1.2 - Maneuver Time
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Introduction to Maneuver Time
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Today, we will discuss maneuver time in bulldozer operations. Can anyone tell me what maneuver time includes?
Is it the time spent while pushing or moving the bulldozer?
Good start! Maneuver time actually refers to adjusting speeds, changing gears, and other operational changes. It's crucial for understanding overall efficiency.
How does it affect cycle time?
Great question! Maneuver time is a part of cycle time, which also includes push and backtrack time. So, if maneuver time increases, the total cycle time increases.
What makes push and backtrack times variable?
They depend on haul distance. The farther you push, the more time it takes. Also, speed can influence this. Remember: Distance affects time!
So, in summary, maneuver time is key to cycle time, and understanding these times helps maximize productivity.
Cycle Time Components
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Let’s dive deeper into the components of cycle time. Who can name them?
Push time and backtrack time?
Exactly! And we have maneuver time as the third component. Remember, push time depends on haul distance, and backtrack is usually quicker.
What if the haul distance changes?
Then the push time changes! If the distance is longer, the time will also be longer, and so will the cycle time.
So, to recap, cycle time includes push, backtrack, and maneuver times, and knowing about these helps in optimizing work processes.
Role of Performance Charts
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Performance charts are essential for calculating machine speed. Can anyone explain how we use them?
We check the total resistance and find the speed from the chart?
Exactly! Once we have speed, we can calculate push time and backtrack time effectively.
What influences total resistance?
Great! It's influenced by terrain conditions. Higher resistance means lower speed. Simplified: Resistance lowers speed!
Estimating Productivity
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Let’s now look at how we estimate productivity based on maneuver time.
Is it just about the blade load and cycle time?
That’s part of it! We also factor in job efficiency and soil density. Both affect overall productivity.
What’s job efficiency?
It refers to the actual operating time out of the total available time. If a machine runs for 45 minutes in an hour, that’s 75% efficiency.
In conclusion, estimating productivity involves a mix of understanding cycle times, operating efficiency, and blade load.
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
Maneuver time is the period spent changing gears or adjusting machine speed while operating a bulldozer. This section discusses how maneuver time combines with other components of cycle time, including push time and backtrack time, which depend on haul distances and machine speed, to inform productivity estimates.
Detailed
Detailed Summary
Overview
Maneuver time in bulldozer operations is crucial for understanding the efficiency of earth-moving projects. It includes the time taken to adjust speeds, change gears, and perform other operational adjustments that improve the overall effectiveness of machine use. This section delves into how maneuver time influences cycle time and productivity.
Key Components of Cycle Time
- Cycle Time: Comprises push time, backtrack time, and maneuver time.
- Push Time: This variable time depends on haul distance; longer distances equate to longer push times.
- Backtrack Time: Generally less than push time, it occurs when the bulldozer returns to its original position after dumping material.
- Maneuver Time: Classified as fixed or variable, depending on the type of transmission. In automatic transmission (power shift), maneuver time is shorter compared to manual transmission.
Importance of Performance Metrics
To calculate push and backtrack times, operators must know travel distance and machine speed. Using performance charts, speed can be determined based on total rolling resistance and grade resistance at a work site.
Productivity Estimation
Estimating bulldozer productivity involves understanding the blade load and overall cycle time, while also accounting for factors such as job efficiency and soil density. The section explains different estimation methods, including direct calculations based on operator data and thumb rules provided by manufacturers.
Conclusion
Understanding maneuver time and its implications is critical for accurate productivity assessments, allowing operators to optimize machine operations effectively.
Audio Book
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Introduction to Cycle Time
Chapter 1 of 6
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Chapter Content
So, this cutting and pushing will go together. So, the time required to push, backtrack and maneuver into position, so that is called as a cycle time of the bulldozer. So, you are going to cut the earth, push the earth, dump it at the required place, then backtrack, backtrack in the sense you are going to return, return back to the original position where you want to do the dosing operation again.
Detailed Explanation
In construction and earthmoving tasks, understanding cycle time is crucial. Cycle time refers to the complete operation involving cutting the ground, pushing the material, dumping it, and then returning to the starting point to repeat the process. This entire sequence from start to finish is essential for determining how efficiently a bulldozer can operate on a task.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a bulldozer as a chef preparing a dish. The cycle time is like the process where the chef first gathers ingredients (cutting), prepares and cooks them (pushing), serves the dish (dumping), and then returns to gather more ingredients (backtracking). Each step must be done efficiently to complete a meal quickly.
Understanding Maneuvering Time
Chapter 2 of 6
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So, other things are maneuvering, maneuvering in the sense whatever adjustments you do, like for increasing the speed, accelerating or decreasing the speed, changing the gear, so the time needed for changing the gear, all those things comes under the maneuvering. So, we call this as fixed time, this is fixed time and this one is variable time, your push and backtrack it is called this variable time.
Detailed Explanation
Maneuvering time includes all adjustments the operator must make during operation, such as changing gears or altering speed. This can be categorized into fixed time (related to machine design and condition) and variable time (which depends on operational choices like the speed or push distance). Fixed time remains constant regardless of how much material is being moved, while variable time can change based on conditions like load and distance.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a car driver adjusting speeds as they drive. The time taken to shift gears and speed up or slow down represents the maneuvering time. If the driver faces traffic (variable time), their time on the road changes, whereas a straight, easy path (fixed time) remains constant regardless.
Push and Backtrack Times
Chapter 3 of 6
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Why do we call this push time and backtrack time as variable time? Because it is variable depending upon your haul distance. So, greater your haul distance greater will be a push time and return time or backtrack time. So, this is solely dependent upon your haul distance, so this is dependent upon your haul distance, so that is why we call it as variable obviously it depends upon the speed also.
Detailed Explanation
Push time refers to the duration taken to move material forward, and backtrack time is the return to starting position. Both are categorized as variable time since they depend on haul distances – the longer the distance, the longer the push and backtrack times will be. This variability also links to operational speed; faster speeds can reduce these times.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a courier delivering packages. If they need to travel far (haul distance), it will take longer to deliver and return. However, if they have a bike (speed), they can reduce their travel time, just like a bulldozer might with an optimal speed setup.
Calculating Speed and Distance
Chapter 4 of 6
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To know the push time and the backtrack time, I need to know the travel distance or the dozing distance or the haul distance. I need to know the travel distance and I also need to know the speed. So, you very well know how to determine the speed. So, in the earlier lecture, I discussed about how to determine the speed from the performance chart.
Detailed Explanation
In order to calculate how long it takes to push or backtrack, we need to know two key factors: the distance the bulldozer has to travel and its speed. The speed can often be determined using a performance chart, which provides information relevant to specific working conditions and the associated capabilities of the machine.
Examples & Analogies
Think of calculating how long it takes to drive to a friend's house. If you know the distance and how fast you can drive (speed), you can easily estimate if you'll arrive in 15 minutes or closer to an hour.
Types of Transmission and Maneuvering Time
Chapter 5 of 6
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So, now let us see what is this maneuver time? So, already I told you maneuver time is nothing, but the time needed for changing your speed accelerating, changing the gears, or reducing the speed, so that is what is called as maneuver time. So, this maneuver time will depend upon the type of transmission.
Detailed Explanation
Maneuver time, as mentioned before, refers specifically to the alterations in speed and gear changes necessary during bulldozer operation. The type of transmission system installed in the bulldozer greatly affects how long these adjustments take. For example, automatic transmissions change gears faster than manual (direct) systems, which require the operator’s intervention.
Examples & Analogies
Consider driving a car with an automatic versus a manual transmission. An automatic car shifts gears on its own, allowing for quicker adjustments in speed, while a manual car requires the driver to manually shift gears, taking slightly longer.
Impact of Transmission on Maneuver Time
Chapter 6 of 6
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Depending upon this transmission mode, your maneuver time will change. Say if you are going to go for power shift that is automatic gear change, the maneuver time is 0.05-minute, 0.05 minute in the sense 3 seconds. But your manual gear change that is direct transmission if you go for it will be 0.1 minute, say 6 seconds. So, you need to know that based upon the mode of transmission whether manual gear change vehicles or automatic gear change vehicles depending upon the time taken for the maneuvering also will vary.
Detailed Explanation
The mode of transmission directly influences how quickly a bulldozer can adjust its operational settings. For example, using a power shift (automatic) means quicker adjustments at only approximately 3 seconds, while manual gear changes take about twice as long (6 seconds). This means when estimating cycle time, recognizing which type of transmission is in use is essential for accuracy.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a racing car. If it has an automatic shifting system, it might accelerate faster around corners. But if it’s a stick-shift car, while it can be thrilling, it takes the driver longer to change gears, meaning speed can be affected.
Key Concepts
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Maneuver Time: The time necessary for speed adjustments and gear changes during bulldozer operation.
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Cycle Time: The total period for completing a bulldozer operation cycle, incorporating push, backtrack, and maneuver times.
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Job Efficiency: The operational efficiency reflecting actual working minutes of the machine within an hour.
Examples & Applications
If a bulldozer has a push time of 2 minutes, a backtrack time of 1 minute, and a maneuver time of 0.1 minutes, the total cycle time would be 3.1 minutes.
In a project with a long haul distance of 100 meters, if the bulldozer travels at a speed of 10 meters per minute, the push time is 10 minutes, and if backtrack is generally half of that, it would then be 5 minutes.
Memory Aids
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Rhymes
Push it, track back, speed adjust, cycle time in earth-moving is a must!
Stories
Imagine a bulldozer as a diligent worker. Each time it must push through earth, it checks its speed (maneuver time) to ensure it doesn’t get tired too quickly; then it runs back to its starting line without loads waiting to push again!
Memory Tools
Remember 'PMC' – Push, Maneuver, Cycle as the key components of bulldozer operations.
Acronyms
Cycle Time = P + B + M, where P is Push Time, B is Backtrack Time, and M is Maneuver Time.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Cycle Time
The total time required for a bulldozer to complete one full operation cycle, including push, backtrack, and maneuver times.
- Push Time
The time taken to push material from the original position to a dumping point.
- Backtrack Time
The time required for a bulldozer to return to its starting point after moving material.
- Maneuver Time
The time spent by the operator to adjust speeds or change gears during bulldozer operations.
- Performance Chart
A tool used to determine machine speed based on total resistance and operating conditions.
- Job Efficiency
The ratio of actual working time of the machine to the total operational time available.
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