Sioux Rubber & Urethane Blog

Is Your Equipment Ready for Winter?

Written by Sioux Rubber & Urethane Team | Sep 29, 2020 7:59:44 PM

It’s common for equipment to fail in the winter, due to the below-freezing temperatures. Without proper maintenance and care, you could end up with costly damages caused by extreme cold. The bad news: we can’t do anything about the weather. The good news: we can help you protect your machinery from malfunctions caused by dropping temperatures.

Prepare

Don’t wait until the cold comes to make sure your equipment is in good shape. Especially if your work involves operating any kind of vehicle, it's important to be aware of the many negative effects of weather. Tires lose traction, fluids freeze and cause engine damage, and fuel consumption increases. Preseason maintenance is key, and it’s worth the time spent inspecting all areas of your operation for damage, leaks, or other problems. Pay extra attention to the engine, starter, and battery of any mechanical equipment and schedule routine maintenance in the fall. Encourage your team to let the engine run on vehicles for twenty minutes before turning on the interior heater in the cab.

Protect

Are you holding onto a piece of equipment that is coated in cracked or flaking cold-bonded rubber? Winter temperatures will only make matters worse and continue to weaken the bond, which will put your equipment at risk. We can remove the old coatings, and recover your equipment with our patented Endurawear urethane, which is vulcanized rather than cold-bonded. This will strengthen your equipment and give it an advantage against the chill. During extreme temperatures, it’s best to also keep your equipment under a tarp or stored in a covered area, and avoid extreme temperature fluctuation. Try to minimize opportunities for your equipment to be subjected to external forces such as sudden blows, flexing, or twisting.

When it comes to combating the cold, preparation and protection is key. Plan ahead and allow yourself plenty of time to make the necessary repairs, arrangements, and adjustments to your equipment before the cold comes. No matter the season or the temperature, we’re here to help solve your abrasion and corrosion problems. We’re eager to trouble-shoot any issues that concern you as relates to winter weather and your operation. We’re all in this together!