Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/815541
OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED OUR EXPERTS Practices for Production Loading May 2017 Chris Connolly is a product manager for Volvo Construction Equipment with nearly 25 years of experience in the construction in- dustry. Prior to his cur- rent position, Connolly served as a Volvo Road Institute instructor and managed equipment operator training for North America. Erin Waldron is aggre- gates supervisor for Cemex USA's Brooks- ville Quarry in Brooks- ville, Fla. He oversees equipment training and various other aspects of the operation. Eric Yeomans is a product manager at Volvo Construction Equipment. He has 40 years of construction industry experience with Volvo, including work in Sweden, Aus- tralia, and currently in North America. His background includes experience in techni- cal service, customer support, and product management. Letting the underfoot and loadout areas fall into dis- repair can have a major effect on productivity. Main- taining proper grade will prevent water retention, which could lead to ruts, and keep the equipment from being operated at maximum effi ciency. Loader operators should be mindful of surroundings, such as rocks protruding from the ledge or sharp, jagged ones in the production area. Colliding with a protruding rock presents safety issues and could stop a machine. Sharp rocks not cleaned up from the production area could puncture a truck or loader tire, affecting productivity and tire repair expenses. Good communication between the driver and loader operator is essential for safety and maximum productiv- ity. The distance between the machine loading and the haul truck driver should be kept as short as possible. The farther away the truck is from the loader, the more distance it has to travel. This costs time and fuel, which affects productivity. As a pile size becomes smaller, the loader operator and haul truck driver will need to adjust positions. Coordinate timing to keep trucks from sitting idle to achieve maximum cycle times and productivity. Using the proper size bucket attachment is important to ensure the maximum amount of material is able to be loaded. Load and material density charts may be used in bucket selection. Bucket size is determined by the type of equipment being used and the weight and density of the material. It can be calculated by dividing the volume necessary per cycle by the bucket fi ll factor. Bucket shape and the material being moved also may be considered in determining the appropriate size. Take time to review the muckpile's physical character- istics and determine if any safety issues need to be ad- dressed. Look at the height of the pile and take note if it is taller than the production loader. If so, there is a threat of material rolling and hitting the machine or getting in the way. If concerns exist, they should be immediately addressed. The high points of the pile should be re- moved to guard against a material avalanche. Be aware of fi ssures and anomalies such as a soft vein of rock that could have contributed to the higher pile. Choose the proper bucket size Assess the muckpile Maintain the load area Maintain good communications 2 3 6 5