5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CUTTING PERFORMANCE
By: Scott Bahr
Rock drilling and cutting are essential in the mining business, and since we here at Bit Service are always committed to empowering you with the latest information in the industry, today’s blog post focuses on cutting performance. You will learn about the five essential things that you need to know to achieve your ideal outcome of optimum efficiency, quality, and longevity.
ASSESSING YOUR BITS AND BLOCKS
If you want to make sure that your cutting assembly on your continuous miner, boring machine, or roadheader is performing at is best, the first way to check it is to make certain that all of the cutting bits and blocks are in place and good working condition. This step is often overlooked, but it is crucial for maximum cutting performance. Remember: Even a perfectly designed head with an optimal cutting profile will not perform well with missing blocks, or if it has dull or missing bits.
CUTTING PROFILE OPTIMIZATION
There are three key variables which should demand your close attention: ore conditions, mining style, and the power and weight of your machine. By enhancing the cutting profile for these three key factors, you can avoid the costly loss in potential productivity that plagues many in the industry, as well as undue wear and tear on your mining machine.
This vital step is where Bit Service shines. We regularly work with clients to improve their cutting assemblies and unlock the greatest potential performance in their production. Achieving this high bar in performance takes a huge amount of time, but it’s worth it. It’s especially crucial to consult with mine personnel, which involves examining their cutting patterns and ore conditions, their desired material output size distribution, and their machine variables. At Bit Service, we bear the brunt of the burden and make what could be a tedious process smooth and easy thanks to our years of experience and expert knowledge.
TALKING ABOUT TRACTION
Traction is an integral component to consider when looking to optimize penetration rate during advance. This involves a combination of power delivery to the crawlers and crawler chain aggressiveness, as well as machine weight and floor conditions. This undertaking can seem overwhelming, but this is another area where Bit Service again offers an assist. Let us have a look at your crawler chains to see if a set of forged CMM chains are what you need to regain the lost traction in your crawlers. We can make it a stress-free experience for you.
IS YOUR BIT PROFILE THE BEST IT CAN BE?
Similar to the condition and profile of the cutting assembly mentioned above, the bit itself is a vital element in achieving an efficient cut. This goes hand in hand with the cutting profile and changing ore conditions, which are things that we at Bit Service have specialized in advising our clients about for several decades now. We’d love to help you navigate this step as well.
SWITCH THINGS UP WITH ORE GRADES
One snafu we see far too often in the industry are companies that settle into a comfortable routine of using the same products in the same equipment for varying conditions. While this may be the path of least resistance in the short term, it also means that you are accepting the inevitable (and not ideal) result of varied cutting efficiency.
In the vast majority of cases, the changing ore grades are predicted by site geologists. So when the information is there to predict upcoming conditions, the best course of action is to prepare for these changes with bit profiles with the right carbide profile and grade to answer any upcoming needs. It’s amazing how in almost every scenario like this, the simple act of changing bits at the start of a shift before an upcoming change can greatly improve the productive efficiency—as well as reduce unnecessary frustrations for the operations team.
Bit Service possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience on this topic. One of our core competencies is designing, manufacturing, and repairing cutting assemblies for underground mining machines. This is a big pull for customers, making it one of the main reasons why they will come to us seeking out potential improvements on an existing machine. And the best part? Our stellar reputation and past results have proved time and again that you can experience complete peace of mind knowing that this is something that we'll look after for you. Contact us today.