8/10/2016 Conditionmonitoringimprovesproductivityandlowerscosts|AggregatesManager

Managing wheel loaders for low costs and high

productivity

Contributed (/author/contributedreport) August 9, 2016

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Production loaders set the pace for feeding material to the plant, so its important to e iciently operate
and maintain these machines.

Production wheel loaders set the pace for feeding material to the plant, and yard loaders keep material
moving across the truck scales. Maintaining and operating these machines e iciently is key to keeping
costs down and production up in aggregates operations.

Historically, most maintenance and repair strategies have been built around a xed interval approach.
This includes a xed interval for preventive maintenance tasks and xed hour intervals for replacing or
rebuilding power train components and hydraulics, such as engines and pumps. Though xed interval
service remains common, many equipment managers are instituting condition-monitoring programs to
get the most out of machines and components.

Rather than review the familiar xed interval program, well outline the condition monitoring process,
which builds on proven machine health monitoring techniques.

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Using the power of telematics data

(http://www.aggman.com/caterpillars-redbird-drone-
integration-will-substantially-deepen-telematics-data-and-
soon/) and analytical software, equipment managers
(http://www.aggman.com/video-of-loader- lling-
customer-truck-at-rutherford-quarry-tertiary-plant/), often
working with equipment suppliers or consulting
organizations, can create condition monitoring programs
where maintenance activities and component rebuilds are
Yard loaders must be in good condition to
e ectively determined based on measured factors and the
load customer trucks and keep material
predicted risk of failure.
moving across the scales.
Speci cally, data inputs for performing condition
monitoring include:

Electronic machine data,

Fluid analysis,

Equipment inspections,

Equipment history and component tracking, and

Site conditions and application as it applies to condition monitoring.

Electronic machine data includes both data downloaded from the machine by technicians and data
transmitted via wireless telematics systems. Of course, uids analysis includes engine oil, hydraulic oil,
transmission oil, nal drive oil, and coolant. Equipment inspections by trained personnel remain a cost
e ective way to immediately identify problems and to provide insight for the condition-monitoring
program. Equipment service reports and machine history can also provide insight to ongoing issues. The
site assessment evaluates equipment application and the work environment including seasonal weather
conditions.

The next phase of condition monitoring, data analysis, is focused on using all the data sets listed
previously and performing aggregation, correlation and analytics, interpretation, and, nally, making a
recommendation for repair or other intervention. Aggregating all pertinent equipment and application
data is the rst step. Next is correlating the data to identify meaningful inter-relationships and analysis to
identify abnormal deviations. Then, a nal review is performed by a condition-monitoring analyst, who
creates value-based recommendations for repair, maintenance, or operational adjustment.

The intent is to harness the power of automation and analytics to reduce the burden of manual reviews
and correlation. Proper usage of analytics has been proven to be much more accurate and faster than any
expert human analyst can be.

The bene ts that make these e orts worthwhile are signi cant:

Improved availability;
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Improvement in planned vs. unplanned maintenance a measurement of the quality of the detection
routines and overall e ectiveness of the maintenance strategy;

Improvement in mean time between shutdown a measurement of reliability;

Improvement in mean time to repair a measurement of repair e iciency;

Extended planned component replacement intervals;

Reduced risk and enhanced cost control; and

Avoiding catastrophic component failures and the associated costs.

Most mining equipment managers have been involved in some aspects of condition monitoring for a long
time. Fluids analysis, drain plug inspections, formalized machine inspections, site studies, and some
electronic data have been available for decades. Now, telematics data and the power of big data
analytics result in more accurate and faster identi cation of issues.

Loader operating practices

In addition to directly a ecting production, wheel loader

operating practices can have a signi cant impact on
reliability and durability of the machine and the
maintenance and repair costs the machine demands.

Based on countless production studies conducted at

mines around the world and at Caterpillar proving
grounds, Caterpillar wheel loader applications
specialists recommend these best practices for most
e icient face loading. Many of these tips apply to yard
Machine data can be gathered from the
loader operation, too.
machine itself, as well as through telematics

Site prep for e iciency: The optimal bench height is at systems. Once data is gathered, it can be
the maximum lift height of the loader. Higher benches used to identify meaningful inter-
relationships and identify abnormal
have the potential to collapse and overload the bucket,
deviations.
which can damage the loader. Also, avoid a steep
material slope angle, because it can cause material to
fall unexpectedly into the bucket, overload the machine, and cause damage.

Maintain a smooth oor and good drainage, because wet rocks cut tires easier. And clean the oor
between trucks to maintain good oor conditions. This helps avoid loader and truck tire damage and
helps minimize truck maneuvering, which wastes time and fuel, when pulling in and out of the loading
site.

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Pile engagement and bucket ll: Begin loading the bucket as low as possible right above the oor for
optimum pile penetration. To reduce potential for tire damage, do not drive into the pile with the front
wheels, and avoid tire spin to reduce tire wear and tire cuts.

Keep the frame straight when digging to maximize pile penetration and production. Loading time in the
face should be less than 15 seconds for high production, good fuel e iciency, and reduced heat generation
and wear in the torque converter. Lift the bucket before crowding the bucket into the pile, because
crowding is not producing material, but it is unnecessarily burning fuel.

The bucket should be full when the lift arms are horizontal. Continuing to ll the bucket above horizontal
is not e icient and does not use the strength of a wheel loader. Never operate a bare bucket edge,
because it will ruin the bucket. Make sure ground engaging tools are in place and are replaced when worn
out.

Truck-loader interaction: Spot trucks with a loaded bucket. Spotting trucks with an empty bucket means
the loader isnt moving material during part of the cycle, which wastes time and fuel. Keep the rear tires of
the truck o the pile to avoid damage to the truck tires, and spot trucks at 30 to 45 degrees for ease of
pile-to-truck approach and to minimize cycle time.

Use a tight V pattern with the loader into the truck to minimize loading time and maximize production.
This also limits tire travel to reduce tire wear and fuel burn. Position the loader 1.0 to 1.5 wheel revolutions
from the face to the truck to minimize cycle time and improve production. Pad the truck bed with smaller
material when loading oversize rocks to protect the truck bed from damage.

Of course, for good loader production e iciency, wait time for trucks should be minimized.

Getting e icient production from loaders while keeping maintenance costs down is a cooperative e ort
of the operations and maintenance team, but telematics and powerful analytical tools o er more ways
than ever to minimize downtime and keep loaders working e iciently.

Sean Gladieux is the product manager, Cat Equipment Care Analysis; Jason Hurdis is senior market
professional, Construction Materials Industry; and Christopher McKenna is the loader applications
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specialistfor Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc. (http://twitter.com/AggregatesMgr) Menu

Fluids analysis
(http://www.aggman.com/) revealed
During uids analysis, multiple tests are performed on engine, hydraulic, and drive train oils plus
coolant, too. They can reveal a lot.

Component wear rate

Each oil-washed system has a particular concentration of wear metals produced during normal
operation. By evaluating wear inside the lubricated compartment, a technician can see if rates are
normal or not. For example, high levels of iron and chrome can stem from problems with engine
cylinder liners and/or piston rings.
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What are we looking for?

Wear metals This includes iron, lead, copper,
aluminum, and chrome.
Silicon This may indicate dirt entry depending on
local soil conditions.
Sodium This is a potential indicator of water or
coolant entry.

Oil condition
Wear occurs when oil depletes its additives and begins
to deteriorate. This can damage components in oil-
washed compartments. So its important to know if the An analysis of various uids provides
oil has reached the end of its useful life. operators with many insights, including
What are we looking for? component wear rate.
Viscosity If it is too low, wear can occur. If it is too
high, the oil wont do its job.
Oxidation (oxygen molecules joining with lubricant molecules) In diesel engines, oxidation can
trigger sticking piston rings. In hydraulics, oxidized lubricants will increase pump wear and damage
valves.
Sulfation (sulfur combining with water during diesel fuel combustion) This can corrode valves,
cylinder liners, and more.

Oil contamination
This robust analysis involving several tests can determine if anything harmful has entered the oil.
What are we looking for?
Soot (from partially burned fuel) This can plug oil lters and cause engine wear.
Fuel This can come from the combustion process and cause low viscosity.
Water (such as from condensation, leaks, wet conditions) This can cause wear, rust, and sludge.
Coolant This can contaminate engine oil.

Oil identi cation

The wrong uid in the wrong compartment can a ect performance
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severely damage major components. To tell if its the right uid, its important to take an accurate
sample with the right labeling.
What are we looking for?
(http://www.aggman.com/)
Viscosity Is it optimal for the geared compartment and your application?
Additive chemistry Is the oil appropriate based on its unique chemical makeup?

Coolant analysis
Todays heavy-duty engines produce a lot of power from a small package, and cooling systems have
to do more with less.
What are we looking for?
Coolant type With so many on the market, they all have di erent chemistries.
Boil and freeze protection This is important to monitor ability of the uid to provide adequate
protection.

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Condition This is necessary to test health for pH, conductivity, nitrite, solids, odor, color, and
appearance.
Contamination The operator must evaluate if anything harmful has entered.

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