Portable Plants & Equipment , March 2016

If a producer uses a machine for too many side jobs that arent producing salable material that might be poor allocation of a machine Instead maybe use a backup machine for those side jobs like cleaning the stockpile Manufacturers like Volvo are also introducing auto shutdown or idling functions all the time with new machines But it will take years if not decades for these to become widespread in a fleet when you consider quarries typically keep machines from five to 20 years before replacement I would add that there is value in providing visibility about idle time to operators If they see what idle time occurs when they use a machine and the cost of it they can understand how that ties into the profitability of the company as well as their jobs PP E Are there any other mistakes aggregate producers make with loaders and haul trucks Nus The second biggest mistake involves bucket filling practices Volvos studies show an inordinate amount of fuel is burned when a loader is filling the bucket Its logical as that is where the machine works hardest Although its common sense we really need to remind operators of this Sometimes a producer has a loader with a 12 cu yd bucket but the operator is only getting 10 cu yd of material in the bucket This creates inefficiencies You burn fuel getting fewer tons in the bucket Maximize your bucket loads to minimize fuel consumption PP E What are some things aggregate producers can do to reduce fuel costs on loaders and haul trucks Nus In general fuel is the largest slice of the costs directly related to the operation of wheel loaders and haul trucks The easiest way to minimize consumption is to shut the machine down but then no work is achieved Conversely the machine that consumes the most fuel in a fleet might also be the one doing the most work MOBI LE EQUIPMENT AT TACHMENTS The goal is to find ways to do so in the most efficient manner Fuel efficiency is defined as the measure of work achieved for each gallon of fuel burned For a gallon of diesel purchased consider how many tons or yards of material are moved Operator training is an excellent way to increase fuel efficiency PP E Do you have any tips for producers to improve operator training What have you seen that works through examples from customers Nus This can be a touchy subject approaching the experienced operator to talk about training or retraining We have found that the best training or refreshers happen on a quarterly basis Consider human nature We revert back to old norms and not whats most efficient So theres value in doing refreshers with operators on a quarterly basis I know this isnt always practical with aggregate producers and even some contractors but at least consider this on an annual basis As you understand the value in this you might be able to do more refreshers on a frequent basis PP E Do you have any other tips on how to improve on load times Nus We want to stress the importance of putting the right machine in the right job Second the machine should be set up to do the job in the most efficient manner High impact variables here are the bucket and tires selected for the job Wrong selection can easily affect productivity or cost per ton by more than 20 percent Again we also stress the importance of operator competence The best operator in the world can make a bad machine work well and likewise the worst operator will break the best machine There are many cases where quarries invest in new equipment but fail to invest in a little operator training to ensure it is operated in a safe efficient manner When that happens return on investment on equipment suffers in terms of safety productivity cost and downtime PP E Severe duty buckets mini excavator emerge Doosan Equipment released a new line of severe duty buckets for crawler excavators that can handle abrasive materials in heavy digging and loading applications according to the company The bucket sizes range from 18 in wide for smaller excavators to 72 in wide for larger excavators The buckets are made with abrasive resistant material for added protection and strength with digging The side cutters shell bottom and side wear plates are made with the same protective material according to Doosan Additionally the buckets feature front wear pads and abrasive resistant wear straps The severe duty buckets can be used with Doosan DX140LC 5 through DX530LC 5 crawler excavators www doosanequipment com Continued on page 38 www portableplants com March 2016 PP E 37