Two Bucyrus RH200 excavators achieved elite status by surpassing 100,000 operating hours in December 2010. Both RH200s were delivered in 1994, but to different global locations; one to the oil sands in Canada and the other to a gold mine in Papua New Guinea. The working conditions, and subsequent operational challenges found at each location, are unique, but attest to the reliability of the Bucyrus RH200 in any mining application across the globe.
The RH200 operating in Canada is owned by one of the largest oil producers in the Athabasca oil sands region of the Alberta province. The task of the RH200 is to remove overburden and process oil sands into the oil production system. For this machine to achieve 100,000 operating hours is no small feat, given the harsh winter conditions that see temperatures fall below -40°C. Keeping the machine running effectively is the result of an excellent cooperation between mine personnel and Bucyrus field service agents operating out of the company’s Fort McMurray service facility. Both service and spare parts are organised from the Fort McMurray service facility, providing quick and competent support for the RH200 when needed.
To cope with the growing production numbers in the Athabasca oil sands region, mines located here have increased their digging capacity with large fleets of excavators, including the Bucyrus 495HF electric mining shovel and the Bucyrus RH400, the largest hydraulic excavator in the world.
The RH200 operating in Papua New Guinea faces equal, albeit different, environmental challenges. Owned by one of the largest gold producers in the world, this RH200 often endures temperatures that exceed 35°C with high humidity. The extreme temperatures and moist air can wreak havoc on mining equipment components, making the Bucyrus RH200’s achievement of 100,000 operating hours particularly impressive.
As in Canada, the longevity of this machine speaks for the reliability of Bucyrus excavators, but also highlights the importance of the partnership forged between the mine’s personnel and Bucyrus field service agents. Technical support and parts are facilitated by Bucyrus Australia, in close cooperation with the mine, and all major component overhauls needed throughout the machine’s sixteen-year life have been performed at Bucyrus’s Mackay facility in Queensland.
The RH200 is a large hydraulic mining excavator with an operating weight of 525 t and bucket size of 26 m³. The powerful twin-engine concept, along with an electronically controlled hydraulic system, provides high breaking forces and fast operational speed to achieve maximum productivity. The market introduction of the RH200 took place in 1987, and since that time, more than 130 units have been delivered to mine sites all over the world.