THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER MAINTENANCE TOOLS
By: Evan Lucyk
In recent years, we at Bit Service have seen a trend emerging, especially in the mining world: There has been a kind of evolution, if you will, of people moving past their DIY tools that they used to maintain equipment, to making sure the proper protocols were taken.
In the past, the use of these handmade mechanisms, were allowed to go on unchecked, which meant workers were performing tasks with unsafe tools, in lieu of a tool that has been checked, approved, and officially deemed safe for the jobs at hand. This use of DIY tools greatly increased the risks of accidents, injuries, or worse due to malfunctions.
The majority of the people conducting this practice were underground maintenance personnel. They either used what was readily available or resorted to hand-fabricating some sort of handmade mechanism because they didn’t have access to the proper tools. There was a schism between the industry realizing—and enforcing—the importance of using the right tools and adhering to appropriate safety guidelines, and also the financial constraints many companies faced. This led certain companies to feel pressure to move things along and simply use what was available, to meet the bottom line and stay in the black.
The focus on proper tools for maintenance, and following procedure, brought about some pushback, understandably, as the idea of doing maintenance safely has often been linked to taking too long (read: losing time, which means losing money). The good news is that people seem to be coming around to the idea that the importance of doing a job safely trumps doing it quickly when it comes down to it. And now that the industry is really beginning to be open and embrace how important it is to have the right tool for the job, the previously mentioned problem had to be addressed and fast.
Bit Service recognized this challenge, and rather than just talk about it, we were determined to help offer a solution. What followed was a close collaboration with Cincinnati Mine Machinery to make a line of maintenance tools that we either sell through our manufacturers or that we manufacture in-house. This helps make available an array of options—safe options that would help the industry—and get them into the hands of those who need them.
We are proud to present one particular maintenance tool that we build with Cincinnati Mine Machinery for underground conveyor chains. Previously, to maintain those chains when you have a breakage or other failure, a mechanic would climb into the conveyor deck and—with a combination of hammers, punches, acetylene torches, and banging—hack those parts apart to remove the broken section. Then they would put in the new piece (which took even more hammering and posed a safety concern).
Our hydraulically operated conveyor chain press can both disassemble and reassemble the chain without the mechanic having their hands anywhere in the way. And they can safely disassemble and assemble them without any risk of personal injury to themselves. This is exciting for us because it revolutionizes the industry. With this one particular job, it allows maintenance personnel to make the repair quickly, accurately, and safely, as opposed to it staying a task that, once a year, somebody has a little injury from taking it upon themselves to attempt a quick “fix” using subpar methods or handmade substitutions.
This is just one example of the immense impact of one of the maintenance tools from our line. If you face this same problem as so many in our industry have—and are—we at Bit Service would love to help. Contact us today to hear how Bit Service can customize your maintenance equipment for you, providing you with maximum efficiency while also keeping you safe.