Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/708570
by Sean Gladieux, Jason Hurdis, and Christopher McKenna EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT 32 AGGREGATES MANAGER / August 2016 P roduction wheel loaders set the pace for feeding material to the plant, and yard loaders keep material moving across the truck scales. Maintaining and oper- ating these machines effi ciently is key to keeping costs down and production up in aggregates operations. Historically, most maintenance and repair strategies have been built around a fi xed interval approach. This includes a fi xed interval for preventive mainte- nance tasks and fi xed hour intervals for replacing or rebuilding power train components and hydraulics, such as engines and pumps. Though fi xed interval service remains common, many equipment managers are instituting condition-monitoring programs to get the most out of machines and compo- nents. Rather than review the familiar fi xed interval program, we'll outline the condition monitoring process, which builds on proven machine health moni- toring techniques. Using the power of telematics data and analytical software, equipment managers, often working with equip- ment suppliers or consulting organiza- tions, can create condition monitoring programs where maintenance activities and component rebuilds are effectively determined based on measured factors and the predicted risk of failure. Specifi cally, data inputs for perform- ing condition monitoring include: • Electronic machine data, • Fluid analysis, • Equipment inspections, • Equipment history and component tracking, and MANAGING WHEEL LOADERS FOR LOW COSTS AND HIGH PRODUCTIVITY