Edition 8 | Winter 2021

Supply Chain Shortages

You’ve undoubtedly heard a bit on the news about ‘supply chain shortages’ affecting the global economy, things are especially busy, and like dominos, something small affecting a part of the machine affects other, seemingly unrelated parts.

Take engine oil; we all use a bit of the stuff during general maintenance on loaders, excavators, and processing plant - but did you know that most engine oils are a by-product of jet fuel production?

Not many jets are flying at the moment—a side effect with seemingly unrelated consequences. Although there seems to be adequate supply at the moment, with production made up elsewhere, there can be a disconnect between the cause and effect we’ve seen more so lately regarding imported goods.

Imported goods like Construction equipment, is up 10% on global sales this quarter, compared to it’s last best quarter, that’s huge! And of note, that’s only based on what could be sold, indicating demand is higher, and the wait times are growing. Fortunately for our Quarry customers and us, Keestrack’s manufacturing has been at a state of scale with their manufacturing infrastructure expanding before COVID.

But global pressure is there on all types of heavy equipment; you may have experienced this if you recently purchased a new excavator or loader or perhaps needed a part.
What can you do to ‘beat’ the shortage? There’s no real way around a shortage other than to beat the wait, and that’s hard too; when you need something, you need it. But if you can plan and forecast far enough ahead, you can avoid some of the pain that comes from a shortage which is the long wait times.

Need to upgrade a piece of equipment at some point? Start the ball rolling a bit earlier and perhaps get it in the works as early as possible; good planning and business forecasting will also aid the business in this regard.

Talking about machinery! Here are some tips to beat the winter blues by making sure your plant is winter-ready!
Warm up the machine before crushing and screening to prevent damage or premature wear. Valves and coolant need time to warm up and start full flow.
Check the condition of Scrapers and Skirtings, adjust them if needed; additional scrapers can be a good idea.
Clean the machine regularly to prevent the build-up of sticky materials, especially inside it.
Check Belt Tension to prevent slipping from higher (wet) product weight or slippery belts or drive drums.
Keep machine well greased to prevent seizures of threads and pins due to corrosion.
Use Hi-Flow punch plates to prevent pre-screen and scalping decks from becoming blocked.
Use a Scalping Screen to separate sticky fines from the crushing process to maintain crushing throughput.

And don’t forget the warm socks!