Trends in Extended Interval Maintenance – Earthmoving and Construction Machinery

An SAE recommended practice lists recommended intervals from 10 to 5000 hours for use in establishing maintenance intervals for earthmoving and construction machinery. Except for some “lifetime” lubricated items, the user has had some difficulty in handling maintenance logistics so as to capitalize on the infrequent interval. The most frequent interval has generally set the common interval for all machines in a fleet, irrespective of make or vintage. Past experience, manufacturer and user dilemmas, future trends, and prospects for significant change are discussed.