To help change the mining tyres on haul mining trucks at the VA Erzberg iron ore mine in Austria, the mine has selected the latest Hyster tyre handling truck. One of the largest iron ore mines in Central Europe, 7.2 Mt of iron ore is mined and transported each year by a fleet of Komatsu trucks. The large truck tyres must be changed quickly and cost effectively during servicing and maintenance periods, while maximum protection for the mechanic must also be ensured.
Peter Aflenzer and Florian Wabra are responsible for the maintenance of mining equipment at VA Erzberg. They saw a Hyster tyre handling truck displayed at BAUMA 2013 in Munich and decided to visit the Hyster factory in Nijmegen, the Netherlands to learn more. “The challenge was to develop a single solution that could be used to repair and change the tyres, as well as to handle the heavy mining vehicle components such as engines, gearboxes and axles,” says Norbert Brünell, Senior Product Manager for Hyster heavy duty forklifts and container handlers.
To service the ore mines, the Hyster H16XM-6 featuring an IMT TH15K160 tyre handling attachment with nominal capacity of 6,804 kg was selected. To switch from a tyre handler to a forklift quickly, the Pin Type +/- 200 mm side shift carriage is equipped with a changing device that carries either the forks or tyre attachment. The TH15K160 clamp span is 132-343 cm for the tyres, clamp body rotate +/- 50° each side, provide 360° endless grip pad rotation and there is a hydraulically powered fall back arm protection to ensure maximum protection for the mechanic working in front of the tyre. The front pads hold the tyre in the required position and are also able to disassemble the rim parts and rim from the tyre itself.
The H16XM-6 with TH15K160 truck now handles tyres up to 33.00 R51, or 5,820 kg at the centre of the clamped tyre, suitable for servicing the fleet, which includes 12 Komatsu HD785-7 and HD985-5 heavy duty trucks, four Komatsu WA800-3 wheel loaders and a Komatsu PC1250 excavator, designed for construction and mining applications. The Hyster H16XM-6 without TH15K160 has a nominal capacity of 16,000 kg at 600 mm load centre or 11,350 kg at 1,200 mm.
The truck features a 6.7 litre Cummins QSB6.7 diesel engine, with Load Sensing Hydraulics, which is demand sensitive. This means that only the right amount of oil required to meet the demands of the application is pumped through the system at any time, resulting in less waste, reduced operating temperatures and greater fuel efficiency. Like all heavy capacity Hyster trucks, there is an “exceptionally durable” driveline with a robust drive axle and advanced smooth auto-shift transmission system featuring protective lock-out on forward-reverse shifting. Engine and transmission protection systems ensure reliable operation.
The Hyster Big Truck range includes the H8XM-6 up to the H30XMS-9, in combination with the new IMT tyre handling attachment range from the TH5K115 up to TH36K164, handles tyre weights of 2,495 kg up to 16,330 kg, or tyre diameters of 710 mm up to 4,166 mm.