51,000 Reasons to Use the Donaldson Filter

The coal industry places very high demands on vehicles and equipment. The environment in West Virginia is harsh and harsh all year round, and maintenance workers at coal construction sites face a variety of dirt, dust and grime rarely found in other environments. These maintainers must do everything they can to keep their equipment up and running.

However, a longtime Donaldson mine customer in Charleston, West Virginia, claims to have one of the longest running engines in the industry - 51,000 hours of operation without restoration or overhaul, which is almost six years in a row - the company's maintenance manager told We were both amazed and proud, and they attributed this length of time to only using Donaldson filters to filter their equipment. (This customer asked us not to use their name so as not to reveal any trade secrets - though they did want us to tell their story).

This is a perfect testament to our filtration products. “Whether it’s for oil, air intake, hydraulics or fuel oil, we are committed to providing high-quality filters that will meet even the most extreme operating environments,” said Ted Angelo, global product director, Donaldson’s Engine Aftermarket. our customer needs. "

According to the mine's maintenance supervisor, one MTU 4000 series engine has been in continuous use on a mining dump truck for nearly 9 years, with little downtime except for regular maintenance. Operation is about efficiency and reliability, so this is their main advantage.

“We know the coal industry is very competitive right now,” Angelo said. “If you’re not operationally efficient and cost-conscious, you’ll quickly be left behind. Our mining customers have found that Donaldson filter cartridges offer high filtration efficiency and low maintenance costs. , which is a real advantage for an industry that continues to be under pressure on margins."

Donaldson Blue®: The protagonist of this story
While this coal production customer uses a full line of Donaldson filters, the protagonist of this story is the Donaldson Blue® Extended Maintenance Interval Air Filter. These filters include Donaldson's proprietary Ultra-Web® nanofiber media designed for extended filter maintenance programs to provide better engine protection, minimize equipment downtime and reduce long-term fleet operating costs. This off-highway application success story shows that Donaldson Blue filters not only perform as expected, but build on it.

“In the ever-changing environment of West Virginia, effective air filtration is imperative. "In a dry environment there is always dirt and coal dust." But even in wet or snowy conditions, the combined exhaust from construction site equipment can spray onto tightly-structured roads and create dust mixtures that can be deadly to engines. If the air filter fails, this abrasive mixture can destroy the engine within hours. According to this Donaldson customer, in the 20 years the company has used Donaldson filters, no engine has ever been covered in dust.

A typical MTU 4000 series engine can provide 25,000 to 30,000 hours of service to the coal industry. Many off-highway engine users find it easier to replace an aging engine than an overhaul or regular repairs, so when an engine hits the 30,000-hour mark, the maintenance team automatically orders a replacement. The customer had been stockpiling replacement parts for the company's "star" engine for more than four years. "They've been waiting for the engine to fail," Angelo said, "but it just keeps running!"

In fact, this 51,000-hour performance is said to have propelled it to the throne of one of the longest-running engines in the industry. In addition to the use of high-quality Donaldson filtration products, a fully integrated maintenance program also makes a lasting contribution to breaking lifetime records. But Donaldson and the mine's maintenance team deal with more than just one engine. The operations team is also proud of four 4000-series engines with over 40,000 hours of service, while many others have had well over 30,000 hours of service. Overall, the team maintained a fleet availability rate of 90%, an important metric in an industry that continues to be under pressure on profit margins.

The reason is that profit margins are extremely low, and the mine's maintenance team has found that Donaldson Blue air filters can also save money when it comes to replacement. With a standard cellulose air filter, typically a maintenance team expects to replace the filter three to four times per vehicle per year. The high-efficiency Donaldson Blue filter has been used on this customer's mining dump truck for up to a year, reducing maintenance downtime and filtration costs by 75 percent.

Serrenho said, “When our customers realized the value of using Donaldson Blue air filters in their 4000 series engines, they didn’t hesitate to slightly retrofit both excavators so they could also be equipped with the latest Donaldson Blue filters. "

“This large coal mining operations team uses more than 80 large pieces of equipment to move 3 million tons of coal each year,” Angelo said. “We are delighted to help such a hard-working company succeed. The fact that we've helped clients reach this height is what motivates us to help each client achieve more."