Company: Komatsu
Industry: Mining

Problem

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A Komatsu Cummins PC350LC-8 excavating machine suffered catastrophic engine failure caused by fuel contamination on the jobsite. The cost of repairing the fuel filters and fuel injectors was $25,000. Worst of all, the excavator had failed during the first 1,000 hours of operation.

Solution

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Komatsu Cummins reported that fuel filters often were becoming prematurely blocked after less than 250 hours of use. FuelActive fuel pick-up units were installed on the excavating machines on a trial basis. Trial analysis showed the excavators operated at optimal levels for 7,352 hours with no fuel-contamination issues over the next 49 months. Fuel filter usage hours also increased from 200 to 1,000 hours, and no further costly fuel-related repairs were required.

Results

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