Productivity, cost and maintenance benefits associated with fleet standardisation applies equally to load and haul attachments as well as the machines that use them.
The key is to analyse the opportunity on a total ownership cost basis.
With one customer, this analysis supported the change over of their entire hydraulic mining shovel fleet to Barracuda T2 buckets. This included converting a brand new rock bucket to the modular T2 design.
The Barracuda T2 is a light-weight, linerless bucket that has a replaceable lower shell for easy, cost effective repairs. One of the key benefits is that it eliminates the need to rely on wear packages to extend the life of the bucket. The shell is fully utilised before it is replaced in a controlled process which minimises on-site hot works.
This represents a different value proposition from a total ownership cost perspective.
The advantages are demonstrated in both increased payload capacity over the life of the asset and more cost-effective maintenance.
The T2 bucket is up to 15% lighter than standard accessories enabling increased payload capacity for each dig unit. This larger bucket volume allows greater material handling capacity within the machines’ load limits.
The linerless solution has an important safety benefit by minimising the risk associated with stored energy in rolled wear liners that need to be otherwise be removed. It also dramatically reduces the amount of downtime required for maintenance. The lower shell including the lip and wings can be fully replaced within one shift compared to maintenance overhauls and wear package change-outs which can take a number of days.
When a customer decided to convert a brand new rock bucket to the T2 design, the solution involved creating a new lower replaceable shell and sidewalls to coordinate with the lip and ground engaging tools already supplied.
With the productivity and maintenance benefits factored in, these modifications could be achieved while still delivering the targeted return on investment in the new asset across its operational life.
It’s a customised solution but the strategy is applicable to any site looking to standardise its fleet.
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