AMI 405 POWER UNIT, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF FARM MACHINERY

Maintenance is the practice of keeping and repairing farm machinery or equipment to prevent
breakdown and extend lifespan.

Importance of maintaining farm machinery;

1. Maintenance maximises machinery output in operation and improves productivity.
2. Maintenance ensures machinery safety as it identifies and fixes potential hazards.
3. Proper maintenance helps to extend lifespan and economic service life
4. Maintenance of machinery optimises fuel efficiency and saves cost.
5. Regular maintenance prevents breakdown or downtime

Classifications of farm machinery maintenance are;

1. Preventive or Proactive maintenance
2. Corrective or Reactive or Restorative maintenance

Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance refers to a proactive practice of regularly inspecting, maintaining and
servicing equipment or machinery to prevent any potential failure or breakdowns.

Examples;
✓ Scheduled Inspections: Regularly scheduled inspections are conducted to identify
and address potential issues before they escalate into more significant problems. E.g.
checking fluid levels, inspecting belts and hoses, examining tire condition, and
verifying the functionality of lights and safety features.
✓ Fluid Changes: Regularly changing engine oil, coolant, hydraulic fluid, and other
fluids is critical for maintaining proper lubrication, cooling, and hydraulic
performance. These fluid changes are typically performed according to the
manufacturer's recommended intervals.
✓ Filter Replacement: Filters, including oil filters, fuel filters, air filters, and hydraulic
filters, should be replaced at specified intervals to ensure optimal performance and
prevent contaminants from entering critical systems.
✓ Greasing and Lubrication: Greasing and lubricating moving parts such as joints,
bearings, and pivot points help reduce friction, minimize wear, and prolong
component lifespan. These tasks are usually performed as part of routine maintenance
procedures.

Types of Preventive Maintenance

1. Planned preventive maintenance: This is a proactive approach to maintain and service
machinery by conducting regular inspections, performing routine maintenance tasks,
and fixing potential fault before they become a major problem.
2. Usage-based maintenance: This is where maintenance activities are carried out when
machinery has reached a certain level of usage or based on the number of hours used.
3. Prescriptive maintenance: This approach uses machine learning to collect and analyze
data on machine condition, as well as recommend special maintenance strategy for the
machinery to reduce operational risks.
4. Predictive maintenance evaluates or diagnoses a machine to determine its condition
and provides an estimate regarding when maintenance should be scheduled.
5. Calendar or time-based maintenance: This involves scheduling maintenance tasks at
regular intervals, such as weekly, monthly, or annually, regardless of the condition or
usage of the equipment.
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Corrective Maintenance
Corrective maintenance is performed to restore broken or failed part

Types of corrective maintenance

1. Emergency Maintenance: This involves addressing critical failures that require
immediate attention to restore equipment functionality and prevent further damage or
safety hazards. It is typically reactive and unplanned, triggered by sudden breakdowns
or malfunctions that disrupt normal operations.
2. Scheduled Corrective Maintenance: Planning and scheduling repairs or component
replacements based on predetermined intervals or predefined criteria. It is scheduled
during planned downtime periods, such as scheduled equipment shutdowns or low-
production periods, to minimize disruption to operations.
3. Failure-Based Maintenance: Also known as run-to-failure or reactive maintenance,
involves repairing or replacing components only after they fail. This approach is
generally employed for non-critical equipment or components with low impact on
overall operations, where the cost of preventive maintenance outweighs the benefits.
4. Deferred Maintenance: Deferred maintenance involves postponing necessary repairs
or maintenance activities due to resource constraints, budget limitations, or other
factors. This can lead to increased risk of equipment failures, higher repair costs in the
long run, and reduced equipment lifespan.

Generally, preventive or corrective maintenance can be done daily or routinely.

❖ Daily Maintenance: These are tasks performed everyday to ensure the smooth
operation of machinery, equipment or systems. In includes quick checks or minor
adjustments to address immediate issues or prevent them from developing.
Examples include; checking fluid levels, inspecting leaks or damage, lubricating
moving parts, and cleaning filters or components.

❖ Routine Maintenance: These are scheduled activities performed at regular intervals

such as weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the specific equipment
or machinery. It involves very comprehensive and in-depth inspections, repairs, or
replacements of components. It is meant to prevent major breakdowns, extend lifespan,
safety and reliability of equipment.
Examples; changing oil and filters, inspecting belts and hoses, calibrating equipment,
replacing worn-out parts, and conducting performance tests.

Revv engine involves increasing the running speed of an engine by pressing the accelerator,
especially while the clutch is disengaged.

Biting point is the point at which a clutch engages with an engine, by releasing clutch pedal
just enough for the engine to start transferring power to the transmission, allowing the manual
vehicle to move forward or backward smoothly without stalling. Finding the biting point is a
crucial skill that requires a delicate balance between releasing the clutch and applying the gas
pedal.

Repair of Agricultural Machinery

Repair is the process of fixing or restoring machine by replacing a part or putting together what
is faulty or broken or in need of maintenance. It is a corrective maintenance strategy performed
when components fail or malfunction and involves repairing or replacing the affected parts to
restore the machinery to working condition. This may include tasks such as replacing worn-
out components, repairing hydraulic leaks, or troubleshooting electrical issues.

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Repair tool and equipment are made from either; Ferrous or Non-ferrows
Types of repairs
1. Part replacement repairs: This is where a part of machine is used to replace or
substitute an older or broken part during repair.
2. Breakdown repairs: This is when maintenance task is performed on faulty,
broken down, or inoperable equipment.
3. Run-to-failure repairs: This is where maintenance or restoration is only
performed when machinery or part has failed.

Basic Terminologies
• Reliability: This is the probability that a tractor will complete a specific task under
specified conditions for a stated period of time.
• Failure may be referred to as any condition which prevents operation of a machine or
which causes or results in a level of performance below expectation.
• Longevity – Ability of a tractor to be used over a long period of time.
• Economy – careful management of available machinery
• Safety – protecting tractor from potential harm

Categories of Workshop Tools and Equipment

❖ Hand tool/equipment e.g.
❖ Diagnostic Tools/equipment e.g.
❖ Machine Tools/equipment e.g.
❖ Consumables e.g.

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