The success of your building project will rely on your decision of the portable mining rig. Be it site preparation work, excavation of tunnels or even road construction, your equipment directly influences timeliness, budget and productivity. The majority of the project managers make hasty decisions without considering the important aspects and this leads to costly errors. Choosing portable mining rig, the specialists often fall into eight common pitfalls, and they are discussed in this comprehensive guide. The awareness of these pitfalls can help you to protect your investment, make sound decisions, and ensure that your project is a successful one. When selecting your next portable mining setup, let’s look at some things to avoid.
- Ignoring Your Project’s Actual Power Requirements
Choosing equipment based on broad assumptions rather than accurate power estimations is one of the most common errors. Drilling and excavation requirements are often overestimated or underestimated by construction managers. While underbuying results in equipment strain, and frequent breakdowns, as well as project delays, overbuying wastes money on unneeded capacity that is left unused. Determine the rock hardness, drilling depth needs, and daily production goals by doing a comprehensive site inspection prior to making any purchasing selections. Take into account seasonal fluctuations as well as unforeseen geological circumstances that could require additional power. Consult geological engineers capable of providing accurate information about the underground conditions. You will save expensive mistakes as well as ensuring that your equipment will do what it can do at its peak throughout the project by spending time to decide what your real power needs are.
- Overlooking Mobility and Transportation Challenges
The true portability of portable mining rigs varies greatly, and many purchasers only learn about transportation issues after making a purchase. Certain portable units need to be moved between locations using specialized trucks, cranes, or deconstruction. When moving equipment, this carelessness results in unforeseen transportation expenses and project delays. Take into account the ground stability, road accessibility, and space restrictions for moving huge machinery at your job sites. Determine if you require more carrying equipment or if your current cars can move the rig. Verify local transportation laws regarding weight limits on public highways and equipment dimensions. Consider how often you will need to transfer the rig from one place to another.
- Neglecting Fuel Efficiency and Operating Costs
Many purchasers just consider the purchase price, utterly ignoring ongoing operational costs. Fuel consumption is a huge, continuous expense that eventually has a big impact on project profitability. A seemingly inexpensive investment might become a financial burden due to the frightening rates at which some rigs burn through diesel. The efficiency levels offered by various engine technologies vary greatly, as well as these variations intensify over the course of several months of operation. The cost of gasoline today and your expected daily operation hours, estimate how much gasoline you use in a day. Add the issue of maintenance, including potential repairs, and replacement parts along with a regular service. Consider whether the equipment is based on standard parts easily available, or proprietary parts that require expensive special orders.
- Disregarding Climate and Environmental Conditions
Although construction equipment is designed to be used differently in various environments, most buyers purchase rigs without considering their specific work environment. The extreme temperatures, humid environment, dusty air, and working in high altitudes influence the working performance and the durability of the equipment. Temperature extremes may cause overheating and accelerated wear of components, and is the reason why it is preferable not to leave in extreme cold environments, which may cause starting problems, leakage of hydraulic fluid and reduce the battery efficiency. The dusty conditions demand that the high quality filtering systems are developed to assure safety and efficiency of the engines. Metal parts may easily be corroded by salt air, and this poses an issue with coastal-based installations. The fact that the pressure of the air is lower at high altitudes means that the engines consume less energy unless the equipment has the necessary corrective devices. Instead of selecting generic solutions that might not perform under your unique environmental problems, always match the equipment specifications to your actual working conditions.
- Failing to Verify Operator Skill Requirements
Different portable mining rigs require different degrees of operator experience, and there can be major issues when the intricacy of the equipment is not matched with the skills of the crew. Certain advanced rigs include complex automation and controls that call for a high level of technical expertise and training. Investing in extremely complicated machinery while your operators are inexperienced causes ineffective operation, a rise in mishaps, and equipment damage. On the other hand, basic equipment may be restrictive and annoying to highly skilled workers. Before choosing equipment, honestly evaluate the capabilities of your current personnel. Take into account the expenses and availability of training to raise operators’ skill levels to the necessary levels. Consider the amount of operator turnover and the ease with which replacement personnel can become familiar with your equipment.
- Underestimating Maintenance and Service Accessibility
Maintenance and repairs are inevitable for equipment, but many purchasers overlook service accessibility when selecting portable mining rigs. When issues arise, repairs from certain manufacturers are costly and time-consuming due to their small service networks. When the closest approved service center is hundreds of miles away, remote building sites make matters worse. Before buying a product, investigate the service network and availability of parts in the location where you have to operate. Make sure that the equipment is serviced by the local mechanics, or that all the work is to be done by factory-qualified workers. Be aware of the warranty terms such as what is covered and the agreed response time to service calls. To reduce downtime from frequent failures, think about keeping essential spare components on hand.
Conclusion
Besides the initial cost, which was the first, there are other factors that should be considered when choosing the ideal rig company. These pitfalls can be avoided which will secure your investment, and make the project successful. Take time and correctly evaluate your needs, search your opportunities and value long-term worth more than short-term cost savings. Wise equipment choices today will ensure your building project is not delayed and stays under budget as it is issued that costs a lot to avoid in the future.
