Dozer Slot / Blade Production Rate
Loose-yards-per-hour a dozer pushes from the blade capacity, push distance, and push/return speeds.
Example
You enter
- Heaped blade capacity (loose cy) 8
- One-way push distance (ft) 100
- Loaded push speed (ft/min) 200
- Empty return speed (ft/min) 400
- Fixed gear-shift time (min) 0.05
- Working minutes per hour 50
You get
- Cycle time 0.8
- Cycles per hour 62.5
- Production 500 lcy/hr
Checked against published worked examples from: Caterpillar Performance Handbook slot-dozing method.
Details, formula, and sources
ScopeProduction falls off fast as the push lengthens - the reason dozing is a short-haul tool.
Formula or tablecycle = push_dist/push_speed + push_dist/return_speed + fixed; cycles_per_hour = working_min / cycle; production = blade_cap x cycles_per_hour.
Source and editionCaterpillar Performance Handbook slot-dozing cycle-time production-estimating method by name; SAE J1265 blade rating; first-principles cycle arithmetic.
Free accessThe slot-dozing cycle-time production method is published earthmoving practice.
What governsEstimate. AHJ and licensed professional govern.
API field namesblade_cap_lcy, push_dist_ft, push_speed_fpm, return_speed_fpm, fixed_min, eff_min_per_hr, cycle_min, cycles_per_hour, production_lcy_hr
- Fixed time 0.05 min gear-shift / maneuver per cycle (default)earthmoving practice
- Working minutes 50-minute hour (efficiency factor for real-world delays)Caterpillar Performance Handbook