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Use the Power of Data to Increase Profitability
Undercarriage inspections are critical to maximizing the life and return on investment of your equipment. Machines that are not regularly inspected typically achieve only 75% of their potential life. Take a large dozer as an example: That’s a 25% improvement in cost efficiency, saving $62,500 per undercarriage set. By using
“Managing Millions: Why Undercarriage Inspections Matter More Than You Think”
Reliability Engineering plays a critical role in modern maintenance strategy, helping to safeguard the significant investments made in heavy equipment. One key element is the disciplined application of preventive maintenance routines—especially Oil Sampling, which has become a non-negotiable practice across most maintenance teams. Twenty years ago, it was not uncommon
Tread Carefully: Measuring Hydraulic Shovel Undercarriage Life Accurately
Tread Path Depth and Pitch Elongation are two critical indicators used to assess the current wear level of a Hydraulic Shovel’s undercarriage, and more importantly, to estimate the remaining service life of its components. Tread Path Depth can be measured in two ways: While the top-of-lug method (Figure A) is
Stay Ahead of the Shortages: Strategies for Undercarriage Component Security
Keeping the Dozers working through Turbulent Times
Revealing Hidden Value in Your Undercarriage Data
Undercarriage inspection data provides a wealth of valuable insights that can drive smarter maintenance decisions, improve fleet reliability, and optimize costs. To maximize its impact, this information should be organized into three key categories: 1. Current Condition – Snapshot of Fleet Health This section captures a current-time snapshot of the
From Data to Information: The Story Behind Every Undercarriage Image
Images captured during Track Inspections do more than just illustrate—they help tell the full story of undercarriage wear. Every inspection aims to uncover how Track Parts are performing over time, and images are a vital tool in revealing that narrative. Photos of the Track Parts serve as a visual check,
Release Notes for Version 9.2
Undercarriage Planner screen added to the tool set – accessible from the Undercarriage Menu. Includes the following screens Forecast Screen tab – on Interpretation screen Undercarriage Actions Screen Inventory screen Cost Calculations in Undercarriage Equipment Audit Trail Other Undercarriage Issues Buckets, Trays, Frames General
Reduce Frustration with Undercarriage Management using Data-Driven Decisions
Undercarriage management is a complex and often misunderstood science, requiring specialized knowledge that is in short supply. Many organizations struggle with: The Solution? Data-Driven Insights. With a data-driven approach, you gain a clear, real-time view of your undercarriage condition, enabling: TrackTreads can help you take control of your undercarriage management
Maximize Dozer Performance: Don’t Overlook the Push Arms!
Dozer Blade Push Arms are important too
Maximizing Track Life: The Power of Distance-Based Forecasting
Distance Based forecasting for Undercarriage Life and Replacements removes inaccuracies caused by: Idle Time Distortions and machine Speed Variations
Why UC Swing Chains & Frames are critical for Dozer Reliability
Optimizing Swing Chain and Frame Management in Mining Operations Swing Chains and Frames are critical components in mining operations utilizing a fleet of dozers. To maintain optimal machine productivity, it is essential to ensure that worn-out chains and frames are promptly replaced, repaired, and tracked efficiently. Ensuring Continuous Machine Operation
Using Technology for Management of Buckets and GET
Managing the wear performance of buckets and their individual components in large fleets of wheel loaders (Above or below ground), hydraulic shovels, and electric rope shovels is important for optimizing operational efficiency and improving costs in mining operations. Each bucket is made up of multiple individual components including Floor, Sidewalls,
The Power of Undercarriage Data
There are several ways in which undercarriage data is collected. On its own, the data points will not mean a lot, but all together and once analysed, this data forms a powerful roadmap for end users, suppliers and manufacturers alike. The more data that is collected, the greater the power
6 Tasks lead to Good Undercarriage Management
Performing 6 tasks will lead to long term costs savings and increased competitiveness in the market The reason to perform these tasks is that Undercarriage components undergo extra machining and surface hardening in order to have the necessary wear resistance. This costs more and thus undercarriage maintenance costs will be
F1 and Cane Harvesters use Data to drive Maintenance Decisions
Sugar Cane Harvesters need to be operational 99% of the time during harvest season. Each mill uses a fleet of at least 30 of these machines, and sometimes up to 1000 pieces of equipment including tractors and trucks. These harvesters are complex, running on tracks and hydraulic systems. To ensure
Managing Undercarriage Off the Machine
TrackTreads provides a systematic process to help keep the machine running as the Chains and Frames are replaced on the machine to and from inventory. Each frame and chain is tracked to provide traceability of work performed and performance data on life achieved in total hours or distance achieved. Warranty
5 Simple Steps to save money on your Dozer Undercarriage
5 simple steps can ensure significant cost savings with you Fleet Undercarriage Management
Undercarriage Inspection Tool Kit
Another Undercarriage Inspection Kit heads out to a team of cts (Custom Track Service) inspectors on a Minesite in Australia Items include: 1. Ultrasonic Tool and Probe 2. Depth Gauge 3. Tape measure 4. Ruler 5. 2 X Calipers 6. String-Line 7. Scraper TrackTreads provides the Toolkits, Software and Training
Share the Love with your Track Frames
Track Frame condition is just as important as Track Components
Distance. An Accurate way to measure Undercarriage performance.
Component life measured in distance travelled is the only accurate measure of performance
Reliable Undercarriage Strategy to unlock the value of your undercarriage investment
Reliability Engineering can unlock the value of your investment in Undercarriage
Study of Benchmarks for Undercarriage Management
Last year, we were asked by and Asset Manager seeking insights into the average worn percentage of undercarriage components at their end of life. His aim was to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure his team. This inquiry instigated numerous deliberations regarding the definition of average up to exemplary
Distance used to measure Undercarriage Component Performance
Managing Undercarriage Components based on distance travelled is a more accurate method of determining their life performance
Look after your teeth, as an investment.
Treat your teeth like an investment to get a favorable ROI
Track Frames also need the love
Undercarriage Track Frames should also be inspected. This will not only determine their condition, but will forecast when they will need to be rebuilt.
Training for Tracked Machines: TrackTreads’ Response to Changing Market Needs
The trainers getting field experience
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
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
Managing Undercarriage significantly reduces the cost of ownership.
Managing your undercarriage components reduces your cost of ownership since the components are more likely to live a full productive life.
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
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
The Value of Thermal Images in CTS (Custom Track Service) Inspections
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
Use Undercarriage Inspections to fight the impact of inflation
Track Inspections, known as cts inspections or custom track services, 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
Managing Swing Track Chains in the yard
Chains must be able to be tracked from cradle to grave. In any mining environment, chains needing maintenance, whether it’s a regrousing of shoes or a pin and bush turn, will need to be taken off the machine and placed in the yard, ready to repair. To keep the machine
One System – One purpose – saves time
A single Mobile App. Operating remotely, allows inspectors to focus on specialized areas of Track, Blade and Bucket GET inspections as well as any other area requiring measuring and observations. Wear material on the components being measured includes surface hardening and treatment, hence the increased cost. Inspecting and managing these
Condition Monitoring Inspections should drive Maintenance Activities
Managing Equipment and Components is a tricky business. Condition Monitoring Inspections provide a solid basis for identifying and scheduling maintenance activities: – In contrast, the most expensive way to manage equipment is to fix the machines when they break down. By this stage, the components have failed and there will
Key Performance Indicators for Undercarriage Management
4 Key Measures for Effective Undercarriage Management 2. Wear Rate Performance 3. Lost or Scrapped Wear Material 4. Number of Maintenance Interventions over Track Life
A Testimonial of performance lies in the numbers
Marketing the benefits of your Buckets and Trays can be strengthened with numbers of actual performance from the field. The bucket or tray has a certain capacity, but the difference between competitive products will come down to:- The above numbers can only be gathered by continual inspection and management of
Actionable Tasks keep your undercarriage turning.
There are 3 main groups of tasks required to Manage Undercarriage effectively! Group 1: Collecting the field undercarriage inspection data Group 2: Reporting on Condition Group 3: Converting Actionable Items into Actions Integration with the Undercarriage Inspection System so that data flows seamlessly to the work order system is the
Future Forecast Date of Undercarriage Component Replacement driven by Data
Data driven decisions
Don’t let a Bottom Roller GUARD Hinder your Undercarriage Inspection
Getting around Gards covering Bottom Rollers
Undercarriage Inspections – learning the Basics
How do I start implementing an Undercarriage Monitoring Program? – TRAINING! As with all improvements once you have identified what to change, sometimes how to start moving in the right direction can be a little more challenging. Undercarriage inspections do not need to be complicated or difficult. Knowledge can be
Undercarriage Budgets – How to achieve your KPI’s
With increased pressure to perform against measurable objectives many bonuses have been linked to cost reductions – does this sound familiar to you? Read on to understand a methodology to achieve your targets! Test Case – Peter manages 20 large mining dozers with an Undercarriage replacement budget for each undercarriage
Managing Undercarriage in a world of inflation
Digitized undercarriage inspections are now the industry standard while extracting maximum life out of components is now the new frontier. The benefit is reduced costs of ownership and increased ROI Undercarriage Inspections are the basic foundation of undercarriage management, but offer little long term value unless components are tracked across
TrackTreads provides audit tool to manage component rebuilds
TrackTreads has included in the toolbox a Component Rebuild Audit tool which tracks the rebuild process of Undercarriage Track Frames from cradle to grave. Each step of the process is captured with measurements, images and comments on a mobile device and shared directly with the web application for review and
Underground Buckets added to TrackTreads Field Inspection Software
Inspectors can now perform condition and wear measurement inspections underground on their mobile device on GET, Wear Plates, the bucket core and attachment points for their underground buckets. The system will automatically forecast when the bucket needs rebuilding based on the wear percentage and residual life of the critical components,