Rod McCallum, the national sales and business development manager for ground engagement tools (GET) at Komatsu Australia, said that many quarry operators do not factor in retention reliability, unplanned maintenance, penetration performance, fuel efficiency, tyre life, and powertrain and frame life when considering the total cost of GET.
“The classic example of unplanned maintenance is a GET part breaking off a wheel loader bucket and falling into the crusher,” he explained as part of Komatsu’s announcement about the KVX GET system. “Suddenly, the mine or quarry operator is faced with unplanned maintenance, downtime, idle plant and lost production.”{{image2-A:R-w:200}}
According to Komatsu, a single shutdown event in 10,000 hours due to GET failure could cost a site up to $15 to $40 per hour.
Komatsu Australia customer support sales representative Bill Guirguis stated that these kinds of “immeasurable” costs had been taken into account during the development of the KVX GET system.
“The philosophy behind the design of KVX is to address more than component life versus cost as a measure of the product’s performance,” he said.
Guirguis explained that the KVX GET equipment incorporated a “bolt-on” system of attaching teeth and other wearparts, eliminating the need for retaining pins and adaptors while decreasing the time spent replacing these elements. He added that KVX GET teeth also outlasted conventional teeth due to their ability to self-sharpen.
Other features of the KVX GET system included its slim overall lip profile, which was said to allow for better stockpile penetration and faster cycle times, reduced fuel, powertrain and tyre costs, and a “flat-floor” design that reportedly helped to minimise the risk of tyre damage and general machine wear.
Tried and tested in Australia
Wayne Deken, the extraction manager at Northern Quarries in Melbourne, Victoria, was able to attest to the benefits of using the KVX GET system after he had one installed on the quarry’s Komatsu WA600-6 face loader.
“We really have a lot more peace of mind now over the chances of wayward teeth ending up in our crushing plant,” he said. “I’m also really pleased with the low maintenance aspect of the KVX product. It’s almost a case of ‘fit it and forget it’, which leaves us free to concentrate on our core business.”
KVX is an international GET manufacturer based in Norway that services the construction, quarry and mining industries. It is part of the Komatsu group of companies.