Pit & Quarry, February 2015

EXCAVATING DREDGING Cutting costs Every equipment owner needs an edge Here are 10 easy ways for you to lower operating costs on your heavy equipment BY BRAD STEMPER E ach job machine and application is different but there are a few universal things you can do with each piece of equipment to make its operation more practical and cost effective Heres a look at 10 things that can have a direct effect on your bottom line 1 Control idle times Whether through telematics idle management control features i e one touch idle automatic shutdown or through one onone operator coaching equipment owners can save a significant amount of money in fuel costs and long term engine costs by simply reducing engine idling Excessive idling is a drain on fuel and adds unnecessary non productive hours to the engine shortening its life and wasting the machines warranty 2 Properly use and deploy your fleet For large fleets and decentralized operations possibly with multiple quarries spread out across a region it may be easy to overlook underused pieces of equipment You might need a wheel loader in one quarry but you may not know that a wheel loader in another quarry is only used 20 percent of the time Getting a better understanding of equipment use through telematics can help you better deploy equipment and reduce unnecessary equipment rentals and purchases when you think you are in need of another machine but actually have the assets sitting somewhere else ready to go 3 Working features services into purchase Have you ever had this thought during the equipment buying process That sounds like a great feature but Ill wait and add it at a later date That may seem practical but take into consideration the costs that will be involved with taking that machine out of service at a later date and the costs associated with adding that feature or technology at an aftermarket price Carefully weigh initial purchase or package prices versus the cost it may take to add that feature at a later date Also important to note Factory fit features generally equate to factory quality and warranty 4 Planned maintenance contract A planned maintenance contract can save equipment owners a significant amount in time and cost savings Some planned maintenance contracts afford producers the ability to only worry about fueling and greasing the machine for the first few thousand hours Dealers carry out all other preventive maintenance activities and there are practical savings with planned maintenance contracts as well 5 Machine control Machine control can seem intimidating at first but it offers a wealth of advantages for equipment owners large and small Machine control lowers owning and operating costs in a number of ways Greater quality and productivity are two benefits More accurately calculated material costs are another Machine control also allows for less wear and tear on equipment shortening the training window for new operators and cutting down on time and labor for related activities 6 Remanufactured parts The practice of original equipment manufacturers OEMs remanufacturing parts has grown considerably in recent years and has evolved to include thousands of parts and components in stock that can be shipped to equipment dealers upon request This can be a significant advantage for fleet managers as they race against the clock to get equipment back up and running Identifying and curtailing rowdy or unsafe operating practices is important to reduce possible damage to the machine and the surrounding work area 16 PIT QUARRY February 2015 www pitandquarry com