Ease of maintenance on a landfill compactor may seem like a common design concept, but at Aljon, it’s one of our top priorities. Maintenance that is easy, equates to maintenance that is most often completed properly per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Fewer maintenance requirements and convenient access to all the maintenance points is paramount. For landfill compactors, there are three key areas to consider when determining the ease of maintenance on the machine.
1. Keeping the Wheels Clean
Landfill compactor wheel have cleats that are designed to shred and break down material as the compactor navigates the working face, making the material more compactable. These cleats are a large part of the wheels design to achieve optimal compaction ratios, however they can cause problems if the wheels are not designed to reduce the risk of material build up, and wire wrap. Material can build up on the wheel, rendering them nonfunctional and sometimes require cleaning which is very time consuming. Wire wrap prevention can also be a challenge. Wire can wrap around the axle causing damage to the wheels, the wheels seals, and the axle structure.
Some compactors are designed with wire cutters, requiring regular maintenance and adjustments to function properly. By design, wire cutters are a wear item, leading to the need for replacement over the life of the machine, which increases cost of ownership. Aljon’s compactors are designed with self-cleaning wheels to help prevent these problems from occurring.
2. A Well-Designed Chassis
Not all equipment chassis are the same. There are several different design concepts from each manufacturer of landfill compactors that impact both function and the maintainability.
Some manufacturers have removable belly pans underneath the machine. This enables trash, fluids, and other waste to build up inside the belly pan, which requires regular cleaning. Others have a sealed “tub” design that is fully enclosed, which can also retain fluids, requiring regular cleaning as well. The Aljon chassis solves both of these problems. The “I-Beam” type chassis doesn’t trap waste material or fluids and allows ease of maintenance without lying underneath the vehicle.
3. Powertrain Maintenance
Aljon machines are designed so that all powertrain components are accessed from the ground level, simplifying the maintenance process and reducing the time required to perform recommended maintenance intervals.
Performing all of the recommended maintenance on any machine will reduce downtime, cost of ownership, and keep your compactor in the trash, which equates to improved airspace, and a decrease in cost of ownership. Machines are more likely to be properly maintained when maintenance is simplified.
