These must-ask questions will ensure your next excavator purchase is a smart one.
These must-ask questions will ensure your next excavator purchase is a smart one.
Description
Do you know what questions to ask when you’re demoing and comparing new excavators? Working from this checklist will help determine which machine is the wise investment for your fleet.

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Part 4 - Information Systems and Maintenance Work Control
PAUL D TOMLINGSON
Part 4 – Information Systems and Maintenance Work Control - Parts 1, 2 and 3 of this series established that many existing fully-integrated information systems do not provide adequate support of supervisor’s maintenance work control needs. Work order elements are too complex and time consuming for use in the ‘pressure-cooker’ working environment of maintenance supervisors. As a result many supervisors are using ineffective work control procedures that neither control work nor provide field data for required information. In turn, maintenance planners are compelled to prepare ‘official’ work order documents to capture missing data. Many planners are simply ‘work order administrators’ with no time left to plan. When management requires information, these planners may be ‘creating’ bogus information misleading management decision-makers. Since not all work requires planning, a simpler work order element for supervisors can meet their work control needs and also allow them to control all non-planned work. Information system problems are acknowledged by system developers but without being corrected. However, many maintenance organizations have contributed by not developing a well-defined maintenance programs and specifying their information needs. Instead, they have accepted and tried to use the generic information output of overly complex package systems. This ‘log jam’ requires corrective actions. An outstanding PC-based system that satisfies the supervisors work control requirements, returns planners to their full time planning tasks and creates essential information has been identified. The system developer’s introductory presentation was obtained and is attached.
Gold Mill Grinding—Example of a Detailed eLearning Operator Training Module
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
This video provides an example of the content and structure of a Performance Associates International computer-based operator training program. In this video, we focus on the user experience of our eLearning module for operators in a gold mill grinding circuit. This example demonstrates the following program features: • Language toggle controls. • Interactive process flowsheets. • Process descriptions. • Principles of operation. • Workbook feature. • Equipment (SAG mill) 3D animation. • Process variables. • Control loops. • Interlocks. • Alarms. • Interactive plot plan. The grinding circuit is just one of 11 modules included in the complete plant operator training program. Each individual module covers the technical aspects of a specific plant area. The program also contains modules presenting basic introductions to many applicable unit operations and a variety of basic mechanical skills. Additionally, detailed maintenance training modules cover each significant piece of equipment in the plant. A comprehensive training component to develop supervisory skills is included as well. Building, running, and maintaining a new plant is a significant investment. A work-force well-trained from top to bottom is the best way to protect that investment by ensuring a successful start-up and continued operations at peak performance. If you are building a plant and preparing your operators and supervisors for start-up and operation, please stop and ask the question “what components of this training program do I NOT want my operations team to be thoroughly familiar with?”
Performance Associates International Assists Torex Gold With Start-Up Success
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Far too often, natural resource companies start up new plants without a properly trained operations and maintenance team. The results can be disastrous for both safety and revenue. Obviously the ultimate objective is a plant that operates in a safe and profitable manner. In most cases, the pre-start-up safety training is satisfactory, resulting in few if any accidents during start-up and ongoing operations. However, many plants drop the ball when it comes to properly training operations and maintenance personnel. The payback on a properly executed training program far outweighs the cost. If you are going to budget for high-quality engineering, efficient procurement, and experienced and proven construction management (including commissioning), why leave training open to chance? Performance Associates International (PAI) developed an extensive operations and maintenance training program for Torex Gold’s El Limón-Guajes project in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. In 2015, PAI industry training specialists traveled to the project site to carry out the training for Torex Gold employees in anticipation of plant start-up and gold production. The venture was a “massive success,” according to Nelson Bodnarchuk, Director, Operational Systems. This video tells the story of that success, including generous feedback from the executive officers at Torex recognizing our role in the partnership.
Performance Associates International (PAI) y Torex Gold colaboran para una puesta en marcha exitosa
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Con demasiada frecuencia, las compañías de recursos naturales ponen en marcha plantas nuevas sin contar con un equipo de operaciones y mantenimiento debidamente capacitado. El resultado puede ser desastroso tanto en términos de seguridad como de ingresos. Obviamente el objetivo fundamental es una planta que funciona de forma segura y rentable. En la mayoría de los casos, la capacitación sobre seguridad que se da antes del arranque de la planta es satisfactoria, resultando en pocos accidentes (o ninguno) durante la puesta en marcha y operaciones subsecuentes. Sin embargo, muchas plantas son negligentes cuando se trata de la buena capacitación de su personal de operaciones y mantenimiento. Un programa de capacitación bien ejecutado compensa con creces los costos de ejecución del mismo. Si se va a presupuestar una ingeniería de alta calidad, un proceso de adquisición eficiente y una gestión de construcción experimentada y comprobada (incluyendo el comisionamiento), ¿por qué dejar a la suerte la capacitación? Performance Associates International (PAI) desarrolló un programa de capacitación por computadora comprensivo, el cual abarca operaciones y mantenimiento, para su planta de oro El Limón-Guajes en el estado de Guerrero, México. En el 2015, los especialistas de capacitación industrial de PAI viajaron al lugar del proyecto para entrenar a los empleados de Torex Gold en anticipación de la puesta de marcha de la planta y la producción de oro. El emprendimiento fue un “éxito masivo,” según Nelson Bodnarchuk, Director, Sistemas Operacionales. Este video cuenta la historia de ese éxito, incluyendo comentarios generosos de los oficiales ejecutivos de Torex, quienes reconocen nuestro papel en la colaboración.
Superior Maintenance Performance: Three Conditions - One Answer
PAUL D TOMLINGSON
I have attached a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation on how to implementing a Mine Maintenance Management Program. But before you study it please understand that superior maintenance performance is built on three conditions: 1 - Maintenance proficiency – Maintenance personnel from manager to worker are proficient in all aspects of management, control and work execution. 2 - Knowledgeable support – All mining departments understand the help needed to make maintenance successful and provide it. 3 - Strategic direction – Mine managers assign mutually–supporting departmental objectives, provide policies to guide interdepartmental actions and verify performance. The one proven answer that meets these conditions is a quality maintenance program. That program must spell out who does what, how, when and why. These guidelines must be applied to the nine essential maintenance management phases: How to (1) Request or (2) Identify work, (3) Classify it to determine the best reaction, then how to (4) Plan, (5) Schedule, (6) Assign, (7) Control and (8) Measure the resulting work and finally, (9) Assess accomplishments against goals such as performance standards and budgets. All personnel in maintenance as well as those who interact with maintenance must be included in the program since every maintenance action requires a supporting or cooperative interdepartmental reaction. Just as the maintenance planner follows specific planning procedures, so must the purchasing agent who orders major component replacements for the job the planner is organizing. After 44 years as a mining maintenance management consulting in all types of mining operations, I can confidently state that the absence of a quality program will preclude meeting these three conditions and frustrate all efforts to achieve superior maintenance performance.
MacLean Innovation Report 2018 - Changing the face of the mining industry
MacLean Engineering
Sometimes a turning point can only be seen clearly in hindsight. Such is the case for the mine of the future as we begin 2018, coming out of a 2017 where major mining companies continued to demonstrate capital spending austerity and focus on debt reduction. All the while, there were growing signals that digitalization, electrification and automation were all gaining momentum, even though actual examples of minesite implementations could as of yet, still be counted on one hand. MacLean took the opportunity that industry downturn presented over the past several years to focus intensely on three key product development ventures – first and foremost, the battery electrification of our entire fleet, which will be complete by the end of 2018; second, the successful introduction of face bolting as a feature on our 975 Omnia bolter; and, third, the launch of the latest addition to our utility vehicle product line – the LR3 Boom Lift for heavy load and high reach applications. The past year was one where for the first time we had a fleet of battery electric vehicles working underground, allowing us the ability to validate our performance and total cost of ownership (TCO) models with real-world data, while at the same time continuing to build out our EV offer across the product lines. Looking forward, as we work hard to fully electrify our fleet of ground support, ore flow/secondary reduction, and utility vehicles, we’re keenly aware that electrification is but one step in the ongoing mechanization of underground mining, a transition to the mine of the future that will be increasingly efficient through digitalization and automation that will increase production and reduce costs.
Is Your Jobsite a Wasteland? Check Out These 3.5 Ways to Reduce Waste and Costs
Command Alkon
                  No, I’m not talking about piles of leftover debris or even the kind of “trashy” look that’s common on construction sites. While neatness is nice, especially on a highly visible site, the waste I’m referring to is all those insidious, sometimes hidden, wastes that may not look messy but can make a real mess of budget forecasts and construction schedules.Jobsite waste – and the losses it creates – is a serious problem throughout the HBM industry. In fact, according to a 2016 McKinsey study, “Large projects across asset classes typically take 20 percent longer to finish than scheduled and are up to 80 percent over budget.”Most budget overruns are not the result of leftovers or throwaways. Most are a result of squandering 1) time, 2) motion, and/or 3) accuracy. Eliminating waste is an ongoing challenge, but these best practices can help you recognize – and correct – this resource-draining scourge:1) TIME. Wasting time is probably the most common and costly jobsite activity, especially since it’s virtually always unintentional and unobtrusive. What’s the best way to spot it? Recognize that all wait time is wasted time. Any person, place or thing that sits idle or is not ready when needed is generating waste.When workers wait on instructions or tools or equipment or approval or inspection, their time is being wasted. When tools, parts or equipment are unavailable or inoperable, time is being wasted. When one process or procedure is stalled waiting for another to be completed, valuable time is being wasted.Wasted time typically results from inadequate planning, communication or resource allocation, so invest in these timesaving preventive measures instead:1) TIME. Wasting time is probably the most common and costly jobsite activity, especially since it’s virtually always unintentional and unobtrusive. What’s the best way to spot it? Recognize that all wait time is wasted time. Any person, place or thing that sits idle or is not ready when needed is generating waste.When workers wait on instructions or tools or equipment or approval or inspection, their time is being wasted. When tools, parts or equipment are unavailable or inoperable, time is being wasted. When one process or procedure is stalled waiting for another to be completed, valuable time is being wasted.Wasted time typically results from inadequate planning, communication or resource allocation, so invest in these timesaving preventive measures instead:Begin with informed planning that includes all pertinent people. Early integration and transparent information sharing improve efficiency at every operational stage.Forecast construction schedules, budgets and requirements so that you can realistically anticipate tools, materials and labor.Create and communicate contingency plans so that the entire crew stays up to date and in sync.Use technology to communicate.  Radios, mobile phones, tablets and other digital tools speed communication and improve clarity. 2) MOTION. Going back to the truck to grab another tool, hunting down a colleague for collaboration, moving critical materials or machinery from its current location to where it’s needed, dispatching and transporting workers, even unloading deliveries and distributing parts are all costly operations that reduce productivity. Any unnecessary or unplanned movement of people, equipment, tools or materials wastes valuable time and energy.To minimize wasted motion, use efficient workplace procedures and productivity-enhancing devices:Plan ahead to place and prepare critical equipment for use at the point of operation.Corral required tools, parts, kits and equipment in well-stocked, well-organized, well-maintained work carts.Equip workers with tool belts, trays, bins and pouches for easy accessibility.Use rail-lock aerial accessories (tool bins, pipe racks, cradles, panel carriers, etc.) when working on scissor lifts, boom lifts or other platforms for safe, secure, fast access.Use communications technology to locate misplaced or misappropriated resources.Designate a worker to make deliveries and tools runs as needed.3) ACCURACY. Precision in quality control, inventory management, and maintenance and replacement programs is vital for preventing wasted materials and labor. Symptoms of sloppy jobsite practices include tasks that can’t be done due to damaged, defective or missing materials; rework due to poor quality or specification mismatches; “shrink” due to lost or stolen tools or inventory; breakage due to careless handling or improper use; and mistakes in ordering, stocking, storing, handling and accounting for materials.Verifying resources and quality takes attention and vigilance. These common-sense practices can bring valuable order and discipline to your jobsite:Make sure all workers have a clear project understanding, including the latest drawings, specifications and contingency plans.Lock up tools and equipment at days’ end and when not in use.Remove and replace damaged tools or materials immediately.Designate a specific person to order, inspect, label and monitor materials, especially near job’s end, to avoid leftover inventory.Are time and resources going to waste on your bsite? Command Alkon helps make fast work of unnecessary jobsite losses.To reduce the costs, risks, and waste that result from out-of-stock and over-stock situations, inefficient hauling practices, and lack of transparency, the HBM industry relies on Command Alkon’s supplyCONNECT to manage daily replenishment plans. By promoting collaboration among supply chain trading partners, supplyCONNECT saves money and time – ensuring that the right amount of inventory is delivered to the right place at the right time.
Mining, Process Plant, Maintenance & Safety Training
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Excellence in Mining, Process Plant, Maintenance, and Safety Training  Performance Associates International, Inc. (PAI) is the world leader in online and on-site training for the mining industry. We provide organizations with a single source for assessments, skills training, continuing education, safety training and compliance mandates, and more. Our first-class content guides your staff to gain the critical knowledge they need to work safely and efficiently today.  Our proven, leading-edge industrial training programs improve performance in existing operations and ensure success during the start-up of new operations. Our training programs have saved companies millions in personnel accident prevention, production loss, and equipment damage. We partner with our customers and consult collaboratively to provide the analysis and content development to meet your needs.  Services PAI Offers  Plant Operator Training Our three-tier concept for effective plant operator training starts with fundamental knowledge and progresses to plant-specific concepts that are reinforced through detailed animations and interactive simulations.  Maintenance Training We custom build state-of-the-art maintenance training programs using exploded graphics, explanatory text, detailed procedures, and management systems.  Mobile Equipment Operator Training Our first-class training program focuses on operator controls and indicators, safety, and performance optimization. It also includes operating, emergency, and troubleshooting procedures. Commissioning and Start-Up We can identify, track, and control the thousands of activities that must occur for the successful commissioning and start-up of a process plant. There is no shortcut to a successful start-up. Testing and Tracking Systems We can help manage and track the performance of employees to improve the overall performance of the mine and plant industrial training programs. Our testing and tracking systems provide invaluable assistance in safety and operational compliance.  Introductory and Safety Training Off-the-shelf introductory and safety training packages are an excellent source for mine and plant industrial training courses. They provide fundamental knowledge and basic training concepts. Now offering online courses! E-Learning, Animations, and Simulations Our interactive e-learning keeps trainees focused and engaged. Our experienced in-house multimedia team develops state-of-the-art graphics, virtual and mixed reality training, stunning 3D animations, and technically engineered simulations of real-world scenarios. Other Services We also provide many services relevant to planning, analyzing, and evaluating process plants, including: ·         Operations readiness plan. ·         Planning studies. ·         Quality management. ·         Systems implementation. ·         Statistical process control. ·         Reliability-based asset management. ·         Productive capacity studies. ·         Surveys and needs analyses. ·         Economic life analysis. ·         Process control strategies and methods. ·         Debottlenecking and process optimization. ·         Spare parts inventory and analysis. ·         Feasibility studies. ·         Consulting assistance. Consulting * Gap Analysis * Content Development * LMS * On-Site * Train-the-Trainer * E-Learning * Process Plant Optimization * Training * Safety * Mine Training * Plant Operator Training * Maintenance * Mobile Equipment * Competencies * Commissioning  
Training Pays: Actual vs. Projected Start-Up Results
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Developing a profitable mining venture is no small matter. It requires enormous initial investments in research, construction, and equipment. But a mineral processing plant does not run itself. Even with the best equipment and good ore quality, optimal results are dependent upon keeping the process running smoothly, avoiding process upsets, maintaining process variables in the desired range, and minimizing breakdowns and downtime. A highly trained workforce is an essential element in a successful, and profitable, start-up. The knowledge and abilities of plant operators and maintenance personnel can make or break an operation. Trained operators know what to look for during preoperational and routine inspections, allowing maintenance tasks to be planned and unexpected costly breakdowns avoided. Trained operators know what variables exist at different stages in the process and how to make appropriate adjustments in real time. Trained maintenance personnel are well acquainted with the plant equipment, and maintenance planners can schedule work and maintain a spare parts inventory to minimize downtime. Additionally, new operations that train their workforce just prior to plant commissioning can utilize their operators in the commissioning process. Having been trained and gained field experience through plant commissioning, operators are ready to hit the ground running once feed is introduced. A faster ramp-up means more earnings, more quickly. The cost of developing a proper training program is a small percentage of the overall engineering, procurement, and construction budget but it constitutes a large percentage of the gains realized from a successful start-up and ramp-up to full production. Performance Associates International (PAI) has designed and presented custom training programs for operators and maintenance personnel in metallurgical plants around the world for over 35 years. We are proud to have been part of the successful start-ups at Lundin Mining’s Eagle Mine, Vale’s Voisey’s Bay project, and Torex Gold’s El Limon-Guajes project. Click Download to view the actual vs. projected start-up results from these three metallurgical plants that made use of PAI’s custom-built training programs and on-site training.
PROCESS CONTROL TRAINING— SIMULATORS ARE ONLY HALF THE STORY
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
With reference to greenfield plant projects, using process simulators similar to the designed plant Human-Machine Interface (HMI) or Distributed Control System (DCS) has become common practice. These simulators represent a “virtual plant” based on process modeling of the circuit chemistry and thermodynamics, and on the physical nature of the plant, including equipment, valves, piping, etc. The virtual plant allows trainees to troubleshoot problems, optimize process variables, react to alarms, etc., all based on the process simulation model. Performance Associates’ experience is that this complex simulator training is valuable, but only after more in-depth training on the process and control logic. To truly optimize a process plant, prior to simulator training, the control room operators must have detailed knowledge of the following:  Process objective of each process system, comprising a group of unit operations.  Process objective of each unit operation.  Process chemistry and the variables affecting it.  Important characteristics of each unit operation, the variables affecting it, and the impact on downstream unit operations.  Plant control loops, interlocks, and alarms.  Safety issues related to the process and control schemes.  Operating procedures for start-up and shutdown under various scenarios, as well as important operator tasks. Additionally, trainees must be intimately familiar with the applicable fundamental scientific concepts, such as pressure, temperature, heat exchangers, electricity, PID control logic, combustion, etc. With this fundamental and plant-specific foundation, the process simulator can be fully exploited for training.
Process Control Training—Simulators Are Only Half the Story
PERFORMANCE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
With reference to greenfield plant projects, using process simulators similar to the designed plant Human-Machine Interface (HMI) or Distributed Control System (DCS) has become common practice. These simulators represent a “virtual plant” based on process modeling of the circuit chemistry and thermodynamics, and on the physical nature of the plant, including equipment, valves, piping, etc. The virtual plant allows trainees to troubleshoot problems, optimize process variables, react to alarms, etc., all based on the process simulation model.  Performance Associates’ experience is that this complex simulator training is valuable, but only after more in-depth training on the process and control logic. To truly optimize a process plant, prior to simulator training, the control room operators must have detailed knowledge of the following:Process objective of each process system, comprising a group of unit operations.Process objective of each unit operation.Process chemistry and the variables affecting it.Important characteristics of each unit operation, the variables affecting it, and the impact on downstream unit operations.Plant control loops, interlocks, and alarms.Safety issues related to the process and control schemes.Operating procedures for start-up and shutdown under various scenarios, as well as important operator tasks.Additionally, trainees must be intimately familiar with the applicable fundamental scientific concepts, such as pressure, temperature, heat exchangers, electricity, PID control logic, combustion, etc. With this fundamental and plant-specific foundation, the process simulator can be fully exploited for training.