In the fast-paced world of solar construction, pile drivers play a critical role in keeping a project moving. So, it is essential to make routine maintenance part of your crews’ daily and weekly schedule. Diligent maintenance practices can help support productivity and help keep projects on schedule.
Pile driver routine maintenance requirements can be grouped by the tasks performed:
- Daily — every 4 hours or 10 hours of operation
- Weekly — every 50 hours
- Bi-weekly — every 100 hours
- Extended preventative maintenance intervals
Keep in mind, routine maintenance needs can vary by make and model of the pile driver you’re running, so make sure to consult your operator and maintenance manual.
Daily pile driver routine maintenance tasks
Every morning before starting up, give your pile driver a quick walkaround.
Here are some engine-related checks you should perform (refer to the engine operation manual supplied with the machine for complete information):
- Oil leaks
- Fuel leaks
- Coolant leaks
- Damaged or missing parts
- Loose, missing or damaged fasteners
Next, it’s time to check the fluid levels:
- Engine oil level — Check and fill.
- Hydraulic fluid level — When checking the levels, if it smells burnt, contains air bubbles or appears contaminated, contact your dealer.
- Radiator coolant levels — Check and fill.
- Fuel tank levels — Check and fill. When possible, Vermeer recommends refueling at the end of the day to help reduce condensation. Also, don’t overfill the tank. Leave room for fuel expansion.
- Fuel/water separator — Check and drain.
You also need to check the pile driver for:
- Cracks or abrasions in electrical harnesses.
- Damage or corrosion on electrical connectors
- Hydraulic hoses for cracks or abrasions
- Loose or corroded hydraulic clamps.
With those checks completed, it’s time to get to work. However, throughout the day, every 4 hours, you need to lubricate the hammer point. If conditions are challenging, grease it hourly. Here’s the process:
- Support the hammer mill by lowering it onto a post or similar device driven into a height that allows access to the grease point.
- Place the hammer in FLOAT.
- Purge the fitting with chisel paste hammer grease.
- For a 20-foot (6.1-m) mast, lower the hammer, slide the mast out and tilt it toward the machine to access the hammer lift-roller fitting for two shots of grease.
After the day is done, it’s time to grease. Vermeer recommends performing this daily preventative maintenance task on pile drivers at the end of the day to help protect the metal under the seals from corrosion caused by condensation as the temperature drops. Consult the manual to determine the number and location of the zerks on your specific pile driver.
Here are a couple of things to remember with greasing a machine:
- Make sure all fittings and the grease applicator nozzle are clean before applying grease.
- Replace any missing or broken fittings right away.
Weekly pile driver routine maintenance tasks
On brand new pile drivers, most manufacturers will recommend changing engine oil at 50 hours. After that, changing the oil is recommended every 250 service hours.
You also want to check the tension on the cooling fan V-belt on new machines. After that, you should be checking it every 250 service hours.
Other 50-hour or weekly preventive maintenance practices include but are not limited to:
- Checking and cleaning out the radiator fins with compressed air or water.
- Check and adjust the pile driver’s wear pads located around the base and mast of the machine.
- Check the planetary gearbox oil level on a level surface. If it is low, confirm there are no leaks and top it off.
Bi-weekly pile driver routine maintenance tasks
You’ll want to do a quick walkaround of the pile driver to review the condition of the safety signs/decals on the machine. If they are dirty, clean them. If they have been damaged, contact your dealer about getting a replacement.
While you’re walking around the pile driver, you also want to check the conditions of:
- Shields and guards — Make sure they’re intact and in good working order.
- Hardware — Look for loose or missing bolts.
- Machine frame — Look for bending or cracking.
- Engine compartment — Keep it clean and grease free
- Slip-resistant material — Replace any worn or missing strips.
- Electrical harness — Check they’re supported correctly and not rubbing on sharp corners or hanging under the machine.
- Machine functions and lights — Make sure they’re all working properly from the control station and/or remote control.
- Hydraulic system — Check that the connections are tight.
- Hammer position sensor — Check the condition.
- Hammer lifting chain, anchor and pins — Check the condition, then clean and lubricate.
- Ground drive system — Inspect the condition of all the undercarriage components. Make sure track pad bolts are torqued and the track chain is tensioned.
Extended preventative maintenance intervals
Your operator and maintenance manual will outline the specific extended pile driver routine maintenance schedule you should follow, including when you change fluids, replace filters, and clean and replace specific components.
Of course, if you have any questions, your Vermeer dealer is there to help. And, if you’re looking for an efficient way to keep track of your Vermeer pile driver preventative maintenance needs, ask them about Vermeer telematics. All new Vermeer pile drivers come equipped with telematics and 3 years of free telematics service.
For more information about performing pile driver preventive maintenance, consult your manual or visit myvermeer.com. Learn more about Vermeer pile drivers today.
Prior to performing maintenance on Vermeer equipment, always refer to the product’s operator’s and/or maintenance manual for safety messages and further instructions.
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