Optimising Heavy Machinery Performance: The Impact of Geographical Location on Undercarriage Wear and Operational Maintenance Costs

The undercarriage of heavy machinery equipped with tracks plays a critical role in transferring power from the machine's drive train to the ground. This mechanism not only drives the equipment forward but also exerts force on the ground, enabling the attached tools to effectively perform tasks in soil or other materials. The replacement of the undercarriage components can constitute a significant portion, up to 50%, of the total operating expenses for track machines. Consequently, these replacement costs have a substantial impact on the profitability and return on investment (ROI) for the machine's owner.

Identifying the ideal service meter reading at which to replace these worn components is crucial for enhancing the ROI and minimising the wastage of unused wear parts. It is important to recognise that the maintenance interval for undercarriage replacement can vary significantly depending on the geographical location and the unique environmental and operational conditions in which the machine primarily operates.

The current practices for determining the replacement hours of track-type tractor undercarriages do not take into account the geographical location of equipments. It is important to investigate whether there is significant variation in maintenance intervals for undercarriage systems based on the machine's geographic location. Having this information can assist machine owners in making more informed and timely decisions regarding maintenance. Many researchers agree that several factors influencing undercarriage wear rates can be controlled, and they are actively seeking ways to optimise these factors to enhance profitability.

Identifying these influential factors and comprehending their impact on undercarriage wear is crucial for educating machine owners, operators, and the supporting service organisations. The ultimate goal is to empower stakeholders with the knowledge to manipulate these input variables effectively, thereby reducing the long-term operating costs of machinery and improving the return on investment. Equipment maintenance costs can be categorised into three types: acquisition, operational maintenance, and residual costs, and each of these cost categories is influenced by these input factors.

Operational maintenance cost has the largest financial impact and is the one that is very controllable. Support in the management of this maintenance cost is crucial as new equipment becomes more sophisticated and technically advanced. To maintain the high performance of the machine, proper and timely maintenance is required. It is also found that properly maintained machines hold their value better and can expect higher residual value at the end of the machine’s useful life. To be profitable in managing an equipment fleet it is critical to accurately forecast the cost of replacement wear materials and to schedule the downtime rather than repairing after failure. Knowing when to schedule steel track machine (STM) downtime before undercarriage failure occurs will aid in the positive ROI for the machine owner. Sandy soil types are 2 to 5 times harder than the ground engaging tools on the machines therefore are very abrasive. Wear rates of certain maintenance wear parts are directly related to the abraisivity of the soil. Based on the abrasiveness of the soil types in which the machine is working, the maintenance timing can be predicted.

In summary, operational maintenance costs wield significant financial influence and stand out as a highly controllable factor.Notably, well-maintained machines not only preserve their performance but also demonstrate higher residual value upon reaching the end of their useful life.

Disclaimer: This article does not pertain to a specific brand or model and is a general statement.