such as pressure, temperature, concentration, and humidity during the tests. Parts you should test include seals, enclosures, coatings, and brakes to ensure the equipment can move and stop when you need to.
Make sure that the tests include large particles, which are very common in the outdoors. If you don’t live in areas where sand and dust are common, these tests can still help in case you eventually have to work in such an environment.
5. UV Exposure Testing
As good as the sun may feel after months of low temperatures, your equipment may not feel the same way. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation may be keeping your machines from performing as they should.
Different types of material can handle UV exposure better than others. Enough exposure can cause cracks and peels in the coating, as well as a loss of strength in the surface.
With Xenon-arc UV exposure, your construction equipment will be able to handle the worse that the sun can throw at it. This test consists of bulbs that create a spectrum of natural sunlight to shine on the material.
You should first consider how much sunlight the area where you’re working is exposed to throughout the year. Tests during cloudier or colder days can prepare your machines for brighter days.
If you’re working on a variety of projects, you may need to conduct more tests. Some buildings consist of more steel or bricks than others, and their location can affect how much UV exposure they experience.
Our Take
Construction equipment requires different types of testing to be ready for any situation. Weather and the environment come with a variety of challenges, and the material and tactics you use to move machines face damage risks.
However, with the right testing machines and settings, you can keep your equipment in shape and running for a long time.
Check out more of our tips today so that your construction equipment stays strong and continues to produce amazing projects.