PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE: Lubrication is more important than we give it credit in the mechanical operation of machines.
“We analyse in-operation oil samples and implement proactive measures to counter machine wear, the essence of predictive maintenance,” says Craig Fitzgerald from ISO-Reliability Partners.
His assertion is that oil is gold, especially when it comes to expensive equipment, and using premium-grade oils makes all the difference.
The company’s reputation and success span 25 years, with it owning and managing the iconic Filter Focus brand, and Fitzgerald having incorporated all his intellectual property into the new company.
ISO-Reliability Partners is an own emblem manufacturer (OEM) of class-leading micro-fine oil filtration solutions, vacuum dehydration systems, automated water removal for compressed air and high-efficiency industrial air scrubbing.
“The majority of our clients are manufacturing facilities, general industry, and mining. Our products are suited to any large-scale user of industrial equipment, gearboxes or mobile machinery,” explains Fitzgerald.
“Our solutions excel in high speed, extreme load, high temperature and high contamination applications.”
ISO-Reliability Partners eliminates equipment failures and dramatically improves operating efficiencies. A trend in the industry is to chase after price when considering lubricant purchases. The resulting inability of the lubricant to eliminate metal-to-metal contact has adverse effects on equipment performance, operating cost and ultimately the equipment’s productivity.
“Significant performance improvements can be achieved when lubricants are treated as assets,” says Fitzgerald.
To bolster the company’s solutions, it holds distribution rights for premium US lubrication brands Bel-Ray and Royal Purple.
“Both are phenomenal lubricants grades that significantly improve energy efficiency on large equipment,” says Fitzgerald.
Another USA-manufactured product it distributes is Seal Saver, a breakthrough in preventative maintenance tools for hydraulic cylinders. ISO-Reliability Partners is the sole exclusive distributor for Seal Saver hydraulic cylinder protection solutions. Numerous companies trust the company with lubrication of open gear systems. For example, at Sibanye Stillwater holds the open gear lubrication contract, a critical application in the mining industry in terms of productivity and efficiency.
USED VEHICLES: One option buyers have when it comes to purchasing used vehicles is to buy at auctions. Preparing for an auction seems like a daunting task when you’re new to that process of buying, but used equipment and parts are available at auctions throughout the year, and there’s an opportunity for cost-saving. Auctions are a terrific way to buy equipment for individual needs. And thanks to technology, it’s easier than ever to get the hang of the bidding process.
Director and Head Auctioneer at Park Village Auctions (PVA), Clive Lazarus believes that the best way to learn is to register and watch in-person or online auctions without buying.
“Do your homework in the marketplace beforehand and see how the auction proceeds,” he adds.
Online auctions have made it possible to bid from anywhere in the world, and as a result, there’s a wider variety of products available nationally, and internationally, for determined buyers.
Lazarus thinks it has created an opportunity for people who have the capital to spend on equipment to take part in auctions. “Auction assets (in the case of PVA) are sourced from bank repossessions, business rescue and liquidation matters, deceased estates and elective sales,” he says. That means that auctions are never limited to one brand or one type of machine, rather there’s a selection at each auction.
FLEET MAINTENANCE: Jet Demolition has been established as a premiere demolition company in South Africa. But the cog to keep the company’s machines running is the equipment used in various projects that can run simultaneously.
That means an expansive fleet of equipment is needed for day-to-day operations. That fleet is also consistently expanding, which makes it an impressive operation. But for Jet Demolition Contracts and Project Manager Kate Bester, it allows the company to be productive.
“We have recently taken delivery of three new Hitachi machines, which are currently being equipped with OilQuick systems, the first for a demolition company in Africa. We are very excited about the addition of the OilQuick system to our fleet, as it will allow for improved safety, flexibility and productivity on our sites, resulting in happier clients, and an improved safety profile,” she explains.
The new machines will be cared for at the company’s own workshop.
“Jet Demolition has its own fully equipped workshop, as well as a collection of the most critical spares in our warehouse. We also have our own team of diesel mechanics that maintain our fleet, with regular services undertaken in strict accordance with proven intervals,” says Bester.
While keeping maintenance close to home, the effective management of the fleet also relies on the operators and fault detection from them, to ensure no project must be halted due to equipment failure. “We rely heavily on our operators to ensure that any issues are reported timeously, so we can attend to them before they become detrimental. Our fleet is well-maintained, and regularly replaced. Our core equipment is replaced much more regularly than conventional construction equipment, as a failure midway through a controlled demolition activity would have an immediate and direct consequence,” says Bester.
COMPACT LOADERS: In many major global markets, the undisputed king of compact equipment is the mini-excavator. And they are popular in the US, too, where some 60,000 units are sold every year. But even this huge number is dwarfed by sales of compact track loaders, which currently sell an incredible 90,000 units a year.
The compact track loader, or CTL, has leapfrogged the skid steer loaders in the US for instance. The upward trajectory of CTL sales in recent years has been near vertical. “I think it’s particularly popular in the US because it can cover ground and move material so fast – this is a big country with big sites,” says Buck Storlie, Yanmar Compact Equipment (CE) product manager for North America. “The tracks give the edge over skid steers’ wheels, in that they can work more days a year, even in very damp conditions, thanks to the tracks’ much lower ground pressure.
With their greater traction, they are also more stable and have a higher ability to push into a pile. And they are extremely versatile tool carriers, which gives them the flexibility to do a wide range of jobs, with minimal tool change-over times. And, at the end of the day, you can put it on a trailer and tow it home behind an average pick up.” Yanmar Compact Equipment introduced the TL100VS compact track loader — the first machine in its new compact track loader line. The loader is designed specifically for the construction, utility and rental industries.
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