A routine Magnetic Plug Inspection at BMA Blackwater site recently saved a company thousands of dollars, not only in lost production time, but also in component replacement, after Techenomics discovered a large piece of metal on the left front hub plug of a Rear Dump 20. This finding helped the company avoid an almost certain sudden equipment failure and the high costs associated with this.
Techenomics have been performing magnetic plug inspections, as part of their preventative maintenance services since 2002, on equipment fleets such as haul trucks, rear dumps, dozers and loaders.
This service helps prevent company’s unnecessary equipment failures, by providing Maintenance Planners with the vital information directed at identifying iron wear generation. This information then allows Maintenance Planners to estimate the component life of wheel hubs, final drives and other planetary gearboxes, reducing company’s costs by preventing unnecessary and unexpected failures.
As Chris Adsett, Executive Director of Techenomics explains this is exactly what happened at the Blackwater site recently.
“During Techenomics weekly, inspection on a Cat Rear Dump 20, which is one of the newer trucks onsite, we discovered the left front hub had a large piece of metal on the plug.
The Rear Dump was taken straight to the workshop and Techenomics magnetic programmes found and removed the debris, preventing an almost certain sudden failure, which would have been disastrous for the company of the Dump Truck.
The piece of metal was either left in the compartment after the truck was manufactured or was introduced with the new oil that was put into the truck. Either way this is what makes regular Preventative Maintenance, like Magnetic Plug inspections invaluable to any mine site or company using Heavy Earthmoving Equipment.” Said Mr Adsett.
Magnetic Plug Inspections work like Preventative Maintenance, which provides insight knowledge of the equipments compartments, by also providing this insight into the future by capturing wear particles on the end of a Magnetic Plug.
These plugs sit inside the compartment and each time the oil passes the magnet, the magnet filters the oil by holding the wear particles and stopping wear generation from increasing dramatically, caused by normal particle rubbing on internal components.
Magnetic wear is then graded in levels of wear, level A being in good, clean condition, Level B being moderate amounts of debris and Level C being large amounts of debris being held on the plug. Recommendations are then provided to companies via Techenomics Online reporting tool Blue Oceans.
Magnetic Plug Inspections are part of the Preventative Maintenance services Tech provides. Other services include oil analysis, and lubrication and filtration solutions to fixed and mobile plants, all which can significantly extend the life of equipment, lower unscheduled downtime and most importantly decrease company’s costs.
-ENDS-
For further information please contact Terry Lewis (Queensland Operations Manager/Supervisor) email: terry.lewis@techenomics.com or visit www.techenomics.net
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