Calculate excavator cycle time from phase timings or a field sample, then estimate cycles per hour, loose and bank production, and shift volume.

Planning estimates. Include every cycle phase and truck exchange in the measured cycle. If the observation already includes job delays, use 100% efficiency for production.

Production estimate

Optional. Blank or 0 omits production estimates.

Blank uses the source configuration of 90%.

Blank uses 83.3%. Use 100% if the sample already includes all job delays.

Blank uses 25%. Bank volume = loose volume / (1 + swell fraction). Enter your material value.

Blank uses 8 hours.

Excavator Cycle Time Formula

The following two example problems outline the steps and information needed to calculate the Excavator Cycle Time.

ECT = T / C

Variables:

  • ECT is the average excavator cycle time (min/cycle when T is in minutes). The calculator leads with seconds/cycle and also shows minutes/cycle.
  • T is the total time of operation (min) 
  • C is the number of cycles 

To calculate the excavator cycle time, divide the total time of operation by the number of buckets/cycles.

How to Calculate Excavator Cycle Time?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Excavator Cycle Time.

  1. First, determine the total time of operation (min). 
  2. Next, determine the number of cycles. 
  3. Next, gather the formula from above: ECT = T / C.
  4. Finally, calculate the Excavator Cycle Time.
  5. After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem : 

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

total time of operation (min) = 500

number of cycles = 30

ECT = T / C = 500 / 30 ≈ 16.666667 min/cycle = 1,000 s/cycle. Production estimates require bucket capacity and appropriate fill, efficiency, swell and scheduled shift assumptions.