A contract business working in a quarry has improved its productivity with a powerful Komatsu and XMOR® bucket combination.
McMahon Services is no stranger to complex projects.
The multidisciplinary business helps deliver key infrastructure in high-risk environments requiring meticulous planning and rigorous oversight.
For the past five years, the company has been contracted to deliver a quarrying, crushing and transport solution.
McMahon Services quarry supervisor James Dillon said the business is always looking for ways to improve and become more efficient, which is why it purchased a new excavator.
“We also wanted to make sure that we were getting plenty of productivity out of the bucket and machine,” he told Quarry. “Previously, we had trouble with buckets breaking under load.”
“We approached ONTRAC about a new bucket, and they provided us with all the information that would suit a bucket for the excavator we were looking to purchase.
“The numbers looked too good to be true, but we decided to try it out after hearing good feedback from other ONTRAC bucket users.”
ONTRAC advantage
The McMahon Services team has been using the new XMOR bucket for about four months and has been blown away by how much it has improved the operation.
ONTRAC Group claimed the bucket would reduce fuel consumption and vastly increase the volume of material moved.
The company went from using a 2.2m³ bucket to the 3.97m³ XMOR bucket.
When digging unblasted material, a bucket of this size wouldn’t generally have the penetration power needed for the application, but thanks to the XMOR’s unique design, the machine is able to power the bucket through the material.
Dillon said from day one, the team noticed a significant improvement in load times.
“We are seeing a significant reduction in load time using the same operators and machines while working in the same conditions as previous,” he said.
“The loading time reduction now allows us to more productively utilise our dump truck fleet.
“There is noticeable improvement in site morale and reduction in the excavator operator fatigue.
“Previously the excavator role was very demanding, but now it has become one of the more enjoyable roles onsite.”
One of the improved volume’s flow-on effects is a reduction in the number of passes per truckload.
That puts less demand on the excavator operator’s body, as there is less vibration from the bucket on the ground, and less overall movements.
Higher productivity has resulted in idle time for the excavator instead of the trucks, keeping production flowing.
With less machines running, it also reduces the overall fuel required and allows the team to get the job done faster.
Dillon said the new productivity levels allow for better productivity as well as improved fatigue and safety management.
“It allows us to hit our deadlines quicker. We can extract and load our machines much faster than with a conventional bucket.”
Dillon said the ONTRAC bucket is performing well above its weight, and at times competing with a 70-tonne excavator.
A unique design
The XMOR bucket is manufactured with SSAB’s Hardox 500 Tuf wearplates and Strenx structural steel.
This helps reduce weight, without sacrificing the durability required for heavy-duty operations.
What truly sets it apart is its unique design. It features a keel (tub) design that reduces weight and enables more structural stability. The inverted shape of the keel helps minimise ground contact and wear on the bottom of the bucket, reducing wear.
Dillon said ONTRAC Group are easily accessible to provide support and has been very responsive.
“We had never worked with ONTRAC before,” he said. “We had one meeting with them where we explained what we were looking for, and they came back to us with the design based on the size of the machine.”
“A lot of people focus on the excavator itself and the process they’re doing. It makes sense, the cost of a larger excavator is significant.
“But the bucket is the piece of the machine that is engaging the dirt. It’s what we’re here to do, so why not go with a specially designed bucket that does everything we need it to?”
Dillon said the company is very satisfied with the investment, highlighting that it has significantly improved efficiency — which in turn enhances client satisfaction and supports crew safety and well-being, the two core priorities of the business.
“If you’re unsure about the XMOR, take the leap,” he said. “It’s a hard decision to make, and it’s easy to be sceptical, but once you get it in the ground, you’ll be wondering why you never had the bucket earlier.” •
For more information, visit ontracgroup.com.au
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