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Recent News
The cost of Undercarriage Inspections and $ value gained
Undercarriage Inspections are not as common as Oil Sampling yet, but they are just as important. Every activity has a cost and a potential value added. Take and Oil Sample on an engine. Take all the oil samples over the life of the engine and full life can be achieved
The cost of Walking Too Far
Large Hydraulic Shovels and Rope Shovels are not built to walk long distances. Short distances is all they can do. The general rule of thumb is no more than 7% of the overall machine hours should be spent walking the machine. Take an example, our shovel aims to achieve 22,000
Managing Undercarriage is more costly than Tires
Tires are high-pressure vessels on which the wear is measured typically by measuring the depth of available tread with at least 3 points being taken across the face of the tire to provide a reasonable average. The overall condition of the tire will be inspected to identify any visible faults
Great Products should be flaunted with Testimonial Data
In this day and competitive environment, if you have a great product, flaunt it with a convincing argument! Demonstrate your argument with a testimonial of performance. This can be done in the following steps Investment in placing product in the field Monitoring performance of the product in the field through
Release Notes 7.0
Version 7.0 is focused on the Undercarriage system and adds variety of new setup options and report improvements. It also includes the ability to add multiple images to all component inspection records. New Chain and Frame Configurations When setting up your frames the system now includes the option to
Using Propel Hours to Forecast Residual Undercarriage Life on Shovels
Excavators, Hydraulic Shovels and Rope Shovels spend most of their time digging and loading. They are only required to move short distances to reposition themselves or to move to a new area of excavation. In the mining environment, most undercarriage inspections will utilize the machine hours to forecast the
Release Notes 6.7
Custom Evaluations We have now implemented a system where you can customise the evaluation percentages and letters for your undercarriage inspections. The traditional A, B, C and X system will still be used with default percentage ranges for each, but you can now customise these on a per site customer
Ensure Chain is Installed in correct Direction to avoid quick destruction
Undercarriage Chain is built to operate in a specific direction of motion, this is the forward direction in which the machine operates under load. When the chain is installed in the incorrect direction, the reverse direction, will cause wear at 3 times the rate of the forward direction. It
Undercarriage Idler Failure can be detected to avoid further Damage and Expense
The Front and Rear Idlers on an elevated sprocket machine are effectively the spreaders for the track chain. The idlers keep the chain reasonably tensioned and guides the chain as it rotates. The track chain is essentially a rail that is laid down and picked up again in a continuous
Bush Turn Budgets ensure Turning of the Undercarriage Bushes are not Missed
On the non-rotating sleeveless bushes, the wear on the bush is typically on only 180% of the bush as shown in the following diagram. Bush Life before Turning The speed of wear on the bush will be determined by various factors
Independent Undercarriage and Asset Wear Monitoring Systems
Technology is everywhere today, being used to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Undercarriage Management is no different and any customer operating tracked machines is using Undercarriage Management and Asset Wear Monitoring Systems to track the condition and performance of their components and plan maintenance activities. OEM’s or Manufacturers and their
Release Notes 6.6
Introducing Thermography Inspections TrackTreads has been working with IIAT to include thermographic inspection data in the system and this is now available. As well as thermographic measurement of all standard undercarriage components, the system also allows for the creation of any additional components where thermographic imaging is used to assess
Failed Undercarriage Frame components can seriously impact the costs of your undercarriage
Failed Undercarriage Frame components can cause untold damage to the undercarriage, reducing their life expectancy substantially. Any reduction in expected life increases the cost per hour. Looking at our first example in a series on frame components, is Major Bogie Pin failure or collapse. The bogie carries 2 track rollers
Scalloping of Undercarriage Links causes significant downstream costs
Scalloping is a dangerous condition leading to significant downstream costs if not identified early. So what is scalloping? Scalloping of the links is where the midsection of the link becomes hollowed out. As the hollowed-out link /rail passes over each roller and idler, it creates vibration. The larger the scalloping,
Release Notes 6.5
Along with bug fixes and small enhancements the 6.5 version has 3 major pieces; SSL security – Security has always been a priority and with this version we have moved all TrackTreads systems to use HTTPS. This means all data transfer is encrypted for added privacy and security. Google has
Continuing Operations under Covid-19 lock-down
Are you trying to manage your continuing operations under the Covid-19 lock-down? Have you considered the potential impact of supply chain disruptions on the operation of your fleet? Could part of your fleet end up being parked due to lack of parts? How long will this continue? Many of these
Undercarriage Bush Turns can save money
Managing Undercarriage Bush Turns to save money requires skill, inspection data and systems to accumulate the data. Under Covid-19 conditions, many companies operating tracked fleets may need to manage this in-house, since supplier inspectors are not currently able to visit the machines. Technology can now provide solutions to this challenge.
Release Notes 6.4
BIG NEWS You can now fully setup machines in the Mobile App and have them instantly synced to the cloud if you have an internet connection. You can fully configure the components and get wear percentages instantly on new machines. You can even setup new jobsites directly from the Mobile
Release Notes 6.3
Undercarriage Enhancements This release includes a bug fix for creating new machines on the mobile app. It also includes additional graphs and inspection history on the Equipment Details Screen Our commitment to providing the best systems we can depends on you. We are here help you get the most out
At up to 3 times the cost of the engine, are you giving your undercarriage the attention it deserves?
Every earth moving operator will faithfully ensure Oil Samples are taken to determine the internal health of the engine, transmission etc. It is normally part of the warranty requirement on the machine or those components. Every Oil sample analysis report is examined carefully for any signs of potential failure to
Release Notes 6.2
Undercarriage Enhancements Rope Shovel reports have been a big focus of this release including the addition of multiple Crawler Frame Guides. We are continuously improving language handling and your custom reports are now available in the language of your choice. Component images are now more customisable so they more accurately
The Importance of setting “Target Life”for Undercarriage Components
Undercarriage systems are made up of multiple components. Each component has its own distinct life span. The challenge is to ensure the entire set of components achieves the greatest possible life, (The “Target Life”), for the system as a whole. This will depend on the weakest component. The individual components
Digitization of Inspection Management and the benefits it brings
Digitization is the process of converting a manual process into a digital format. There can be many reasons why this is done not least the following:- Increase the accuracy of data collection Increase the volume of data collection such as images, comments and calculated results from readings. In some cases,
Avoid Spending Big on Bogies by Inspecting the Bogie Hardware as part of the Undercarriage Inspection
Major Bogies carry the load of the machine on the rails (Links) and any miss-alignment, wear or damage can create large costs. Identifying problems on bogie components before they fail can reduce this cost significantly. Regular inspection should be completed, and what better way than to include it within the
Overcoming Mine-Site Technology Adoption Challenges
Overall mining productivity has risen 2.8% per year from 2014 to 2016 according to McKinsey research. These improvements will become harder to sustain with new challenges facing mining companies (costs of labour, environmental concerns, depth of mines etc..). But technology can enable the continuity in productivity improvements. The challenge facing
Reduce potential downtime by inspecting ALL Undercarriage Components
The Undercarriage Equalizer Bar performs a critical undercarriage function, so identifying any potential problems that can be handled at planned maintenance stoppage would be ideal. Things to look for are: – Equalizer Bar damage – check that there is no damage or cracks in the bar itself Rubber Pad condition
Release Notes 6.0
The v6.0 release includes a number of Undercarriage bug fixes and improvements, with the biggest changes in this version being the release of the new Mobile App for Android. For details regarding the new App please contact us so we can assist you with the installation. There are also additional
Undercarriage inspections are no silver bullet
Undercarriage Inspection software is not the silver bullet to Undercarriage Management but rather an enabler. It is a highly specialized system to evaluate a small but expensive part of the larger puzzle of tracked equipment condition and maintenance management. It should become an integral part of every mine-sites future technology
The cost risk of falling behind.
Undercarriage inspections are the norm whether for a mine-site, construction fleet or in Sales and Service of Undercarriage components Mine-sites use the inspection data to plan their maintenance on the tracked machines and monitor their cost per hour Construction-Fleets use the inspections to monitor the condition of their fleet and
What Constitutes Undercarriage Management
Undercarriage components wear at different rates depending on a number of factors: – Working environment Condition of surrounding components Operator skill level Shoe selection Track Tension Maintenance regime The undercarriage is changing daily and the maintenance strategy requires balancing the above factors as best as possible to achieve the TARGET
Undercarriage Management – What is the cost of doing nothing?
If you have a fleet of Heavy Equipment that includes Tracked Machines, there will be a line item on the income statement that includes the cost of replacement undercarriage components. The question would be, is that number fair and reasonable? Managing your undercarriage would be one way to determine if
Undercarriage Inspections give you a deeper perspective of your marketplace
Undercarriage inspections carried out regularly on tracked machines by service providers provide a wealth of information about the marketplace. Some of the information to be garnered for a particular territory using the inspection data: – Number of machines in the territory by brand and model Number of new machines introduced
Step up to any tracked machine and inspect the undercarriage
The TrackTreads Undercarriage system provides inspectors with a unique opportunity to inspect any brand of tracked machine and its undercarriage using the OEM wear limit specifications. This provides Fleet managers with 3 distinct unrivalled opportunities A single portal to view the condition of undercarriage across the fleet Enables Fleet managers
Saving Money by Using Technology to efficiently collect Field Inspection Data
Mine-sites perform regular inspections in the field on mobile and fixed equipment. Results are typically written on paper forms or captured on spreadsheets and then re-entered to the ERP system at a later stage once back in office. The TrackTreads system can save both time, money and accuracy by using
The Hidden Costs of Undercarriage
Undercarriage repair and replacement cost a bucket load of money and maintenance crew are hard pressed just to stay on top of the current maintenance let alone spending time inspecting undercarriage. Knowing the true cost of intervention and replacements may lead to a different view on this. In a prior
TrackTreads achieves a new milestone, helping our customers exceed their undercarriage sales budget
TrackTreads reached a new milestone helping one of our customers achieve 125% of their sales budget. Undercarriage Inspections highlight undercarriage components needing repair or replacement, providing a ready source of revenue. Our customers utilizing the TrackTreads Undercarriage Inspection system to inspect any make or model of tracked machine, utilizing OEM
Inspectors can walk up to any tracked machine and measure the Undercarriage
Every fleet owner of earth moving machinery has multiple different makes and models of machines. Machines are acquired to match their strengths to the specific requirements of the project and ensure cost effectiveness. This does of course create a headache for the customer when it comes to measuring the undercarriage.
Cracks in Equipment Chassis can become Catastrophic Failures
Regular scheduled inspections should enable Cracks to be (a)Identified, (b) measured, with limits set for maximum length and then (c) scheduled for repair by a specified date depending on the propagation rate and maximum allowable length. Images and comments help to make the task of creating work orders with specific
Comparing Performance between different manufactured components
Undercarriage components are high wear and large replacement cost items. Succeeding in this market means proving the performance of the product. This is where it often gets twisted since to provide a true comparison of performance; “apples versus apples”, requires: – Selecting the correct component for the environment – testing
Testimonials help sell product
Undercarriage and GET are high cost, fast wearing parts on any machine. The result is that there is a lot of money associated with the replacement of these components, and many options available in the market. Customers purchase product based on price and product performance. Price is easy to calculate.
2 in 1 Bucket, Blade and Undercarriage Inspections in a single app saves time and money
High Wear Components need to be monitored on any quarry or mine-site as they chew up heaps of money. Downtime for repairs or replacements needs to be planned while also monitoring the actual true performance of these components in cost per hour or tonne. This challenge has been made easier
New Frontiers for Wear Surface Management
Equipment Management is an ever-evolving science with existing frontiers being constantly broken while new ones are being set. One of those frontiers is in Wear Surface Management and more particularly Undercarriage and GET. Companies operating heavy gear are spending large dollars on Undercarriage and GET. The question on both end
Undercarriage Inspections are not just about undercarriage
The best sales opportunities for undercarriage come from visiting the machine and performing an inspection. However, it does not need to end there. Inspectors visiting machines for undercarriage inspections can provide extra value to their customers by looking at the entire machine to see what else is obviously needing repair
Undercarriage Inspections on iPhone App with Bluetooth connection to Ultrasonics
For all our Apple fans, we at TrackTreads have released the Undercarriage Inspection App on iPhone with BlueTooth connectivity to the Ultrasonic Tool to make recording measurements seamless. Contact is if you need assistance on downloading and using the app with the Ultrasonic Tool. We are always available to help
I Love my Job – TrackTreads Onsite Undercarriage Inspection Training.
This month during our TrackTreads onsite Undercarriage training, I visited some wonderful new people as well existing colleagues in the United States and Canada I would like to thank everyone who participated in the training from Texas, Kansas City, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana to Alberta. I would also like
No substitute for Undercarriage Inspections
In our travels we have yet to find a substitute for Undercarriage Inspections. This is the single most effective way to manage and monitor the performance, condition and cost of your fleet of tracked machines. There is no alternative, and for those salesman looking to help their customers manage these
Measuring and Managing GET and Bucket performance
Would inspecting GET and Bucket Wear Surfaces provide value for both maintenance management and condition monitoring purposes? There are some compelling reasons to monitor buckets and GET Production can be affected when the primary loading tool is down to some failure of a bucket, be this missing teeth/adaptors or cracked
Early Intervention to achieve Budgeted Undercarriage Life
The Undercarriage Components installed on your equipment are expected to achieve a certain budgeted life. However, this is not where the story ends, because the components will not achieve their budgeted life if they are not properly managed, and the only way to manage undercarriage components is to measure them.
Chassis Inspections made easy.
TrackTreads Get/Bucket and Wear Surface Management Inspection software can be used for inspecting and managing Heavy Earthmoving Equipment Chassis for any machine. Record using you mobile phone: To get further information and arrange a free demontration simply fill in the form below.
Doing nothing is no substitute to proper condition monitoring.
Condition monitoring is one of the pillars of equipment Maintenance. Every maintenance department ensures Oil samples are taken regularly, but that wasn’t necessarily the case 20 years ago. Imagine asking a maintenance department today if they take oil samples and being told, ‘No, we’re too busy to take Oil Samples’.