The undercarriage of crawler equipment consists of several moving components, such as rollers, idler, tracks, and other else. Every part is important to keep the machine productivity and make it last longer. One of the best ways is to apply proper operation, especially to control the cost of wear items.
Here are 9 tips of proper operation to prolong the tracks lifetime:
- Make wider turns to decrease the potential for de-tracking of rubber-track machines and prevent excessive wear. More gradual turns (such as Y-turns) for longer track and undercarriage lifetime.
- Spin control. Unnecessary spinning can increase wear and decrease productivity. It’s better to do wide and less aggressive spin. Also, decrease the blade or bucket load won’t harm you.
- Alternate turning direction to prevent asymmetrical and excessive wear caused by continuous turning on the same side.
- Extra attention when working up and down on slopes. Constant operation on a slope or hill in one direction will place greater forces on one side only that increase the possibility of accelerating wear to idlers, rollers, and guide lugs. Turns are best performed on level ground. Also, make sure the driver motor placed in the right position: facing the back of the machine for easy maneuver in the slope or hill (according to Reardon).
- Minimize high-speed and reverse travel. As you know, higher speed and unnecessary travel in reverse can cause wear faster than it should be. So, limit it!
- Cautious when encountering edges, such as driving over steep edges because it can lead damage to rubber tracks. Avoid loading just the side of trackpad and use ramps will be good ideas to delay wear.
- Avoid rough asphalt, concrete, and other abrasive materials as much as possible.
- Select the shoe width that matches the machine weight and field conditions. For example, narrow shoes that have better soil penetration and grip are better suited for hard soil and rocky conditions. Wide shoes typically have more flotation with lower ground pressure that makes them can work well in soft underfoot conditions.
- Select the type of grouser suitable for the work conditions. More grousers mean more contacts between the track and the ground which will reduce vibration and prolong its life when working in more abrasive conditions
Find other awesome tips to maintain and manage your heavy equipment on our blog!
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