Set aside the wrenches; the new diesel requires more analysis than disassembly. To make Tier 4 diesels perform to EPA standards, off-road equipment design engineers and manufacturers have had to tighten the cause-and-effect integration between components such as hydraulics, cooling and fuel systems. Tier 4 engines are now an interdependent network of systems in which each component's performance depends on and complements the others with minute margins for error. The relationship of these sophisticated parts and systems is changing mechanics into technicians. The condition-based maintenance (CBM) methodology - based on a "monitor it, measure it, evaluate it, manage it" model - has been knocking around shops and management offices for a while now. As an add-on to regular scheduled preventive maintenance, CBM helps head off downtime on the technology-rich Tier 4 machines. CBM helps contain service hours and parts inventories by tracking and evaluating when a consumable item, such as a filter or fluid, has more useful hours even if it has reached its scheduled PM date. CBM monitors and manages the Tier 4 components as well as the machine as a whole. This holistic approach is especially advantageous when dealing with systems that are required to run full-out, hot, and with zero tolerance for inconsistencies or soot. Ideally, the CBM goal is to evaluate the sum health of the system's parts so that repair or replacement maintenance is done when necessary and well before downtime.
展开▼
