At a mining site in Zambia, a fleet of more than 30 Hitachi® haul trucks running Cummins® QSK60 engines was limited to a 250-to-500-hour maintenance interval due to high dust and temperatures exceeding 45°C. Here's how using Fleetguard®, a brand of Atmus Filtration Technologies, Inc., helped the site more than double that interval and, in some cases, quadruple it to 1,000 hours, helping minimize downtime that was costing the mine $3,000 per hour.
Industry: Mining | Location: Zambia | Equipment: Hitachi Haul Trucks (30+ units) | Engines: Cummins QSK60 | Conditions: High dust, +45°C |
The Numbers That Matter
The Challenge: A Harsh Site Outrunning Its Own Maintenance Schedule
With operations running three shifts a day, seven days a week, the mining company approached Atmus for support in extending its short service intervals and reducing total cost of ownership (TCO) across the fleet.
The project was carried out by the Fleetguard Sales and Technical Support team. Reflecting on the high cost of equipment maintenance in mining, Nassim Tayeh says:
The Solution: A Filtration Upgrade Tailored to the Site
The Atmus team worked with the site to replace the oil, fuel, and air filters, introducing heavy-duty fuel filters in the first phase of the rollout to better address the site's dusty conditions and operational demands. By switching to Fleetguard filters and coolant, the customer extended filter service intervals from 250–500 hours to 1,000 hours. Field data validated the results, with oil analysis showing wear metals now within acceptable limits, coolant maintaining stable pH and freeze protection, and improved fuel cleanliness. The economic impact for the customer was significant:
- 4x fewer filter changes per year
- Over 70 hours of labor saved per unit
- 5% improvement in equipment availability
The Result: Interval Extended to 1,000 Hours
The upgrade extended the fleet's maintenance interval from 250–500 hours to 1,000 hours. With downtime previously costing $3,000 per hour, the extended service interval delivers a direct productivity benefit, turning potential downtime into valuable production time.
Is Your Fleet Leaving Operating Hours on the Table?
This was not an off-the-shelf solution. It was a custom-engineered response to the specific needs of one fleet, one engine platform, and one operating environment. If your mining or heavy equipment fleet is struggling with missed service intervals, contaminant-related clogging, or unplanned downtime, Fleetguard Filtration Science can help solve those challenges too.
Are filtration challenges keeping you from hitting your operational goals?
Talk to a Fleetguard mining and heavy equipment filtration specialist about a custom solution for your fleet.
Contact Your Fleetguard Representative | Explore Mining & Heavy Equipment Solutions | Find a Dealer Near You | Monitor Filter Health in Real Time to Reduce Maintenance Costs
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