The adage ‘Prevention is better than cure’ certainly should apply when it comes to machinery of all kinds. Carrying out regular servicing has many benefits. Much like a motor vehicle works better if treated kindly, and you change oil, plugs, and filters as part of a routine service designed to keep you on the road and avoid untimely breakdowns, servicing loading bay equipment and goods lifts is just as essential.
Why Service Goods Lifts?
There is never a good time for such vital equipment in a warehouse, industrial, or manufacturing facility to stop working. And no matter how good a repair contract you have in place, work will be disrupted, meaning there is the potential for missed deadlines, lost orders and bad will with your customers.
One of the best ways to reduce the possibility of a breakdown is to ensure that your equipment, including goods lifts, is regularly serviced and that you follow the manufacturer’s timescales for routine preventative and protective maintenance.
Outsourcing – A Better Option?
One of the simplest ways of ensuring you get the best life from your machinery is to hand the servicing and routine maintenance over to a specialist. Goods Lift Service and Maintenance contracts can be arranged alongside design and installation. This will keep your lifts maintained, thus reducing the likelihood of an unexpected breakdown.
Key reasons why planned preventative maintenance is better than wait and see!
· Routine service contracts are likely to be cheaper than an emergency fix.
· A breakdown will often take longer to fix than when your lift is down for servicing and relies on readily available parts.
· You can be aware of parts nearing the end of their life and have replacements lined up so supply chain issues don’t catch you out.
· Although the latest mezzanine and goods lifting equipment will likely have HMI self-fix screens, greatly reducing the need for external expert fixes, the best service contracts will offer you phone and online support from technical experts when needed.
· Your machines will continuously operate in the best condition, meaning less overall wear and tear from worn parts. This will help keep them functioning longer, more reliably, and perhaps more safely. Preventative maintenance will extend the life of your goods lift, thus reducing the need for early replacement and business interruption.
· You know when your goods lift will be out of action so that you can plan accordingly. A breakdown doesn’t allow this, so doing all you can to avoid it makes good business sense.
How Often Does My Lift Need Servicing?
Most equipment will require planned preventative servicing every 6-12 months. The amount of use your lift gets daily will be a factor, and this is something that a quality supplier can advise on. As part of an installation and service package, you can create a bespoke goods lift that meets your business needs and is cared for by experts. Your installation technicians should offer your in-house technicians training to fix issues identified by the HMI fault finding to reduce the number of call-outs required should something unexpected occur or require attention outside the routine planned maintenance schedules.
As a business, you should be keen to reduce the opportunity for things to go wrong, and having a goods lift service contract in place is a great start. After all, anything that disrupts normal operations will likely cost time, money and potentially goodwill if orders are delayed, or your breakdowns cause inconvenience to your suppliers. Looking after your loading bay and lifts through regular care packages will help prevent many things that stop your machinery from working optimally.
