Most maintenance systems track operating hours, but measuring undercarriage distance travelled provides a far more accurate forecast of actual component life.
For many mining operations this works well.
But what happens when a machine spends several hours each shift idling?
In very cold climates, particularly the Canadian oil sands, machines may idle for extended periods to keep engines, hydraulic systems and operator cabins warm.
Those hours appear on the hour meter… but the undercarriage isn’t travelling
Forecasting solely on operating hours often underestimates undercarriage life. That is because long idling times distort the actual work performed by the machine.
For these operations, tracking undercarriage distance travelled gives a far more accurate picture of wear. Recording installation distance and inspect-time mileage lets teams measure component wear in kilometres (or miles) rather than engine hours.
That’s why TrackTreads allows customers to forecast remaining life using either operating hours or distance travelled, depending on which best reflects the way their machines operate.