Aggregates Manager

November 2017

Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine

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AGGREGATES MANAGER / November 2016 23 pre-cleaners mounted upstream from the engine and cab fi lters that extend fi lter life in dusty environments. Additionally, there are features on dozers to limit operations that accelerate undercarriage wear. For example, the machine monitor can be programmed to limit reverse travel speed, which is im- portant because undercarriage wear is worse when the machine reverses, and excessive speed accelerates that wear. Be proactive It cannot be said enough: Be proactive with all maintenance issues. It's simply the best way to prevent a small problem from turning into an expensive major maintenance headache. Use an oil sam- pling and wear analysis program regularly to monitor machine component health. Proactive undercarriage manage- ment begins with good operating and maintenance practices. That includes avoiding — as much as is practically possible — high ground speeds, excessive reverse operation, counter-rotation, track spinning, and same-direction turning on large jobs. Good maintenance ranges from shoveling out the tracks daily and frequently checking track tension to periodically measuring wear and making informed decisions based on the results. The small stuff counts All too often, it's the small stuff that can trip up an operator. Daily maintenance and upkeep is critical to overall machine health. The undercarriage of a dozer is built on a system of moving components: rollers, idlers, tracks, and other parts. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure A complete undercarriage inspection should be done daily based on the OEM's recommendations and guidelines. Inspect the undercarriage for excessive or uneven wear, as well as damaged or missing components. Any issues should be immediately addressed to minimize further wear or damage. No excuses: Clean everything On many dozers, a shovel for clean- ing the tracks is mounted right to the machine. Make use of it, because a clean undercarriage is a healthy undercarriage! At the end of the day, mud and debris should be cleaned out and removed from the undercarriage. Built-up dirt acceler- ates component wear. Cleaning at the end of the day removes any material that could freeze, harden, or dry up overnight. Secondary maintenance concerns in- clude air fi lters, fuel fi lters, diesel exhaust Ground level access makes for an easier maintenance route and promotes better care of the dozer. AGGREGATE SYSTEMS

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