Can TrackTreads use our wear limits? Yes. You can continue using your existing wear limits, or you can use the TrackTreads Wear Standards.
The TrackTreads Wear Standards have been developed from years of field inspection data and can be tailored to suit different mining applications and operating environments. This provides more accurate wear calculations and remaining-life forecasts while still allowing you to use your own standards if that is your preference.
Does it support Caterpillar? Yes. TrackTreads supports Caterpillar undercarriage inspections as well as all major mining OEMs, including Komatsu, Hitachi, Liebherr, P&H and many others.
The system is designed to manage mixed OEM fleets using one standard inspection process, consistent reporting and either TrackTreads Wear Standards or your own approved wear standards.
Can contractors perform inspections? Yes. TrackTreads is designed to support inspections carried out by mine personnel, contractors, dealers or OEM service providers.
Contractors can perform inspections for any customer using TrackTreads, with all inspection data being recorded directly into the customer’s system. This ensures every inspection follows the same standard process and is immediately available to the maintenance team.
Can we inspect offline? Yes, The TrackTreads mobile application operates fully offline once the machines have been loaded onto the device for inspection.
This allows inspections to continue in remote areas where there is no mobile or Wi-Fi coverage, or where communications are restricted during blasting activities. Once a connection becomes available, the inspection data, photographs and comments are automatically synchronised with the TrackTreads system.
Can SAP integrate? Yes, TrackTreads can integrate with SAP and other ERP or Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems.
Maintenance recommendations identified during an inspection can be sent directly to SAP to create work orders, ensuring the required maintenance is planned and tracked within your existing maintenance system. Once the work has been completed, the work order status can also be returned to TrackTreads, providing a complete history of the inspection and the maintenance performed.
Can we import history? Yes, Historical inspection data can be imported into TrackTreads, provided it is available in a suitable format.
Inspection history can typically be imported from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, existing databases or PDF inspection reports. Where the data is incomplete or requires conversion, TrackTreads can work with you to determine the most practical way of importing it.
Importing your historical inspection data allows you to retain previous measurements, calculate wear rates from day one and begin forecasting remaining component life without having to start from scratch
Can we customise reports? Yes. TrackTreads provides a standard inspection report that can be branded with your company logo.
Most customers have slightly different reporting requirements, so the report layout can be customised to suit your business. Sections can be added, removed or rearranged to include the information your maintenance team needs, while maintaining a consistent reporting format across all inspections.
Can we use tablets? Yes. The TrackTreads mobile application can be used on Android phones and tablets, Apple iPhones and iPads, and Microsoft Surface Pro devices.
This allows inspectors to use the device that best suits their work, whether they are carrying out inspections in the field, in a workshop or at a rebuild facility.
Can we use our own wear limits? Yes. If your company already has approved wear limits, these can be configured in TrackTreads.
You can continue using your own wear standards, use the TrackTreads Wear Standards, or configure different wear standards for different operating environments if required.
How do TrackTreads Wear Standards differ from OEM wear limits? OEM wear limits are designed to suit a wide range of machines, applications and operating conditions. The same wear limits may be used whether a machine is working in a high-abrasion iron ore mine, an oil sands operation, a coal mine or a construction project.
TrackTreads takes a different approach.
Over many years we have collected inspection measurements and component performance data from real mining operations. This allows us to develop wear standards that better reflect how components actually wear in different operating environments.
Rather than applying a single “one size fits all” wear standard, TrackTreads can use wear standards that are better suited to your mine, your application and your operating conditions. The result is more accurate wear calculations, better remaining-life forecasts and maintenance recommendations that are more closely aligned with the way your equipment is actually wearing.
Does TrackTreads forecast remaining life? Yes. Forecasting remaining component life is one of the core functions of TrackTreads.
Once the installation machine hours are recorded, and where applicable the installation distance, TrackTreads compares each inspection with previous inspections to calculate how quickly the component is wearing. Using this wear rate, the system forecasts the remaining life in operating hours and, where appropriate, distance.
By combining this information with the machine’s average daily utilisation, TrackTreads can also estimate the expected replacement date. This allows maintenance, component purchases and rebuilds to be planned well in advance, reducing the risk of unplanned downtime.
Can TrackTreads manage electric rope shovels? Yes. TrackTreads fully supports electric rope shovel undercarriages.
The inspection process is the same as for any other undercarriage. The main difference is that rope shovel components are larger and require multiple measurement points across each component to accurately assess wear. By comparison, a dozer component is typically measured at a single wear location.
TrackTreads records all of these measurement points, calculates the overall condition of each component, and provides the same maintenance recommendations, remaining-life forecasts and lifecycle reporting used across all supported equipment.
How long does implementation take? Implementation typically takes between one and six weeks, depending on the size of your fleet, the amount of historical inspection data to be imported, and the number of people requiring training.
Smaller fleets with limited historical data can often be operational within a week. Larger fleets, or those requiring historical data imports, custom configuration and user training across multiple sites, will generally take longer.
Throughout the implementation, the TrackTreads team works closely with your personnel to load the equipment, import historical data, configure the system and train inspectors, ensuring your team is ready to begin recording inspections as soon as the system goes live.
Does it support Power BI? Yes. TrackTreads includes a range of standard reports and dashboards for managing undercarriage condition, maintenance requirements and lifecycle performance.
If you require additional reporting, the data can be accessed using Microsoft Power BI to create customised dashboards and management reports. Alternatively, TrackTreads can provide the data through an API, allowing it to be incorporated into your own Power BI environment or other business reporting systems.
Whether you choose to use the standard TrackTreads reports or develop your own Power BI dashboards, the choice is yours.
How are wear rates calculated? Wear rates are calculated by comparing the amount of wear between successive inspections over the number of operating hours, or where applicable, the distance travelled.
The result is expressed as the number of operating hours, or kilometres (miles), required for 1% of component wear. This provides a consistent way of comparing the wear performance of different machines, components and operating environments.
As components wear, the hardened wear material is gradually consumed and the remaining material generally wears more quickly. This means the wear rate typically increases towards the end of the component’s life. TrackTreads takes this changing wear rate into account when forecasting remaining life and estimating replacement dates.
Does it support distance-based forecasting? Yes. TrackTreads can forecast component life using either operating hours or distance travelled.
To use distance-based forecasting, the installation distance must be recorded when the components are fitted. Future inspections and maintenance transactions then record the current distance, allowing the system to calculate wear rates and forecast remaining life based on kilometres or miles travelled.
This is particularly useful in very cold climates, such as oil sands operations, where machines can spend long periods idling to keep engines and hydraulic systems warm. In these conditions, operating hours alone do not accurately reflect undercarriage wear, whereas distance travelled provides a much better measure of actual component usage.
Can TrackTreads manage rebuild centres? Yes. TrackTreads includes a complete Undercarriage Rebuild Centre module that works together with the Inventory Management system.
Every undercarriage frame has a service life and will require rebuilding at the appropriate time. TrackTreads records the complete rebuild process, allowing rebuild quality and post-rebuild performance to be monitored throughout the frame’s lifecycle.
During the rebuild process, the system records each stage of the work, including disassembly, inspection, bore measurements, crack repairs, welding, stress relieving where required, machining, line boring, final measurements and quality inspections. Critical dimensions are measured before and after repair to ensure the rebuilt frame meets the required specifications before it is returned to service.
Stress relieving after welding is an important part of many structural repairs. Without it, the welded area can become brittle, increasing the likelihood of the frame cracking again in the same location. Recording these repair processes provides confidence that rebuilds have been completed to the required OEM standard and allows rebuild quality to be monitored over the life of the frame.
Every rebuild is permanently recorded, providing a complete audit trail of the work performed, the measurements taken and the repairs completed. If a problem occurs later in the frame’s life, the rebuild history can be reviewed to identify the cause and continually improve rebuild quality.