Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/531447
AGGREGATES MANAGER July 2015 26 F uel expense in owning and operating aggregates equipment is a constant and will account for about 50 percent of total machine operating costs. Fuel prices have recently been on the decline, but based on history, this trend will soon reverse. In a recent article, the International Energy Agency warned "oil prices have dropped by 30 percent in the past four months…the low prices could deter invest- ment in production, which will eventually hurt supply." With the unpredictable nature of fuel prices and fuel's absolute necessity for business oper- ations, most aggregate producers have simply looked at how much fuel they are burning and paid the bill. Recently, technology has changed, and now with the addition of production data, producers can look at their fuel effi ciency (how they are using fuel) and know its impact to the bottom line. Fuel effi ciency does incorporate the amount of fuel burned, but its fi nal value is dependent on several factors. These factors, or fuel effi ciency infl uencers, can be categorized as follow: 1. Idle time, 2. Operator technique, 3. Mine set-up, 4. Equipment selection and confi guration, and 5. Technology. By looking at all five factors, operators can better control fuel costs. by Jason R. Hurdis Five Five Five Five Five Five Five Five Five Five Five Five Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors Factors of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Fuel of of of Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency