5130B & 5230 FRONT SHOVEL/MASS EXCAVATOR

5130B & 5230

LOADING APPLICATIONS GUIDE

MACHINE SELECTION CRITERIA

LOADING SET-UPS AND TECHNIQUES

SITE AND BENCH GUIDELINES

TWO TOOLS. ONE GOAL.

In todays business environment, theres only one thing you can be sure of: change. So its important to continually

re-examine your approach to loading and have choices that keep you productive as your operation evolveschoices

that deliver value.

Choices like Cat 5130B/5230 Mass Excavators and Front Shovels.

Working in conjunction with Cat trucks and other mining machines, both the 5130B/5230 Excavators and Front Shovels

can make a significant difference lowering your cost per ton. And while your choice of excavator or front shovel is

dependent on knowledge of your job, your site conditions and loading strategy, hydraulic machines like the Cat 5130B/5230

can provide the best value in your applications over other loading tools. Proper machine set-ups, truck loading and

operator technique will help maximize your productivity and increase safety. Depending on your job site, its up to you to

choose the best set-up for your conditions.

5130B MASS EXCAVATOR/FRONT SHOVEL
Flywheel Power Operating Weight Maximum Reach
(HP/kW) (lb./kg) (ft./m)

Mass Excavator 800/567 399,000/181 000 48.9/14.9

Front Shovel 800/567 401,000/182 000 40.7/12.4

5230 MASS EXCAVATOR/FRONT SHOVEL

Flywheel Power Operating Weight Maximum Reach
(HP/kW) (lb./kg) (ft./m)

Mass Excavator 1,470/1095 697,980/316 600 58.0/17.7

Front Shovel 1,470/1095 702,000/318 420 48.5/14.8
MASS EXCAVATORS

Best in jobs that can use short swing angles for quick cycles to load trucks from above or on the same bench, Cat
Hydraulic Excavators provide high digging forces with outstanding versatility.

Material Underfoot Mobility Comments Conditions

Dist. traveled in to avoid
1 min. (ft./m)

High flexibility
Well Fragmented Hard digging High benches
Selective loading Poor/unstable
Wet, Soft benches
Tightly Shot Soft or jagged underfoot
120/36
Excessive
Hydraulic Excavator Jagged, Uneven Limited bench height tramming
Selective
Below grade work
Pitching
Tight quarters
Consolidated
DIGGING FORCES
The digging forces of the mass excavator come from a combination of hydraulic
power, bucket design, boom/stick geometry and machine weight. On paper, the
excavator has less breakout force and crowd force than the front shovel, but
actually has a higher resulting digging force. This is due to a digging action that
pulls loads toward the machine, pinning them down and allowing for greater force.

BUCKET CHARACTERISTICS
Bucket loadability is a function of profile, digging forces, width and tip options.

Mass excavators generally achieve around 105% of rated bucket capacity.

A wider bucket loads chunky material faster, but has less force per
length of cutting edge.
A narrower bucket has more penetration, but is harder to fill.

In severe conditions, a narrower bucket is recommended.

FRAGMENTATION IMPACT ON TOTAL COST/TON

$$
Total Costs
Cost/Ton

Drilling Blasting Cost

Loading Hauling Cost

$
Fine/Loose Fragmentation Coarse/Tight

Fragmentation plays a key role in costs and production. Many mines use
excavators because the material can be loaded without blasting. For operations
that can blast, material conditioning is a trade-off. The material must be shot
enough to load efficiently, without spending too much money on blasting.
WORKING THE FACE

IDEAL BENCH HEIGHT

(STICK TO TRUCK HEIGHT)
Bench height is crucial to achieving
optimum productivity. A good rule of thumb
789

for establishing bench height is:

Bench height should be equal to stick length
or somewhere between the duck tail and Ideal bench height allows for faster cycles
FPO
side rail of the truck. and minimum material left on the floor.

BENCH TOO TALL

Due to slow swing times from longer
hoists, working on too high of a bench can
789

slow cycle times by 10 to 15 percent. It is also

harder to reach the truck, causing lost time
and spillage. With poor reach, the excavator When the bench is too tall, material is left
cant adequately maintain the floor, which on the floor, decreasing production and
can damage tires and increase costs. causing tire damage.

BENCH TOO SHORT

The excavator is less productive on a
bench thats too short because boom hoist
becomes a larger part of the cycle. A short
bench also makes it difficult to load a full 789

bucket because the machine runs out of

material faster. As a result, the machine When the bench is too short, the operator
must reposition itself more, reducing the must manipulate both the boom and the
percent of time available for digging. stick, slowing cycle times.

LOADING ON A SLOUGHING BENCH

Bench height can also be affected by material conditions. If the material has a low angle of repose or sloughs badly,
the bench should be shorter for stability and reach. If it stands vertically, the bench can be taller.

SHORTER TALLER
Low angle of repose More vertical angle
of repose
789 789
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
PAYLOAD
5130B 20 tons 18 tonnes Overloading machines simply doesnt pay. Cycle times increase as the
5230 30 tons 27 tonnes operator tries to fill the bucket past rated load. Additional wear and tear on the
machine increases operating costs, not to mention a loss of pass matches.

PASS MATCHES
CAT 777 CAT 785 CAT 789 The 5130B and 5230 Mass Excavators are engineered to match
the Cat trucks shown. Targeting payloads doesnt just optimize
5130B 5 7 machine lifeit also provides an excellent way to manage
5230 5 6 production and increase productivity.
LOADING TECHNIQUE: SAME LEVEL
ADVANTAGES THE SETUP
Increased truck tire life when 1. Trucks and excavators are both on
underfoot conditions are poor the bench.
Reduced haul distances and 2. The truck spots to the side of the
fewer ramps machine by the counterweight.
Less need to maintain floor, allowing 3. Excavator loads through the 1
for higher benches and thus less truck gate.
repositioning 2

CAUTION: Longer hoist times will cause a loss of up to 20% productivity.

 LOADING TECHNIQUE:
OVER-THE-RAIL PARALLEL ADVANCE
ADVANTAGES
Good setup on a bench with a low angle of repose, because there is plenty
of reach to load the truck
Less spotting and exchange time, because truck can back in without a spot

CAUTION: Bench width is extremely important. If the bench is too narrow,

the machine is too close to the edge of the high wall. A narrow bench can
also cause more repositioning and key cuts than necessary over a shift. If
the bench is too wide and the machine digs over the side, the bucket
wears excessively on the right side.

THE SETUP
1. Truck is positioned on the floor.
2. Excavator is positioned on top of face.
1
3. Center line of right track is in line with
inside edge of cut.
4. Tracks are parallel or perpendicular to
the bench, depending on conditions.
5. Face is worked from the top down. 2

LOADING TECHNIQUE:
OVER-THE-RAIL PERPENDICULAR ADVANCE

ADVANTAGES THE SETUP

Allows the excavator to position with 1. Truck is positioned on the floor.
tracks perpendicular to the face. 2. Excavator is positioned on top of the bench
slightly perpendicular to the face.
3. Load over the rail.

CAUTION: If the face area is too wide, the machine digs over the side.
Use care not to dig into a hole making it difficult to reach the truck.
LOADING TECHNIQUE: THROUGH-THE-GATE

ADVANTAGES CAUTION: Maximum productivity can only

Faster cycle times (about 5%), due to lower swing angle be achieved if the correct dig pattern is
Less truck tire wear, due to only one set of tires in the rock selected and followed. Pick a dig pattern
Easier visual contact with truck payload indicator (if equipped) and stick with it.

EFFECTS OF SWING ANGLE

1 2
SWING LOADED
SWING LOADED
CYCLE TIME

LOAD
LOAD

SWING EMPTY
SWING EMPTY
THE SETUP
1. Truck positioned on floor, angled 30 to the bench on the swing DUMP DUMP
radius. 90 60
2. Excavator is positioned on top of bench.
3. First pass is cleanup pass from outside corner to clear the floor
for the truck or as the key cut.
4. After first pass, a typical load pattern is right-to-left.
LOADING TECHNIQUE: DRIVE-BY

ADVANTAGES
Limited truck exchange time increases productivity

CAUTION: Because one side of the truck is in rock,

tires are more subject to wear and should be
monitored closely. Also, if the angle of repose is too
low, the operator may not have enough reach to
load the truck and a different setup may be
necessary.
THE SETUP
1. Truck is positioned on floor parallel to the
face advance.
FRONT SHOVELS
The best loading tools for selective digging on floors with soft or rough underfoot conditions, front shovels provide the
high digging forces, plus the versatility of high breakout forces at any point in the face.

Material Underfoot Mobility Comments Conditions

Dist. traveled in to avoid
1 min. (ft./m)

Well Fragmented Moderate flexibility

Hard digging Low face
Wet, Soft Excessive
Tightly Shot Selective loading
120/36 tramming
Hydraulic Front Shovel Jagged, Uneven Soft or jagged underfoot
Selective
Multiple loading targets
Pitching
Consolidated
CROWD FORCE/DISTANCE OUT DIGGING FORCES
The digging forces of the front shovel come from a
combination of hydraulic power, bucket design and boom/stick
geometry. The parallel linkage and optimum cylinder placement
CROWD FORCE

of the Cat shovel delivers maximum utilization of power through

the bucket loading range, resulting in sustained high crowd
force, optimum bucket penetration and improved bucket fill.
Another advantage of the parallel linkage is the constant
bucket position during the hoist function, simplifying the
DISTANCE OUT
operators job.

The front geometry of Cat shovels optimizes mechanical

advantage through a longer range of the loading cycle.

BUCKET CHARACTERISTICS
Bucket loadability is a function of profile, digging forces, width and tip options.

Front shovels generally achieve around 95% of rated bucket capacity.

A wider bucket loads chunky material faster, but has less force per length of cutting edge.
A narrower bucket has more penetration but is harder to fill.

Front shovels generally use wider standard buckets than excavators. They have higher breakout force and crowd
force than excavators because the shovel loads away from the machine, against the face. In severe conditions, a narrow
bucket is recommended.
FRAGMENTATION IMPACT ON TOTAL COST/TON
$$
Total Costs
Cost/Ton

Drilling Blasting Cost

Loading Hauling Cost

$
Fine/Loose Fragmentation Coarse/Tight

Material fragmentation plays a key role in cost per ton. Many mines
use shovels because the material can be loaded without blasting. However,
chunky, poorly shot or interlocking material is tough to penetrate and is
hard on the bucket, resulting in lower fill factors and decreased
productivity. For operations that can blast, material conditioning is a trade-
off. The material must be shot enough to load efficiently without spending
too much money on blasting.
WORKING THE FACE
Face height is vital to productivity. A rule of thumb FACE TOO SHORT
for face height with shovels is:
When the face is too short, the machine runs
out of material faster, causing more repositioning,
5130B 20-25 ft. (6.1-7.6 m) bench work and construction of ramps. It is also
difficult to get
5230 30-35 ft. (9.1-10.7 m) full bucket loads.
The resulting
This face height generally leaves enough reach for increased load
the shovel to work productively. Note that the face can time can slow
be a little taller if material is feeding well to the shovel. cycles by 15% Short faces contribute to lost productivity,
It can also be shorter if thin seams of ore are being or more. machine wear and low fill factors.
selectively dug.
 FACTORS TO CONSIDER

PAYLOAD
5130B 20 tons 18 tonnes
5230 30 tons 27 tonnes

Overloading these machines simply doesnt

pay. Cycle times increase as the operator tries to
fill the bucket past rated payload. Additional wear
and tear on the machine increases operating
costs, not to mention a loss of pass matches.

PASS MATCHES
CAT 777 CAT 785 CAT 789
5130B 5 7
5230 5 6

The 5130B and 5230 Mass Excavators are

specifically engineered to match the Cat trucks shown
above. Targeting payloads doesnt just optimize
machine lifeit also provides an excellent way to
manage production and increase productivity.

FACE TOO TALL LOW FACE EFFECTS

When the face is too tall, safety concerns
arise from falling material that the shovel might
SWING LOADED
not reach. A
SWING LOADED
dozer is then 1
necessary to
CYCLE TIME

trim the face, 2 LOAD

LOAD

lowering
3
productivity for
both the dozer If the material allows, start by trimming the SWING EMPTY
SWING EMPTY
and the shovel. top (1), then load out of the center (2). Finally,
clean up the lower part (3). DUMP DUMP

STANDARD FACE LOW FACE

ADVANCING TECHNIQUES: RIGHT-TO-LEFT/LEFT-TO-RIGHT

ADVANTAGES THE SETUP

Faster cycles, because of minimized swing RIGHT-TO-LEFT
angles (left-to-right) 1. Truck backs in on clean
Increased tire life, because truck is on floor, spotting off the
clean floor (right-to-left) counterweight.
2. Shovel works face from
CAUTION: Right-to-left: The swing angle is right-to-left.
increased and must move over untouched
material, causing the trucks to spot out LEFT-TO-RIGHT
further. Left-to-right: Shovel moves over 1. Truck backs in on
operators blind spot, decreasing clean floor, spotting off
visibility. Truck sits on newly excavated the counterweight.
floor, causing potential tire damage.
2. Shovel works from
left-to-right.

When working from right-to-left, trucks position on a clean floor. The shovel operator is on the side of his next
move. One drawback is that the shovel is swinging around material yet to be removed and the truck can end up
spotting further from the cut, increasing the swing angle.
The left-to-right set-up minimizes swing angle by allowing the truck to spot closer and the shovel operator to swing
through the open area of the last cut. However, the shovel is moving right over the operators blind side and the truck
sits on a newly excavated floor.
LOADING TECHNIQUE: SINGLE-SIDE/PERPENDICULAR

ADVANTAGES THE SETUP

Better visibility, due to ideal cab setup 1. Shovel is positioned perpendicular to the face.
Faster cycles, by not loading to the 2. Truck backs in to left of shovel, spotting off the counterweight.
blind side 3. The first pass from
far right allows
CAUTION: If the shovel is overtrucked, truck to position.
cleanup by a wheel dozer may 4. Dig pattern can
interrupt production. work either toward
or away from truck,
depending on operator
preference.
LOADING TECHNIQUE: DOUBLE-SIDE

ADVANTAGES
Increased productivity over single side (5-7%)
Faster cycles, because truck exchanges are eliminated
Quicker loading, due to reduced swing angles
Clean-up on one side allows production on the other

CAUTION: Operators must be highly skilled to perform

double-sided loading functions. If they are not confident
in performing this setup, another operator or setup
should be used. This setup works best only if conditions
contribute to overtrucking or when there is no spotting
to a full bucket. Due to production on both sides, the
shovel may have to reposition often to prevent digging
itself into a hole.
THE SETUP
1. The shovel is positioned perpendicular to the face.
2. Trucks back in, spotting off the counterweight.
3. Material to left of center goes in left truck; material
to right of center goes in right truck.

FRONT SHOVEL TRUCK POSITIONING

120

100
RELATIVE PRODUCTION %

80

60

40

20

00
PARALLEL PERPENDICULAR
LOADING TECHNIQUE: PARALLEL DIG

ADVANTAGES
Up to 10% greater productivity over a shift, due to
less maneuvering
Truck exchange reduced (if area is large enough)

CAUTION: Choose a stable face height. A face that

is too high can be dangerous, due to falling rocks.
Avoid too wide of a cut. It should be restricted
to around 45 degrees over the right track.
THE SETUP
1. The shovel is positioned parallel to advance.
2. Shovel is positioned with toe just inside the left track.
3. Truck is positioned on swing radius.
4. Cut width should be no more than 45 degrees over
the right track.
 Printed in U.S.A.
AEDK0128 www.CAT.com 1999 Caterpillar