Common Factors Affecting Selection Of Equipment

Every Equipment has certain factors those are in common and which are taken into consideration while selecting equipment. They are listed as follows-

• Scope of work to be carried out- since the first concern is getting the job done, the time frame within which the work is required to be carried out, the specification of work and the methodology adopted will be of primary concern

• Use of available– for a work where full utilization of new equipment for its entire working life is not foreseen and its utilization on

• Suitability for job conditions-the equipment selected should suit the demands of the job conditions. Climate of region and working conditions should be kept in view while selecting the type of equipment.

Uniformity in type- it is desirable to have minimum number of types so that there is uniformity in the type of equipment on a project. It is desirable to select common type of engine for different machine such as excavators, dump trucks, tractor and scrapers purchased on the projects.

• Size of equipment – while large size of machines are capable of giving large outputs on full load, the cost of production is usually greater than that of smaller units if worked out on part loads. Large size of equipment requires corresponding large size of matching equipment. And shutting down of one primary unit may result in making several other equipment idle. Transportation and shipment are usually difficult and expensive. However large equipment’s are more study and suitable for tough working conditions. It is also desirable to have equipment of same size on the project. If there are standbys the cost of smaller equipment as standby may be less that of larger size of equipment

• Use of standard Equipments – standard equipments are commonly manufactured and are commonly available and are moderately priced. The spare parts of standard equipment are easily available and less expensive. After the work is over, it is generally easier to dispose of standard equipment.

• Unit cost production – the economics is one of the most important considerations in selection of equipment. While working out owing cost all items of expenses, such as freight, packaging and forwarding, insurance, erection and commissioning etc. should be included with the price paid to supplier.

• Country of origin – when imports are unavoidable, it is preferable to import from a soft currency than from a hard currency area, if equipment quality is available.

• Availability of spare parts – Down time for want of necessary spare parts commonly accounts for long idle periods during working life of equipment, especially of imported equipment. Availability of spare parts at reasonable cost during the entire working life should be assured while selecting a particular type of equipment.

• Versatility – the equipment selected should be if possible, be capable of performing more than one function and should have feature of inter convertibility as far as possible.

• Selection of manufacturer – it is desirable to have equipment of the same manufacturer on a project as far as possible and to have minimum number of different makes of equipment. The quality of local dealers is also important.

• Suitability of local labour – available operators and technicians should be able to handle selected equipment.

Technical consideration :– the efficient performance of any piece of equipment and its service life are conditioned by following factors :

a. Strength

b. Rigidity

c. Vibration stability

d. Resistance to wear

e. Heat resistance

f. Reliability

g. Maintainability

A balance between reliability, investment cost and operating cost should be found since a policy of selecting the lowest priced equipment can often lead to higher life cycle costs.