Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85660
OPERATBen 1 Keep trucks moving Gather Operational Intelligence performance in each of these catego- ries is essential to effi cient operations and lowest cost per ton. By collecting appropriate data and I establishing meaningful benchmarks in each category, operators are able to bett er understand what constitutes de- sired performance, identify the equip- ment and people who produce the best results, and develop best practices that can be used across the operation or the company. In many operations, telematics pro- vide this data, particularly with load- haul equipment. "One of the things that the equipment manager is tracking is utilization of the machine: how many hours it is working, idling, and traveling," says Doug Phillips, product manager for Volvo Construction Prod- ucts, based in Shippensburg, Pa. Fuel usage also is tracked through telematics. "If an equipment manager has three loaders and sees that one is burning 5 gallons per hour, while another is burning 5.3, and a third is burning 7, he knows someone needs operator training to bring that back in line," he says. As fuel consumption is tracked, use of automatic engine shutdown devices, which turn the engine off aſt er it idles for a set time period — typically about 5 minutes, is increasingly common and helps to AGGREGATES MANAGER t's no secret that operating costs are largely comprised of equipment, personnel, and fuel. Th erefore, being able to improve lower load-haul costs. Telematics can also issue equipment warnings, such as if the transmission is being misused or abused. "On trucks, it shows if engines are being oversped, and if they are using retarders to slow down the trucks or burning off exten- sion brake pads," Phillips says. "I tell operators that it costs you nothing to press that retarder pad, but every time you press the brake pedal, it costs you money. " Radnor, Pa.-based Preferred Sands does not use telematics. Rather, it focuses on activity-based costs to determine the most bang for its buck. According to Bob Carter, senior vice president of operations, the company's strategy is to collect data on the assort- ment of equipment at the sites it has acquired, then set standards on equip- ment types throughout the company. "We have fi ve active plants, so we have the ability not only to compare our mining costs against the diff erent plants, but to be able to break that down into asset focus," Carter says. As cost comparisons are analyzed, factors such as geologic diff erences are taken into account, and economic analysis is used to drive equipment stan- dardization as much as feasible through- out the company. "A lot of my initial focus was in creating a reliable, repeat- able, and process-driven model within my plant operations," Carter explains. "Th at, ultimately, drives the utilization and the uptime of your plants. " The loader operator should take the lead on establishing customer traffi c patterns. Ideally, the bucket should be full and raised in the air when the truck pulls up to be loaded. One way to communicate the correct stopping point is for the loader operator to beep his horn to let the truck driver know he's in the right position. Keep haul road grades under 9 percent and maintain clean path- ways to allow trucks to travel quickly. The hydraulic suspension system in some newer haul trucks provides greater cushioning of impact to improve operator comfort, allowing haul truck operators to travel at higher speeds. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the truck patterns will be dictated by the slowest moving truck at the site. 4 Position trucks properly