The challenges, though not dissimilar, each require a tailored and bespoke solution –
and no truer exemplar of this is there than the shifts underway in the development of
lightweight OEM attachments.

The once heavyweight champion of this space – both literally and otherwise – was
a kind of OEM standard, one-size-fits-all approach.

Now though, it’s a lightweight approach to truck bodies and OEM attachments that has
muscled in on a big world market.

Leading the charge is Austin Engineering.

Mechanical engineers like Deon Wessels have been a part of this shift. He and
Executive General Manager Paul Clarke have helped pave the way to a move away
from off-the-shelf, usually heavyweight, long lifespan OEM options.

The new way, as they have seen it, is in the form of site-specific, usually lighter weight,
shorter lifespan alternatives.

Greater consideration is being given to mine life and the required lifespan of equipment.
This takes into account whether operations are looking to a longer lifespan, higher maintenance approach (which generally comes with the heavier body options); or a high capital, low maintenance approach offered by lightweight body options.

Essentially, this means operations can maintain and upkeep bodies which might have a lifespan of up to 60,000 hours, or they can go with a lighter option with a greater load carrying capacity, with a shorter lifespan (say 24,000 hours) where the life of mine may be between four to eight years.

Options still exist to repair or refurbish lighter truck bodies, but often they are simply replaced at the end of their duty cycle.

There are many paths open to the mining customer in order to tailor a truck body
to both their operational and financial requirements.

As with most innovations, what this gives those in the market is that most coveted of
commodities: choice.

Deon has a bit of a laugh when he compares a high pay load, surface mining truck body
to a good old garden wheelbarrow.

“They both carry dirt and other material from one place to another, but there is
really a lot of science behind it than what meets the eye,” Deon said.

Deon is part of the large global footprint of the Austin Engineering group. Under the
organisation’s ‘One Austin’ philosophy, he is working with a single world team which is
at the cutting edge; innovating world-class solutions for the biggest client share of its
kind in the world.

“The market is focussed toward a lighter construction with delivery of a higher payload,” Deon said.

“That means we look to carry more at the lightest possible body weight without
hindering design intent.”

Paul too is behind the cutting edge of the science and innovation which has
underpinned the solutions-based culture of excellence that Austin Engineering – and
their brands, JEC, Westech, and Ultima – adheres to.

“Austin is the global leader,” Paul said.
“We have more truck bodies in the space across the world than any of our other non-
OEM competitors.”

Austin Engineering might be the leader in the truck body and OEM truck space, but
that’s not by accident.

Starting in 1982, originally, as a family-run business in Brisbane without even a hint of
involvement in the mining industry, Austin was bought in 2003 by a group of investors
under the banner of Western Australia Metals and was publicly listed on the
Australian Stock Exchange in 2004. Between 2006 and 2013 the business expanded
throughout Australia, Asia and the North and South Americas.

In 2018, after a couple of years of business consolidation and the integration of all
global operations into a single business model, Austin rebranded, and it is now
the leader of manufacturing, design and solution delivery in its sector of the global
mining industry.

Key to this, the group saw an opportunity to acquire JEC (Perth-based Johns Engineering
and Cranes).

Already, they had experience and design in buckets and water tankers and other mining
attachments, but they did not have a truck body design. The business was building to
the designs of the likes of Caterpillar and Komatsu, but it was shortly after that, that
Westech was acquired.

With that came the scope and capacity to develop Austin’s own truck body design.

“It was quite a way-out concept at that point– very curved shaped and different – that
took us down a very different path,” Paul said.

The movement away from heavier to lighter truck body designs – with an eye to delivering
higher performance, higher production and, therefore, higher payload for clients – was a
game-changer.

“We very much led the way to converging the more conservative mining industry to
going to a lighter-weight truck body,” Paul said.

That innovative approach attracted the attention of large blue-chip miners and
Austin would soon flush out and re-populate mining companies fleets across the Pilbara.
|
With new innovation comes the compulsion – and market imperative – for others to
follow suit.

While others in the space have, as Paul puts it, ‘been nipping at Austin’s heels’, the
business’ commitment to innovation and bespoke, tailored solutions for clients the
world over has enabled their leadership to hold.

“We have seen a lot of competition in this space coming up with different designs and
concepts, but we have continued to innovate along the way,” he said.

“Austin still have the original Westech and JEC range of bodies within our arsenal of
body options, brands that have proven the test of time and are etched forever in our
company DNA, one that is valued as the cornerstone and continues to evolve.”

Add to that, the innovative Ultima range and the Austin Engineering stable boasts a range
of products which are designed, developed, and tailored for customers using worldstandard
modelling and analysis systems.

Indeed, that is one of the things which has cemented Austin’s sector leadership while
raising the bar industry wide.

The timing has been good as well.
Both men cite the need Austin Engineering met within the world market to respond
to the individual, site-by-site requirements around mine location, ore type, load
capacity, tailored design and life of mine.

Increasingly, specifically tailored attachments are being procured that best suit the characteristics of a site and the material being loaded – all with the view
to maximising load and minimising risks, roadblocks and blockers.

Everything from safety to operation, payload to even dust is being factored into
the development of Austin’s solutions.

Such is the commitment that in 2011, Austin’s Westech T282C Flow Control Body,
which was manufactured for use with a Liebherr T282C Ultra Class haul truck chassis
in North America, was awarded a Guinness World Record for Largest Truck Body.

The truck held 447.3t of coal and empties. At the time it was the largest body by volume –
and the payload alone was close to 300t (of lightweight coal).

The Westech Flow Control Body was developed works to essentially tip and allow the coal to metre out the back without a sudden flow. This enables a gradual break away of the materials (coal versus dirt and overburden material, for example), to flow evenly – shearing away in layers rather than a single mass.

This then reduces the incidence of crushers choking under a sudden flow of material – and it dramatically reduces dust creation on site.

This approach can then be further calibrated, with floor tilts, and rotations to meet the needs presented by different materials and their respective properties and characteristics.

Another example of a tailored solution occurred in the haulage of tar sands in Canada.

The inclusion of a taper in the tray body (opening to the rear) and using a patented
system to heat the load using the truck’s own exhaust gases, allowed the oil sand
(which usually resembles a loaf of bread in the freezing climate, to flow easily out of the
tray without jamming.

3D Modelling and Digital Twinning
Austin Engineering’s commitment to innovation is even more evident through the
extensive use of 3D modelling and material flow dynamic analysis software.

Packages such as EDEM and ANSYS are staples in the development of innovations
and solutions – improving accuracy, saving time and money, but also enabling faster
delivery of custom tray designs to the customer.

Using tools such as three-dimensional modelling to basically “build” the truck
bodies virtually, means bucketloads of money and time saved in building, testing,
and rebuilding scaled or in-field prototypes.

Both Deon and Paul said even in the most unique of circumstances, where there are
acute and intricate factors to be accounted for, the use of this modelling can enable
refined solutions which can be tested virtually, but still practically and accurately.

The modelling also means much – if not all – possible applications and conditions
can be assessed and mitigated prior to final physical development.

Non-Linear Solutions
And as for that quip about the wheelbarrow?
Deon said no solution is ever linear: there is always much that is analysed and state-ofthe-
art simulation and analysis tools enable the engineering of a solution.

That means finding a solution that accounts for everything from the type, flow, stickiness,
range of fragmentation and the angle of repose of the material being hauled, to the way the material interacts with the tray or bucket when it is being loaded or dumped, i.e. what forces are generated when designing a truck body or bucket that must remain within the OEM’s envelope and limits.

This simulations enables the team to factor in all relevant site and situational data – from
material type, SG, moisture and movement characteristics to site conditions.

In many cases an actual video of a current truck body tipping an actual load on site is
the perfect place to start.

From this video footage, the Austin Engineering team can create a digital twin of
the truck and simulate its tipping time and the characteristics of the load as it shears
and falls. With close representation of the actual conditions faced on site, the design
team have an accurate benchmark to test the reactions of the simulated load in order
to design the product.

In this way, they can be confident that the design will be accurate in the real world
when being translated into steel.

“We use world class software to carefully analyse the original situation and from that
we can develop the exact solutions, taking in each of these variables, for our customers,”
Deon said.

“More and more competitors are coming into the business now with new designs
– but they don’t have the miles on those designs,” Paul added.

“We continue to innovate to stay ahead of the curve. We are a solutions provider and not just amanufacturer.”

Both men agree it is years of experience, an investment in innovation, and the
organisation’s One Austin approach, which sees them invested in the contribution of
the entire Austin team, that enables Austin Engineering to maintain its world leading
status.

And clearly, it is a design – and a philosophy – that is engineered to work in a changing
and dynamic world market.

While Austin is at the forefront, with the largest world market share, there are
organisations the world over working to uncover, develop and then market similar
solutions – across the entire spectrum of innovation in mining and resources. Like
anything in mining, the possibilities are rich
and run deep.

SOURCE
Austin Engineering
P 08 9334 0666
E bradh@austineng.com.au
W www.austineng.com

The post Take a Load Off Your Mind appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

EQUIPMENT Placement’s patented CareTaker ALRS design has been developed specifically to address the ongoing issues associated with fluid sampling methods, and to remove safety hazards for operators and service personnel.

Equipment Placement co-founder and director Brian Bondi told the Australian Mining Review that there has been many variants of the project since its conception, but that it was product developer Jason Bondi who took the theory behind the objectives and transformed the product into the CareTaker ALRS.

And now, after more than one year of field testing, the CareTaker ALRS has hit commercial production and is hitting every target the Equipment Placement team set.

The concept was designed by Fluid Transfer Technology, which is a JV company specifically registered for the research and development of new innovative products to suit the ongoing demand in the mining industry for increased automation and higher standards of safety.

Fluid Transfer Technology has three equal partners, Brian Bondi, John Bondi and Luke McInnes, all of whom had some level of input into the concept and functionality of the product.

Product development was handed over to John’s son, Jason, who developed the ALRS into a commercially acceptable product.

How it works

The CareTaker ALRS has a sample control unit placed inside the operating station for safe initiation of a live oil sample, and a remote sample station placed in a convenient location that can be accessed when the machine is isolated.

Sampling is carried out using three simple steps.

Firstly, the unit is purged with fresh fluid, then a measured amount of fluid is collected in the sample chamber, before the sample chamber discharges the sample into the sample bottle.

The bottle is then sealed so that there can be no interference with the sample between testing and the lab, and this is one striking point of difference as it is just one more instance where human interference can no longer damage the integrity of oil samples.

Equipment Placement product developer Jason Bondi said that the unit could be mounted anywhere on the machine and plumbed into the fluid that needs sampling.

“To sample engine oil, we take a feed from a pressure line and a return line to the engine’s crankcase.  The controller is located inside the operator’s station, inside the machine and out of harm’s way,” he said.

“We like to think that, to the best of our knowledge, there is nothing comparable on the market.

“There may be products that offer a similar type scenario, but in our opinion they would not provide the same accuracy and the same result

“There are other products, but they still require manual handling to sample the oil.”

“There’s not another system where you can sit in the cabin and take samples.”

Not all samples are the same

Brian Bondi said that there were two major reasons for developing the product.

“Firstly, there is a lack of consistency when taking a manual oil sample which results in a lack of confidence in the actual sample being an accurate representation of the relevant compartment,” he said.

“Lack of consistency would then bring other factors into play such as the environment, atmospheric conditions or poor sampling techniques, meaning maintenance departments would get the samples but could never be confident of the results.

“You could take 500 samples per week on a site and it wouldn’t be uncommon for 200-300 of those actually being deemed compromised and therefore disregarded.”

This means sampling is a highly expensive and inefficient process.

Poor samples and bad sampling techniques were the first problem, but the second problem was equally important – taking live samples.

Live sampling is widely acknowledged as the best method for oil sampling, however due to safety risks, most mining companies steer well clear of the method to the detriment of sample quality.

Mr Bondi said that most non-live testing regimes ensure no workers can get within the footprint of an operating machine to carry out testing.

“Our system is remote or semi-remote depending on the needs of the client and it can be configured in any number of ways to suit clients’ needs,” he said.

“Safety is paramount on the mine site, and mining companies will look at safety first. Sampling will always come second.”

Why take live samples?

Live samples are simply better because they are more accurate, and they give a more accurate representation of the oil when it is in operation, meaning the analyst knows that the sample is representative of the component.

When a live sample is taken from a point in the engine, any contaminants detrimental to the component are suspended in the oil and therefore suspended in the sample.

Whereas when a sample is taken from a machine that has been turned off and allowed to settle, the oil has cooled down and some of the particles that would be detected in the live sample would no longer be suspended and therefor ‘non-representative’.

Mr Bondi said that the other reason is that oil samples must be taken from the same spot every time to ensure consistency.

“Common practice is to remove a cap from a reservoir or a dipstick from a dipstick tube and insert a plastic tube connected to a vacuum pump to extract a sample,” he said.

“The problem with this process is that it is near impossible to take the sample from the same point each time especially given that it will be done by multiple personnel therefore giving inconsistencies straight away.”

“Invariably this will lead to inaccurate samples, as the tube will take oil samples from the top, sometimes from further down, sometimes you run the tube along the edge of the component and pick up debris, and this is yet another issue with sampling techniques that needs to be addressed.”

What’s next?

The ALRS CareTaker has been going from strength to strength since its commercial launch in September.

The sales and marketing of the product will initially be through Equipment Placement Sales and Services, with the view to expanding distribution networks from 2020 onwards.

Interest has been shown offshore with EPSS receiving its first order from a South American Komatsu dealer.

While the company is vigilant for any teething problems that might arise, it is also looking to the future and to the full automation of the system.

Jason Bondi said that his focus was on developing the system for fully autonomous trucks which would not need any human interference at any stage.

“Right now, we’re working on different control methods,” he said.

“At the moment it’s a simple control method with a push button inside the cab, but we’re working on having a HMI feedback interface screen that will automate the process further and remotely operate the system.

“Those sorts of developments will become more prominent”.

“As more and more autonomous trucks enter the mining industry, the autonomous trucks will have an autonomous live sampling unit and the sampling will be automated to the point where the oil sample can be initiated from a remote location.

“We’re aiming for this to be ready mid-2020.”

More information:
Phone: (08) 9479 4988
Email: bbondi@equipmentplacement.com.au
Website: www.equipmentplacement.com.au

The post Automated live remote sampling appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Elphinstone Mechanical Services (EMS) is a family-owned WA-based company that has grown to service clients across Australia and South Africa.

Keeping a minesite up and running 24 hours a day is no mean feat and it takes a diversely skilled team to manage everything from unexpected repairs to scheduled maintenance and rebuilds.

EMS has grown to cater to the demands made by modern mining companies to keep production processes in motion – particularly in the area of large haul and dump trucks and the huge excavators they serve in an endless procession.

The 50 field service technicians and more than 30 site-based staff include HV electricians to deal with electric drive trucks and earthmoving equipment, auto electricians to handle repairs on mobile plant running 48V or less, boiler makers to take care of repairs to truck trays, chassis and pins, and heavy duty mechanics to make sure that the mechanically driven haul fleet is always operational.

Mining companies and contractors need a service company that can handle any problem as quickly as possible to minimise downtime, and when that company has a range of specialists to make that happen, a great deal of comfort is created.

EMS tackles the big jobs on a regular basis – complete machine overhauls, component rebuilds, day to day scheduled maintenance, breakdown repairs, on site welding and line boring services, auto electrical and high voltage mining equipment repairs.

Due to the company’s diversity, EMS now manages the scheduled service and maintenance of heavy duty mobile plant for a number of customers around the world, while others also require scheduled rebuilds where the crew strips the machine back to a bare chassis and re-assembles it with any and all repairs, refurbishments and replacements carried out before it returns to service.

Source:

Elphinstone Mechanical Services (EMS)

(08) 6222 6621

www.emsgroup.net.au

The post Heavy metal appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Elphinstone developed the purpose-built range of trucks to fill the industry-acknowledged void between traditional mining dump trucks and conventional on-highway trucks.

Designed to operate on cycles of about 50km, the narrow width design of the 3900 allows it to work effectively on roads of 15 metres width.

Simply put, narrower roads cost considerably less to build construct and maintain, so the longer the distance, the larger the cost-saving.

Emphasis on reducing the cost per tonne (CPT) has been at the forefront of the design and constant improvements.

The Haulmax design has been based around tyre performance indicies, maximising vehicle payloads over longer haulage distances.

As an authorised Caterpillar Original Equipment Manufacturer, Elphinstone worked closely with Caterpillar to ensure matched power train components optimise longevity, reliability and mechanical availability, resulting in improved productivity and reduced operating costs.

After-sales service and product support is made available through the worldwide Caterpillar dealer network.

Other value-add features include excellent traction and stability, operator comfort and safety, serviceability, sustainability and an assured increase in productivity.

These features and more contribute markedly to a reduction in CPT and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for the customer.

Traction and stability

The 3900 Series offers excellent traction and stability in soft and slippery operations.

The combination of the truck’s narrow width, long chassis and dual axle eight-wheel drive configuration provides safe and superior operator control.

Brake systems include hydraulically controlled dry front, and rear oil-cooled multiple disc brakes and engine retard system, all of which combine for superior fade-resistant performance in all mine site conditions.

Parking and secondary brakes are spring applied and hydraulically released.

This combination ensures braking in the event of complete hydraulic failure.

The 3900 chassis is a deep box-section construction incorporating castings in high-stress areas with full penetration wraparound welds designed for a minimum life of 60,000 hours.

By using castings in critical high stress areas, welded joints are moved to lower stress areas.

Serviceability and maintenance

Easy access to daily service points from ground level increases safety and reduces time spent on regular maintenance procedures.

Retracting stairs provide safe access to the maintenance platform where engine, air filters, radiator, hydraulics and steering can be reached safely.

Engine shutdown and battery disconnect can also be accessed from one point at ground level, making machine lockout simple and safe.

On-board diagnostic systems enable fast diagnosis of engine conditions and effective maintenance and repairs.

An optional fluid evacuation system and automatic lubrication system reduces labour time by up to 50pc.

The lubrication system automatically delivers lubricant to clustered injector banks which distribute the correct amount of grease to service points.

Operator comfort and safety

The independent front suspension and ‘A’ frame rear axle assemblies provide unrivalled levels of stability, safety and comfort.

The spacious, ergonomically designed two-person ROPS/FOPS certified operators cabin offers a comfortable working space with fully adjustable lumbar support and air suspension seats for both the operator, trainer or trainee.

All controls, levers, switches and gauges are positioned ergonomically to maximise productivity and minimise operator fatigue.

Customer characteristics

Typical Haulmax 3900 customers are those operators with haulage requirements which are outside the range of traditional haul trucks; require sustained downhill braking; are governed by haul road width restrictions; or require superior gradeability, traction or special trailer configurations.

Elphinstone’s focus has always been to deliver customers a total haulage solution based on their specific haul requirements.

Thus the 3900 can be optioned with different truck bodies to account for a variety of material applications.

The recent sale of eight Haulmax 3900 long haul dump trucks in Suriname, South America, exemplifies the fit-for-purpose characteristics of the 3900 range.

Prior to 2016, Surmac, an authorised dealer of Elphinstone machines in Suriname, identified a need for an extended distance haul solution at a local mine site.

Due to lessening gold provisions close to the site, ore would have to be hauled 35km or more, beyond the application of a normal mining dump truck.

In January 2019, Elphinstone signed a dealer agreement with Surmac in Australia and Elphinstone shipped the Haulmax 3900 trucks soon after and these are now operating for the first time in Suriname.

Elphinstone has now sold more than 100 Haulmax 3900 trucks for dump truck, water tank, service module and low loader applications worldwide.

CASE STUDY

Surmac Cat Haulmax 3900 Purchase

Dealer:             Surmac

Location:         Suriname, South America

Product:          8 x Haulmax 3900 extended haul dump trucks

Objective:

Purchase a fleet of eight Haulmax 3900 trucks for the haulage of ore from the satellite deposit to the existing site some 35km away.

Background:

Elphinstone first learned of the haul issue facing Surmac’s client in September 2012 at Minexpo in Las Vegas.

Surmac commenced discussions with Elphinstone as they were aware that once the gold provisions ran low near the mine site, the ore would have to be sourced from further away and transported.

The existing fleet of Caterpillar dump trucks was not designed to cover long distances, so the obvious solution was the well-renowned Elphinstone Haulmax 3900 extended haul truck.

On January 15 this year, Surmac dealer principal Leo Vreeburg signed the dealership agreement with Elphinstone in Australia.

From that moment, Surmac became the official dealer of Elphinstone products in Suriname.

In the second quarter of 2019, Elphinstone trucks were delivered and started operating in Suriname for the first time in the country’s mining history.

Mining division manager Freek Bilkerdijk said that discussions were already underway to start mining at the pit before 2016.

“The seeds of the Elphinstone story were laid then,” Mr Bilkerdijk said.

“Transporting the ore would have been a major challenge but the Haulmax 3900 was built to do the work.”

More Information:

03 6442 7797

www.elphinstone.com

The post Australian long-haul legend appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

The company prides itself on its unparalleled reputation in the industry for equipment reliability and service.

SMS is a big company with a small company feel.

The company works with its clients and will generate ideas on cost reduction, as it sees value delivery as one of its key responsibilities.

Founded in 2000 as Sweeney’s Mechanical Services, SMS began its life providing maintenance, refurbishment, sales and service support for heavy duty earthmoving.

In 2007, rental hire services were added to the portfolio and the company’s name changed to SMS Rental, before evolving to SMS Innovative Mining Solutions.

In 2016, the contract mining division was formed to deliver an end-to-end service offering.

To reflect this, it evolved to SMS Mining Services.

In 2018, SMS Mining Services merged with the Rivet Group, an Australian provider of specialised transport and logistics solutions, to become part of a much larger and stronger group of companies.

The company has one of the largest rental fleets in Australia which includes dozers, loaders, excavators, graders, dump trucks, water trucks, on-highway vehicles, light vehicles and ancillary equipment.

Saracen general manager Lee Stephens said that as a company to work with, SMS Mining Services is adaptable and flexible, and that the company would embrace any challenge to come up with a working solution.

“SMS offers a unique service with its ability to leverage experience and relationships to assist in the acquisition of appropriate equipment on behalf of the company,” he said.

“It is highly responsive helping us gear up with equipment when a project needs it.

“We have a strong relationship with the company, with the ability to talk directly with the owners when needed.”

More information:

Phone: (08) 9277 5177

Email: admin@smsmining.com.au

Website: www.smsmining.com.au

The post Big company for small business appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.