There are some really good things we can learn from superheroes, and maybe some really bad ones, too (we’re looking at you, Deadpool). You might not realize it, but we can learn some good lessons about final drives, too! For Part 1, we are going to take a look at lessons from Superman, Spider-Man, and The Incredible Hulk to see what they can teach us about contamination, installation/removal, and maintenance. (Trigger warning: this article may upset diehard comics fans!)
We’ve seen the frightening images of glowing, molten lava making its way across homes, yards, cemeteries, schools, and neighborhood streets as the Kilauea volcano wreaks havoc and disaster in Hawaii. In this Shop Talk blog post, we are going to consider the effects of lava on roads and look at how heavy equipment is used in the resulting clean-up process.
Here are a few more related blog posts you might find interesting ...
Any type of machine you encounter is going to have bearings in it. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss the types of bearings in your final drive hydraulic motor. We'll also look at the different functions they serve, signs of failure, the aftermath of failure, and how to prevent failure.
If you ever want to have nightmares, just scan through some of the OSHA accident search results with the keyword “excavator.” These accidents -- 509 accidents going back to 1986 -- aren’t always what you would expect. You may think you know all the dangers related to excavators, but remember that the human race always seems to think of new ways to harm ourselves. Here are some, shall we say, more unusual accidents related to excavators, including one involving final drive maintenance.
You’ve been having issues with your final drive, and you’ve started to take it apart to track down the problem. You’ve cleaned the bearings up, but how can you tell if it’s time to replace them? In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to delve into the signs that your bearings need to be replaced.
Do you know who invented the machine that set the stage for our modern hydraulic excavators? Did you know the history of the excavator dates back to 1835? Do you know the connection between excavators and elevators? If any of this sounds interesting to you, then you will enjoy this Shop Talk Blog post about William Otis, grandfather of the modern hydraulic excavator.
Your final drive motor has been giving you problems, and you’ve decided to take it apart. Once you get to the bearings, you need to clean them up before you can tell whether to replace them. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss how to clean your bearings without damaging them.
We have more blog posts on this subject that you might find helpful!
When performing maintenance or repairs on a skid steer loader, you may not think about being injured or killed -- but it does happen. Some of these fatalities came from a failure to use lift arm supports. In this blog post, we are going to discuss accidents related to lift arms and how the use of skid steer lift arm supports could have prevented them.
Most experts agree that contamination is the number one cause of failure in hydraulic systems and components. This includes final drive motors and we see many final drives that have failed because of hydraulic contamination issues. In this Shop Talk Blog post we are going to discuss the different types of hydraulic contamination and the impact they can have on your final drive motor.
Did you know that cycle time on a machine can increase by about 20% before the operator notices it? And one of the major causes of increased cycle times is hydraulic contamination. Contamination affects more than just your attachments, though -- it will impact the performance of your hydraulic final drive motors. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss how newer machines are more sensitive to hydraulic contamination and what measures you can take to protect your final drives.
