Training
Train Wheel Loader Operators for Efficiency
The wheel loader in the aggregate stockpile area is the engine of the asphalt plant. The operator must be efficient with cycle times not only to save fuel, but also to keep all the ingredients for the mix in proper balance. The team at Conewago Enterprises Inc. invested in simulation training to help operators hone their skills before they influenced stockpile builds and mix production. Photos courtesy of CM Labs
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Small efficiencies in dump truck loading translate to greater profits for asphalt professionals. Conewago Enterprises Inc., one of the mid-Atlantic’s leading design-build general contractors, discovered this soon after implementing CM Labs’ Vortex simulator in its training for wheel loader, excavator and crane operators. In one case, following the completion of 10 exercise sessions on an excavator simulator, a seasoned operator had reduced his cycle time from four and a half to three minutes—saving about a minute and a half per excavator cycle. That reduction in cycle time means the company saves thousands on every project with more dump truck loads per hour, less fuel burned, and reduced wear and tear on equipment. Greg Smith, a project manager for Conewago, explained the impact: “When you look at ways to track productivity gains on excavator cycle time, you can get some conceptual numbers based on a perfect world scenario. You should see approximately $13,000 worth of savings on a 30,000 cubic yard project—all the way up to $40,000 for a 100,000 cubic yard project. And that’s by shaving just 30 seconds off of cycle time. We
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were in a position to triple those numbers thanks to the CM Labs’ simulator.” The same can be true for any high-cycle application, such as wheel loaders filling the cold feed bins or dump trucks on a road construction project. CM Labs’ Wheel Loader Simulator Training Pack delivers an immersive training tool for loader operations. It incorporates proprietary advanced soil simulation, which reproduces bucket/ground interactions and realistic feel, sight, and sound of the hydraulics system, transmission, tire deflections, and bucket forces. This high level of realism is what contributes to the successful transition from simulator to real equipment.
TRAIN BEGINNERS AND VETERANS
The Wheel Loader Training Pack features progressive learning exercises. While beginners show the greatest gains in productivity, intermediate operators are challenged with scenarios that further advance skill sets. Beginner level exercises start with understanding the controls as well as vehicle and bucket positioning. This in itself contributes to more efficient operations. As training progresses, operators are taught not only
how to completely fill the bucket, but also how to empty it quickly by reducing the travel distance between the wheel loader and the dump truck—or cold feed bin. For example, exercises demonstrate how to start unloading the bucket when it passes the dump truck gate, engage the reverse and use the inertia of the material to unload quickly and evenly in the truck. Less repositioning means the job gets done faster. A Grade Quality Sensor provides feedback to the operator about the ground conditions so that operators learn to watch for spill piles or to re-level the area when needed. This ensures optimal safety and efficiency when clearing the path. While not directly related to improved operational features, these competencies set the foundation for best practices, hopefully reducing incidents in the real world. Simulation training allows operators to experience dangerous real-world scenarios, such as tipping, but from the safety of the simulator seat. Ultimately, this reduces damage to the equipment and protects the workers. Efficient operators also burn less fuel from idling, which is another factor that contributes to monetary savings over the course of the day. High-duty cycle equip-
