Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/853705
18 AGGREGATES MANAGER / August 2017 Design the haul road properly "A lthough a motor grader and skilled operator to run it are essential to sand and gravel and aggregates operations, both assets are often underutilized, and their importance is not always recognized, explains Wade Porter, motor grader product specialist for Caterpillar. "The motor grader is an asset that is not used near- ly enough," Porter says. "In many cases, when there is a motor grader on the jobsite, it sometimes has rust on the blade. The mindset is often that it's not our primary focus, and we just get it out once in a while, only when needed." Focus remains on manufacturing the product effi ciently and delivering it to the customer as quickly as possible. However, the production and performance of the trucks directly correlate to the condition of the roads and the use of a motor grader. "The motor grader is considered a support tool, not a production tool," Porter points out. "Customers should get in the mindset of using it more often to maintain haul roads, improve rolling resistances and cycle times, and clean up the yards where customers come in to receive products. Increasing the effi ciencies of these systems with a motor grader demonstrates the productivity and value of this support tool." New technologies, such as cross-slope and blade assistance features, enable these machines to be "more intuitive" and are adding to this increased productivity. "When you think of all the functionality incorporated with two joysticks, it's truly amazing what a properly trained person can do without a lot of effort," says Don Weinhold, senior market professional for the construction materials industry at Caterpillar Inc. "Cross-slope is huge because operators just choose the slope target they want the blade to stay at to create a consistent slope. This is valuable for less-experienced operators and helps ensure a haul road or yard area is being properly maintained." To that end, Stable Blade — a Cat proprietary technol- ogy which regulates engine speed with onboard sensors to detect when a bounce is about to happen — can be used in haul road or yard maintenance, but also to protect these surfaces and the machine from damage. Speed promotes a harmonic bounce, which becomes exponential once phasing begins if an operator doesn't change the machine's attitude or speed. This system works with the throttle control to slow down the motor grader when a phasing or harmonic bounce is about to occur. "A yard that is not well kept affects the ability of cus- tomers' trucks to get in and out of the yard quickly and with the least amount of wear and tear on their vehicle," Weinhold adds. "It's important to put together a road pro- gram that involves the motor grader and all parts of the operation in which it's used, and taking into account the actual construction of the roads." This Supporting Player Has an Important Role When upsizing haul trucks to increase production, consider haul road width, load carrying capability, berm heights, primary crusher hopper capacity, and any other plant modifi cations. The fi rst step is proper design. The best haul roads have crowned straight sections, super-elevated curves, safety berms, drain- age ditches on both sides, and should be three times the width of the widest truck. These variables affect how a motor grader will be used and what size machine, tires, and blades are necessary for optimal production. 1