Category Archives: Heavy Equipment Undercarriage

How to distinguish if you need a new undercarriage?

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It is very important to know when you need a new undercarriage. Nearly 20 percent of the purchase price of the crawler is due to the undercarriage. While approximately 50percent of your repairing cost will be wasted in repairing it. From this data, you surely have a clear idea of how vital role undercarriage does play in maintaining the life of your equipment. Although wear cannot be bumped off, but getting the certified parts of the undercarriage makes it running strong.

When should one need a new undercarriage?

  • Idlers is also called “Track Tensioner” as it keeps the track in right angle. De-tracking, reduced stability, absence of track tension, loosening of wheel between mounting arms and accelerated track wear are the signs which show that the idler of the undercarriage is getting damage. This is the proper time of having a new undercarriage.
  • Rollers (another important part) are of two types- bottom rollers and upper rollers. Bottom rollers support the machine’s weight through the track. Whereas the upper rollers carry the chain in its proper angle. Grinding noises, oil leaking from the rollers, sudden sideways movement when the rollers starts to rotate are the signs that indicate the damage of your roller and you should get a new one.
  • Sprockets are used to transmit motion and act as a profiled wheel. When the tips of the sprocket looks like the waved caps, grinding noises comes out, the binding of the teeth to the sprocket centre worn down and complete tear out of the metal happens, then it is the time to change the sprocket of your undercarriage.

However, routine check of oil levels of the machine, greasing the parts of undercarriage properly and unobstructed the undercarriage from rocks and debris definitely keep the undercarriage in good condition for a long time.

How to select the standard undercarriage?

  • Weight of the machine:- The size of the undercarriage heavily depends on the weight of the machine(though this is not applicable in the case of crawler tractor).OEM applications having slow speed i.e.3.5mph or even less than that are best served by Hydraulic Excavator (HEX). On the other hand, applications with more than 3.5mph speed are best carried out by crawler tractor’s arrangements.
  • Application of the machine: – The distance of the track gauge should be at least 60 percent of the track’s length on the ground.
  • Desired life of the undercarriage: – The life of the undercarriage is decided by the normal and maximum speed operating, operating environment and the quality of the job function. If your machine works in a reverse direction for most of the time, the track should also be reversed for maximum life of the component.

To buff up your business, you should have an undercarriage that can withstand the wear and tear and empower your machine to face any kind of operational challenges. The above said points will definitely aid in lowering operating cost, prolonging service life and great value.

 

 

 

Prevent and Minimize Heavy Equipment Undercarriage Wear

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We all know that any minute issue in heavy equipment if not taken care at the right time may give birth to serious problems in the nearby future and which is why it is very critical to keep your machine well maintained. By saying your machine, it is just not limited to the equipment but also the undercarriage that forms an important part of the machine. The equipment is not operated in the right manner may give exert more unwanted pressure to the tracks and thus it may lead to issues down there and that may even result in the machine going idle for days till the time the undercarriage doesn’t gets fixed.

The major reason that can lead to an early deterioration of the undercarriage is having a tight track. A tight track can give rise to many problems in the undercarriage and therefore it is recommended to check the tracks well during the time it’s installed on the machine. Too tight tracks can lead to eating away of sprockets, bushings, carried rollers etc. thus decreasing the overall life of the tracks and will also shoot up the operating cost of the machine. The procedure to adjust tracks differs from machine to machine. It basically depends on the kind of sprockets being used in the machine (if it has an elevated sprocket or a conventional one). Though, it is advisable that one should always adjust the tracks in a job site rather than doing it in a shop.

Lower down the speed of the equipment when it is not productive. You definitely would not want it to wear for non-operational reasons. It has been seen in many construction sites that the operator is always in a hurry and runs the machine at high speed when it is not productive. Well, there is simply no reason to put it in a high speed when you don’t want it to perform. That is one of the reasons why the undercarriage wears in less time than compared to equipment that are not always in a state of hurry. How is speed related to deteriorating the quality of the machine? It directly affects the bushings, sprockets, idlers and all the other important component of the undercarriage. It affects the most to the bushings and sprockets when you reverse the machine at a high speed. Hence, when it’s not at work or when it is needed, it should be driven at a high speed.

Turning the machine constantly in a particular direction wears the undercarriage in that part. It particularly affects the rail slides, idle flanges and rollers. In case, where you just can’t avoid turning the machine in one particular direction, you should better examine the tracks at the end of the day and check if you can continue with it the following day. If so ever, you see that it needs some adjustments to be done, get that done before you further wear it down.

In case of slipping tracks, you should ensure that you reduce the load because if not done, then it may affect the grousers.