One of the biggest expenses within excavator operating costs is undercarriage and component wear. To extend the life of these critical parts, it’s necessary to keep a close eye on the machine.
Despite the rise of telematics systems and all they can do for machine monitoring and health, there are some items on a machine that still need a good ol’ visual inspection and human intervention via measurement. And then there’s the recordkeeping.
Manufacturers can help. Hitachi, for example, offers an undercarriage and swing bearing wear measurement workbook.
The workbook, which is available for construction and mining excavators, provides a simple, easy-to-use form for maintenance managers to track wear measurements of undercarriages and swing bearings.
“Wear measurements are very helpful for planning maintenance activities and preventing unscheduled downtime,” Craig Steinhauser, division manager of customer support for Hitachi, tells the company’s Breakout magazine. “Inspecting the undercarriage is also critical to ensure the tracks are adjusted properly. Improperly adjusted tracks cause accelerated wear and mistracking.”
Hitachi is also offering a carrot to its mining customers in particular. Steinhauser says owners can qualify for additional discount programs if they forecast the need in advance for both an undercarriage and a swing bearing for mining excavators.
The wear measurement workbook is available from Hitachi dealers. Check with your excavator OEM’s dealer to see if they offer a similar tool.
