The difference between reliable equipment and repeat failures usually isn't one big thing.
It's the small stuff. The things that seem like they don't matter until they do.
I've worked on equipment that runs for years without major issues, and on identical equipment that constantly breaks down. Same manufacturer. Same operating conditions. Same maintenance schedule.
The difference? The small habits nobody thinks about.
Habit 1: Clean Shim Surfaces Every Time
Debris between shims and the base plate causes uneven loading. A piece of dirt the size of a grain of sand can create a soft foot that throws off your alignment.
I've seen techs stack shims without cleaning the surfaces first. They get the machine aligned, torque the bolts, and walk away. Three months later, the bearing failed because the frame was sitting on contaminated shims that compressed unevenly.
Clean both surfaces. Every time. No exceptions.
Habit 2: Document What You Actually Found
Not what you expected to find. Not what the last guy wrote. What you actually saw.
If the bearing temperature was 165°F and you expected 150°F, write down 165°F. Don't round it. Don't assume it's close enough. Document the actual reading.
Six months from now, when that bearing fails, someone's going to look at the maintenance records trying to figure out when the problem started. If you wrote "temp normal" instead of the actual number, that trend is lost.
Habit 3: Retorque Hold-Down Bolts After Initial Run-In
New installations settle. Shims compress. Bases shift slightly under thermal cycling.
If you don't retorque the hold-down bolts after the first few days of operation, you're letting the machine run on a foundation that's already moved.
I retorque after 24-48 hours of operation, then recheck alignment. It takes 15 minutes. It catches movement before it becomes a problem.
Habit 4: Check Coupling Guard Clearance
If the coupling guard is rubbing or making contact, something has moved. The machine shifted, the coupling walked, or thermal growth pushed things out of position.
I've responded to failures where the coupling guard was rubbing for weeks and nobody noticed because the vibration was still "in spec." By the time someone paid attention, the coupling had damaged the shaft.
A coupling guard shouldn't touch anything. If it does, find out why before you keep running.
Habit 5: Mark Your Reference Points
When aligning a machine, mark the dial indicator positions. Mark your coupling position. Mark your shim stack locations.
If you come back six months later for a realignment, you need to know where you started. Did the coupling move? Did the shims shift? Is the base settling?
Without reference marks, you're guessing. With them, you know exactly what changed.
Why These Habits Matter
None of these things will cause an immediate failure if you skip them. That's why people skip them.
But over time, they add up. Contaminated shims cause frame distortion. Undocumented temperatures hide developing problems. Loose bolts let machines shift. Rubbing coupling guards goes unnoticed until something breaks.
The small habits are what separate equipment that runs reliably from equipment that fails unexpectedly.
You don't need new technology or expensive tools. You need to do the small things right, every time.
What small maintenance habits have you found make the biggest difference? What's something simple that most people skip?
See you next week.