D8R Rebuild Back on the Ice

The service workshop and component rebuild centre (CRC) have been a scene of frantic but highly focused activity as the D8R was pulled apart and put back together better than new.

The project started more than 12 months previously as negotiations with the USAP for the rebuild began.

The rebuild had a number of unique challenges – not the least of which was not knowing when the machine would get off the ice. The Antarctic weather means timetables need to be a little flexible.

The machine is also quite different from a normal D8R as the build for the USAP is bespoke. Unlike normal machines this dozer does not have a suspended bogey under carriage and due to the unique Antarctic ground conditions it is also a low ground pressure machine. A normal D8R would exert ground pressure 94.9 kPa (13.76 psi) while this machine exerts just 54.0 kPa (7.82 psi).

The rebuild has an investment of more than 1,000 man hours which is much more than the rebuild of a normal machine for the local market. Time was invested in making sure the engine enclosures were able to withstand the unique environment at McMurdo which suffers from sea air and drifting sand-like snow. The rebuild was well within the CRC’s capability though as the facility can rebuild up to 80 components per month.

After completing the reassembly of the engine and transmission the units were placed on the CRC Dyno testing facilities and run continuously to ensure there were no external leaks and that performance and horsepower output was as expected. This was especially important for these machines as the last place you want to have an engine failure is down in the Antarctic where the nearest service technicians are a little harder to find!

Once those teams had completed their work the rebuilt and re-engineered components were handed back to the workshop teams for reassembly. But this wasn’t just a case of putting the machine back together as it was. Goughs were able to work with the USAP to upgrade the machine for the new technology available on the market which makes the machine more productive, less likely to suffer damage, and more comfortable for the operators to use.

Smart technology added to the machine included Caterpillar Product Link which allows remote machine monitoring and early detection of issues. This helps maximise machine uptime and minimise disruptions. The new cab heater added makes the operator less likely to suffer fatigue and improves health and safety on the job. The fluid compartments in the engine also received heating upgrades thereby minimising idle warm up time, fuel usage, and improving overall engine health.

Dean Heney, South Island Operations Manager was particularly pleased with the way Health and Safety was managed on the job. “We used Take 5 meetings, Toolbox Meetings, and Risk Assessment tools to good effect on this job. There were no injuries across the many teams involved in the project which is a great outcome both for us and the team members involved.”

 The machine arrived at Gough’s with more than 13,000 hours on it and showed the effects of an Antarctic life. Darren Fleck, Service Manager for the Christchurch workshop, is confident the machine will be up to the challenges of life back on the ice: “This rebuild should see it do in excess of the hours it came to us with. It should be as good as new – if not better due to the care and responsibility which has gone into the job.”

The project ended on time and on budget and most importantly met the customers’ expectations. Margaret Knuth, Operations Manager for Antarctic Infrastructure & Logistics for the United States National Science Foundation, recently visited the Christchurch branch to meet the team and see the operations which rebuilt their precious dozer: “The professionalism is evident in your shop spaces and in talking with the staff…I can’t say enough good things!”

The rebuild of the D8R was captured on time lapse video and filmed at various stages. You can visit youtube.com/goughcatnz to see the full behind the scenes video and learn more about the great facilities that enabled this big job to come together so seamlessly and ensuring that the USAP’s machine definitely was Built For It.

Find out more about the full service capability of Goughs > Visit our Services page