Inspecting and recording cracking on Mobile Field Equipment using a mobile

Cracks occur any many field equipment components. Management of these cracks ensures that catastrophic failure is avoided. Capturing crack data electronically provides some immediate benefits. There are 4 main steps covered for digitizing crack management. Field Inspectors capture, using mobile phones or tablets, the precise position of the crack on the structure by drawing the crack on a structural schematic displayed on the mobile screen. The length, severity, images, and comments are added along with Read more…

TrackTreads Wear Management System

Wear Material comes at a higher cost because the components include extra elemental inclusions and further heat treatment in the hardening process. To gain the full benefit from these components requires achieving a full useful life. Any accelerated wear on the component will lead to a shortened life span and lost value. To gain a full useful life, the components need to be managed. To manage the components, they need to be measured. Undercarriage – Read more…

Scalloping causes more than an uncomfortable ride

Scalloping is where the middle of the Link rail becomes hollowed out. This increases the vibration as the chain moves over the components and can lead to a very uncomfortable ride! Scalloping can be caused by a number of factors: – Idler Rise Heights are provided within the TrackTreads system for easy measurement at each inspection. Once the links have become scalloped, they essentially need replacement. This could mean replacement well below the 100% worn mark Read more…

Release Notes 8.9

ROPE SHOVELS Web – Small adjustments to screens to improve user friendliness. Reports – Rope Shovel Report – Layout Changes DOZER UNDERCARRIAGE Web – User Preferences – ability to move Inspection and Jobsite comments entry on the mobile. Web – User Preferences – Ability to set Component Inspection Order Web – User Preferences – Ability to set number of readings per component.  Mobile Settings – Inspection/Jobsite Comments display – Equipment Conditions Screen or Equipment Details Read more…

Thermal images are a useful tool for early identification of accelerated wear in undercarriage components.

The art of managing undercarriage is the early identification and then rectification of accelerated wear in the components. Inspecting and measuring these components, and then comparing the results with previous inspection results allows a comparison of the wear rates. Ideally the components should be achieving between 100 and 110% wear before they need to be replaced. This will ensure the lowest cost per hour of operation. Where components exhibit accelerated wear, these percentages will not Read more…

Use Undercarriage Inspections to fight the impact of inflation

Track Inspections serve a number of purposes, but a few of the more important reasons are: In the image below, the budget life, of the undercarriage components for a large Dozer, is 8,000 hours, and the cost of replacing the undercarriage is $250,000. Thus, in the above example the undercarriage would be replaced 3 times – 8,000 hours, 16,000 hours and 24,000 machine hours, and the total cost would be $750,000 or $31.25/hour In a Read more…