Modernization upgrade in the maintenance of construction machinery and equipment

The connotation of modernization and upgrading of construction machinery and equipment

In the maintenance of construction machinery and equipment, in accordance with production needs, various new processes and technologies are applied. Through means such as module replacement, structural transformation, and performance optimization, the existing structure of construction machinery and equipment is changed to achieve functional improvement of the equipment, making it partially or fully reach the level of new equipment, so as to meet the higher demands of users. For instance, the blades of bulldozers, the bucket teeth of excavators, and the jaw plates of gravel crushers are all vulnerable parts with high requirements for toughness, hardness and wear resistance. They have all been manufactured using bimetallic composite surfacing technology, which has significantly increased their service life.

(2) The background of modernization and upgrading of mechanical equipment

With the acceleration of the update speed of mechanical equipment and the strengthening of social environmental awareness, more and more products have to be retired before reaching their designed service life due to outdated functions or poor environmental protection, which causes a huge waste of resources. At present, the annual output of metal-cutting machine tools in China (about 300,000 units) is only 1/28 of the total social output. That is to say, it takes as long as 28 years for a machine tool to be updated and replaced once. In contrast, the average update cycle of metal-cutting machine tools in advanced industrial countries such as the United States and Japan does not exceed 5 years. Therefore, the modernization and upgrading of mechanical equipment, as an effective measure for the sustainable development of the social economy, holds particularly significant importance.

(3) The objects of modernization and upgrading of mechanical equipment

Outdated products with long service life and high energy consumption.

(4) Advantages of modernization and upgrading of mechanical equipment

Compared with the "traditional maintenance" mainly focusing on functional restoration, the modernization upgrade of construction machinery equipment belongs to "improvement maintenance", which can significantly enhance the comprehensive performance of products, enabling products that were previously statically downgraded for use to achieve dynamic upgrades and endow them with the ability to "keep pace with The Times". The overall quality may even exceed that of new products. Main advantages: Strong targeting and good adaptability; Improve the composition ratio of equipment and eliminate the weak links in production; Low investment and quick returns. For instance, the training base of Shanghai University of Engineering Science once upgraded a CA6140 lathe, which was produced in the 1970s and had worn out, to a numerical control system: installing a computer numerical control device and the corresponding servo system to replace the original electrical control system. Replace ordinary screws with ball screws to reduce friction; The damaged guide rail surface was repaired by brush plating technology. Through upgrading, both the degree of numerical control and the processing accuracy reached the factory standards of new CNC machine tools, and the upgrade cost was only 1/5 of that of replacing the equipment.

(5) Methods for modernizing and upgrading construction machinery and equipment

1. Function substitution method: Replace old modules with the latest multi-functional ones to optimize product functions. 2. Renovation and improvement method: To make up for the deficiencies of the original equipment, local structural improvements are made to adapt to the new service environment and requirements; 3. Surface strengthening method: Utilizing new materials, new processes, and new technologies to repair worn surfaces, improve the comprehensive surface performance, and extend the service life of equipment. For instance, in the case of heavy-duty crawler machines in construction machinery, the crankshaft of the engine suffers from wear failure and fatigue fracture due to high-intensity working conditions, accounting for 70% of the total faults. Now, a cobalt-based wear-resistant coating has been applied to the crankshaft on the basis of the original processing, which can increase its service life by more than 50%, and the economic benefits are very significant.

(6) Application of modernization and upgrading of construction machinery and equipment

The vehicle-mounted information system for the modernization and upgrading of construction machinery equipment has been widely applied. For instance, the self-diagnostic instrument for faults equipped on the Nissan PC-300 excavator has an alarm function where the indicator light flashes when there is a fault. Maintenance personnel can determine the source of the fault through the fault code remembered by the ECU and conduct targeted rapid checks and troubleshooting, which improves the maintenance efficiency. For instance, the US military's B-52H bomber, after two rounds of modernization upgrades, has seen significant improvements in instrument analysis accuracy and automation, with its equipment performance notably enhanced. As a result, its service life has been extended to 2030.

(7) The development trend of modern upgrading of construction machinery equipment

The modernization and upgrading of construction machinery equipment, as an important part of the product life cycle, has considerable economic benefits. In the design stage of construction machinery equipment in the future, modular, standardized, open and easily disassemblable structures should be adopted. Advanced computer control technology will significantly enhance the reliability, maintainability and degree of automation of the modernization and upgrading of construction machinery equipment.