Black Contracting Ltd talks over the BOA Integrated Solution
How Downtime Impacts The Logging Industry
In this article, you'll find out how downtime impacts the logging industry and how to solve the problem. Black Contracting has teamed up with BOA Hydraulics to maximize hydraulic uptime with the BOA integrated solution.
Warren Black, Owner of Black Contracting Limited, operates a fully mechanised logging crew with a harvest line out of Oamaru in North Otago. Black Contracting frequently carries out logging work for Port Blakely in the area between Herbert and Geraldine.
[Transcript] We have 6 guys working for us in total here. We actually run 11 machines, when we are ground based and mechanised, compared to when we were harvest lining and tethering. So, we usually have 3-4 machines parked up at a time depending on what we are doing. At the moment with the market, we are only doing around the 14 a day, as that’s all we are allowed to do, but generally when they let us gear up we go between 35-40 loads a day.
When you are trying to push big numbers, you’re always going to have issues. Hoses are usually the issue. Getting caught on branches, felling machines, bumping drive motors on logs. It is not so much the cost of the hose that kills you, it’s the actual downtime that gets expensive. So if we’re in Omarama and we blow a main hose, we would take the hose off and leave and then meet the hose doctor at Waimate Gorge by the time he left Timaru, it would be about 3 hours by the time we got the hose back on and running again. So now we can be off and on within 10 minutes, 15 minutes depending on what hose it is.
Making savings with the BOA integrated solution
So the downtime in saving there is astronomical. As well as with the cost reduction between using the BOA product and using the hose doctor, obviously is a lot, because you pay a lot of km’s as well as the higher price for the fittings and hose. It may cost you 1000 dollars for the hose, but if you park the processor up for a day, that could be anywhere up to 10,000 dollars gone. And you’re paying your operators to sit there doing nothing waiting on a hose doctor or someone to come, so we may as well be taking the hose off and you can make the hose yourself you’re actually speeding up the process as well. So, you can have a lot of savings in being proactive and it actually gives you the ability to be proactive.
Your reputation goes a long way in the industry, and if you can keep moving and keep your trucks moving because the market changes all the time. So, if you hit the market right and you can get rid of your wood fast, everyone is happy.
What we did for a start, was we had an invoice from a hose made from a hose doctor prior. So, we gave that to BOA, to see if they could match it. And they come back with 60% less than what it was to use a hose doctor as opposed to having the fittings and do it yourself, which is a massive saving!
Training and ongoing support for success
When the BOApod is delivered, BOA will bring it down to you. They will come out to site, and then you do training. What we did for a start is just get one or two people trained up to make a hose and then if you still have a difficulty understanding, BOA is always willing to come back to help do further training at any given time. You have phone support, so you can ring them.
Its all provided by BOA. It is all in the trailer, it's already to go. All it is, is looking at the numbers on the charts and the numbers on the fittings. As long as you cut the hose right, and you put your ferrule over the end so you know its going to pushed right in and you read your crimp spec chart and just dial the press up, it does it all for you. Its bit of a no brainer, I know it does have a cost, but the benefits definitely outweigh the cost by miles.
Just by being able to make your hose and get going, it keeps everything streamline, so it keeps a continuous wood flow. Because when you have a lot of machines and a lot of outlay you have a lot of cost that comes with it, so if you can reduce the cost and reduce the downtime it makes everything flow. It is another tool in your toolbox that you have, you know, to make your job easier.
Ask us about our integrated solution for hydraulic hose repair and maintenance
We want to help companies like Black Contracting get the most out of their hydraulic assets, and turn wasted time into profit with a fully integrated solution.
With products, training and support backed by comprehensive market research, we're able to support forestry and other contractors reduce downtime by up to 85%, and bring the costs of their hose bills down.
Contact our friendly team today to learn more about the BOA integrated solution and how we can help you achieve hydraulic uptime.