Keeping production on track

A new bucket from ONTRAC Group has slashed downtime and improved productivity at a key Victorian quarry thanks to its unique design.

Producing superior stone with superior service is the goal of Lima South Quarry Group.

The company’s hornsfel blue metal aggregates from its Lima South Quarry are highly sought after, particularly for rail ballast, concrete aggregates, asphalt, and sealing applications.

This has made it popular with state and local governments for road construction and maintenance, as well as private construction companies that build roads on their behalf.

To ensure it can supply these key customers, the quarry produces a wide range of high-quality products year-round.

Lima South quarry manager Jeremy Vegter said production rate is one of the key concerns at the site.

He told Quarry that in late 2024, the Victorian quarry wanted a replacement for their excavator bucket because it was not keeping up with the necessary productivity.

“Our old 3.5m³ bucket was very standard,” he said. “We were seeing a lot of wear, especially with the ground engagement tools that were not meeting our expectations.”

Lima South Quarry began searching for an alternative that would maximise productivity at the site and that was wear-resistant enough to avoid downtime. That’s when the team learned about the ONTRAC Group’s XMOR BHC80 high production bucket.

Manufactured with SSAB’s Hardox 500 Tuf wear plates and Strenx structural steel in its durable design, the bucket was tough enough for the job.

What set it apart from the other options was its unique shape. The XMOR bucket features a keel (tub) design that reduces weight and enables more structural stability. The inverted shape of the keel helps minimise ground contact and wear on the bottom of the bucket, which reduces wear. The bucket was the perfect solution for the Victorian quarry because it effectively exchanged weight for payload without sacrificing durability or structural integrity.

Vegter said ONTRAC Group did a study to help determine how much value the XMOR could bring.

“They worked out that there would roughly be an extra three tonnes moved with each swing of the bucket,” he said.

“When compared with the current bucket, it would fill a truck in around eight to nine passes. With the XMOR, it could do it in four, sometimes five.

“If we were running the same number of trucks for a 10-hour shift, the tonnes per hour (tph) of the current bucket was 700tph while the XMOR was able to do just over 1000tph.”

The Lima South Quarry took delivery of the new bucket in November 2024 and immediately began to see results. The enhanced payload capacity from the XMOR was 45 per cent greater than the previous bucket.

This had a flow-on effect throughout the quarry, as certain jobs could be run with one less haul truck. It also cut down on the amount of overtime, as the load and haul team could move the same amount of material in eight hours instead of 12.

Vegter said the team has time for other jobs around the quarry that previously were not possible.

“The number of trucks per hour has gone from 18 to 25, and the time each truck takes to fill has gone down from three minutes and twenty seconds to one minute and forty-five seconds,” he said.

“The operators took some time to get used to the new bucket. The curved edge takes a bit to get used to if you’ve been using a standard bucket your whole life, but once you’re used to it, there’s no difference.”

ONTRAC support

One of the other key considerations for Lima South Quarry was aftersales support. It was vital that the quarry team could pick up the phone and speak to the original equipment manufacturer, especially for spare parts.

Vegter said it meant the quarry’s workshop isn’t tied up trying to fix a bucket, especially because they have other breakdowns and tasks to attend to.

“The cost of bucket repairs is made worse by needing to find a replacement while the bucket is being repaired,” he said.

While it’s still early, the XMOR bucket is 700 hours in and showing minimal signs of wear.

During the purchasing process, ONTRAC’s team worked closely with the quarry.

“ONTRAC has visited the site twice and is always calling, bringing in anything we need. It’s been great,” Vegter said.

“We’ve had no dramas with it, and ONTRAC has been on site making sure it’s doing everything it should be.

“We know that ONTRAC will be straight onto any issues and will help out as much as they can.” •

For more information, visit ontracgroup.com.au