Improving equipment effectiveness in large projects

Machine uptime, efficiency depends upon the way it is used and maintained.

Access equipment comes in diverse types which have specific features that make them more or less desirable for different applications. They are generally used for temporary, flexible access purposes such as maintenance and construction work. The key difference is in the drive mechanism which propels the working platform to the desired location.

Enhancing uptime and efficiency
In large construction projects, many adverse conditions prevail – skill levels and improper maintenance contracts being some of the factors affecting work. In this context, even the uptime of equipment becomes a critical factor for productivity.

“Today, 90 per cent of the access equipment in India are refurbished and do not adhere to the latest international safety standards. Thus, in order to enhance uptime and efficiency of the access equipment, three very important factors have to be kept in mind, such as the equipment needs to be able to work on a rough terrain and adhere to international standards of safety. The equipment has to be backed up by maintenance contracts on a timely basis and training has to be provided to the operators on safety and handling of the access equipment on site,” says Anil Lingayat, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Material Handling.
As there are constant changes in the technology it is the responsibility of the final users to embrace it and use it to their advantage and in the last 10 years many conventional access items like scaffoldings have been replaced, but when these old systems are replaced with new mechanised systems, tremendous amount of time and money is saved.

“Once new systems have been out in place it is important to make sure that they are up and running till they are needed and to make sure this criterion is met a small amount has to be factored in while purchasing these machines to keep them in a good shape and take care of the wear and tear that will occur as the machine is used over time,” says Sunil Malhotra, Managing Director, Appletree Building Maintenance Pvt Ltd.

Selection criteria
Choosing the appropriate equipment according to the scope of the project is of utmost importance as it helps in adhering to the timelines set for the project. Height being a major factor, it should be considered while selection of the access equipment. In addition to height, reach is also as important as sometimes you would require a ‘boom’ in order to do the job.
“While choosing the access equipment, it is important to consider the organisation and its infrastructure support in terms of maintenance and training to assist during the period of the project,” said Lingayat.

Façade maintenance of high-rise buildings
In any high-rise buildings there are two major areas to be addressed for cleaning up to 30 metres height and above 30 metres. For this purpose there are two systems such as roof based system and ground based access system.

“Ground based access system caters up to a height of 30 metres which is mainly used for areas which cannot be accessed from the roof such as atriums inside or outside and façade area under canopy extension. Buildings which are higher than 30 metres are accessed from roof top based access systems. There are various types of roof based systems which are classified as Building Maintenance Unit (BMU), jib system, davit system and monorail which carry a cradle. This type of cleaning is also called as mechanised cleaning,”
says Malhotra.

The application areas of above mentioned access system in a high-rise building are glass cleaning, glass replacement or façade maintenance, installing – ACP, louvers, glass, signage and their maintenance, painting of textured wall, repairing work of walls, maintenance of plumbing pipes in shafts, access to connecting bridges false ceiling and maintenance of services, stone cladding fixing
or maintenance, led lights fixing and maintenance, access to – green wall or planters on wall, skylight for cleaning and maintenance, solar panels for cleaning and maintenance.

It is important to consider the organisation and its infrastructure support in terms of maintenance and training to assist during the period of the project.
Anil Lingayat, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Material Handling

There are various types of roof based systems which are classified as Building Maintenance Unit (BMU), jib system, davit system and monorail which carry a cradle. This type of cleaning is also called as mechanised cleaning.
Sunil Malhotra, Managing Director, Appletree Building Maintenance Pvt Ltd

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