Making Tracks

With ever-growing pressures on mining operations, companies are reliant on the life span of their equipment and mining fleet. Dozer equipment is often on the front-line of such operations. Dozer operators should always check the dozer track’s tension is just right, to get the most out of their equipment. If a track is too tight, or too loose, its components will wear faster. On most dozers,
a coil spring compresses or extends to take up small changes in track tension during operation. When the tension of a track needs to be adjusted, a short stroke hydraulic cylinder filled with grease is typically used. The grease extends the coil spring which in turn drives the idler wheel to the desired position and holds it there under retained grease pressure.

Root Cause of Failure

Having inspected metal structures and components for signs of fatigue stress for many years, Metal Testing noticed a trend in the way dozer track adjusters were failing on welded joints.
KAM Mining investigated this trend further and managed to develop a track adjuster solution, manufactured here in Australia, which could save companies up to four days of maintenance time and extend the life of their track adjuster.

Slashing Maintenance Time by 80%

Typically, when a track adjuster breaks inside a dozer, it can take up to five days to strip the dozer, remove the broken component and repair it. The KAM Mining track adjuster can be switched out in a matter of hours to allow the equipment to remain operational.
The design allows for safe, simple access as the operator need only remove bolts to remove the broken tensioner and vice versa to install a replacement.

This process could lead to an 80% reduction in track adjuster maintenance time. In addition to maintenance time, companies may also need to wait for replacement parts from overseas, which has proven challenging through 2020 and could be equally challenging in 2021 and beyond.

The KAM Mining track adjuster provides companies with the option of sourcing equipment designed and manufactured here in Australia, eliminating any associated international shipping cost.Safety in Design The conventional dozer track adjustment process comes with great risk if not undertaken properly and particularly if the dozer and its components are not well maintained. The uncontrolled release of energy poses a significant risk to maintenance personnel in the track tensioning process.

The KAM Mining track adjuster Design

The KAM Mining track adjuster is designed, machined and fabricated in Toowomba, Queensland by highly certified tradespeople.The company used finite element modelling techniques recognised by Australian Standards to fine-tune their design. The shaft is made of one casting with excellent tensile strength properties and can be positioned in reverse if it wears on one end (in the keyway) doubling its operational life. The track adjuster comes with stress relief features.

Dowels can be used to locate the shaft and support the assembly which reduces the stress typically put on the bolts. The track adjuster itself is split into two pieces and is held together as an assembly with 10 bolts, making it easy to service. In the first design of its kind, the risk of the uncontrolled release of energy from the spring assembly has been eliminated. The spring assembly is sealed inside the track tensioning shaft which provides a physical barrier between personnel and the energy source.

KAM Mining will provide clients with certificates for every KAM Mining track adjuster manufactured, which will state how the piece was welded and manufactured. It will also provide a process and chemical analysis and non-destructive testing record. Product Assembly and Disassembly Each Metal Testing track adjuster comes with product assembly and disassembly instructions. The unit is simple to assemble and disassemble but the work must be undertaken by a qualified tradesperson.

In a Nutshell

KAM Mining is a leading Australian non-destructive testing company which has taken a successful leap from specialising in testing metal structures for fatigue stress cracking to engineering innovative solutions to improve the design of the structures it inspects. “Our track adjuster is manufactured in Australia. “Every part of the process, from scratch, is built to Australian Standards. “FEA analysis has proven positive results with the material grade we have chosen to cast the product in Queensland Australia. We will be providing ongoing support with any parts purchased, and we are happy to refurbish parts to allow clients to swap them out easily.
“We are proud to say it’s made in Australia.” KAM Mining aim to be the leading supplier and manufacturer of track adjusters in Australia.