The type of surveying equipment that humans have used has changed drastically over the many thousands of years we’ve been constructing buildings. From the ancient Egyptians and their pyramids and ancient Romans and their aqueducts to today’s marvels like skyscrapers and suspension bridges, it was all made possible by first surveying the land and ensuring that everything was level and ready to be built upon. The only thing that has changed for sure is the types of equipment used to take these measurements.
Today’s survey equipment is incredibly sophisticated, computerized machinery that is very accurate and even quite durable. Though there’s only so far that these pieces of equipment and accessories can go before they’re damaged and start to give out wrong readings and become non-working pieces of junk. So it’s important to always maintain this equipment. Here are some tips that will help you prolong the life and use of your surveying equipment and accessories.
Maintenance Tips for Your Professional Equipment
1.Always Clean and Maintain
All of this equipment will need to be adequately cleaned. For things like large self-levelling tripods, they’re often used in some pretty rough circumstances, and so they can accumulate a lot of grit, grime and gunk. Properly cleaning this equipment is the best way to prolong the life of the equipment. So many people will wipe the gear down and just store it away. You should go the extra mile and ensure that the equipment is properly cleaned to its original state.
2.Store Away Properly
When it is time to store away this survey equipment, it should all be placed back in its protective cases the same way it arrived. Many people will skip this step and just toss everything back in, as it does take a few minutes to entirely disassemble the pieces of equipment and place them back into their protective containers. Some will simply fold it up and lie it down in the bed of a truck. Surveying equipment is something to take pride in. It should always be properly maintained, which means storing it away from the same way it arrived to you, even if it takes a few extra minutes.
3.Keep Placed Away Safely
Even while the equipment is kept within its protective carrying cases, it can still be damaged. It shouldn’t be hitching a ride with other construction tools like big saws and benches and other pieces of equipment. You have to understand that the lasers and levelling technology within these machines are fragile; even if they don’t break, they can be thrown off, resulting in faulty measurements. When the equipment is put back into the cases, it should be kept safe and away from potential damage.
4.Calibrate Properly
Equipment that is not properly calibrated can easily become equipment that you will not be able to calibrate properly. This is why it’s so important to calibrate your machinery properly, even if you have to do it every time. These machines are often quite durable externally, but things get a little fickle inside of them. If they’re not properly calibrated, you will not get the best use out of them. And, after all, you’re looking for a long-term piece of machinery here, not just something you use once.
5.Perform Routine Care
There are some aspects of these machines that you will not be able to care for. This is why routine maintenance from professionals is a good way to go. For instance, you can clean up the legs of a tripod, but what about a laser lens? Things get very delicate once you start messing with the actual surveying aspects of your surveying equipment, so it’s not as if you can just take things apart and clean it out with compressed air and wipe it down with a cleaning solution. The professionals can provide maintenance for your gear, however.
Final Words
The surveying equipment you use is quite expensive and also delicate. You must care for this equipment so that you can get as much life out of it as you can. Always remember to properly care for your equipment, so that it will last you for years.