Capital Equipment News October 2019

“Research shows that repair costs of an undercarriage account for as much as half of all repair costs over the life of the machine. A worn undercarriage increases vibration levels of the excavator, which reduces service life of components, like pumps, motors, electronics and the engine,” says Tshifularo. Significant component If the undercarriage is not routinely inspected and maintained, it can easily cost you valuable time, money and potentially decrease the track’s lifespan. Just how important is a properly maintained undercarriage to overall efficiency and machine life? Tim Nenne, senior undercarriage application specialist at Caterpillar, says a properly maintained undercarriage will lower operating costs and keep the machine up and running with no unscheduled downtime resulting from undercarriage problems. Håkan Karlsson, product manager for ground engaging tools, undercarriage and customer solutions at Volvo CE Sales Region EMEA, says a properly maintained undercarriage is very important to the overall life of the machine. Wear parts in poor condition will shorten the machine’s service life and increase the risk of breakdowns and unplanned downtime. Lionel Hearne, national service manager at Wacker Neuson South Africa, reasons that on any excavator, proper and regular maintenance of the undercarriage is extremely important. “Firstly, undercarriage parts like sprockets, tensioners, rollers and, in particular, the tracks are quite expensive and secondly, if the undercarriage or parts of it fail, the excavator will become immobile until it has been repaired, leading to downtime of the machine and consequently high costs,” says Hearne. Garth Labuschagne, sales manager Africa, Mining Mobile Plant at Bradken, a Hitachi Construction Machinery company, says for many operations, the undercarriage is within the top 10 spend items in the life of an excavator. “A poorly maintained undercarriage will require a significant amount of time and money spent on it, which means reduced efficiency. If a machine can’t walk or dig it can have catastrophic consequences for an operation’s productivity,” says Labuschagne. Proper maintenance What does a proper maintenance regime of a tracked excavator undercarriage entail? There are several things that should be kept under check in an

A properly maintained undercarriage will lower operating costs and keep the machine up and running.

The undercarriage of a crawler excavator comprises many moving components that need to be maintained for them to function properly

Research shows that repair costs of an undercarriage account for as much as half of all repair costs over the life of the machine

Typical indicators of a poorly maintained undercarriage include stretch in the track (which indicates pin wear), decreased component life, unusual wear patterns and increased failure rates such as roller surface delamination/compression

Operators should avoid travelling long distances in high speed mode. The faster the travel speed, the greater the relative load between components, which increases undercarriage wear

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS OCTOBER 2019 17