Tag Archives: excavator

Turner Mining Group wins $120 million contract at industrial sand operation in Texas

Turner Mining Group says it has been awarded a $120 million mining contract in Texas, USA, with an industrial sand producer in the west of the state.

The company has now broken ground on this four-year, turnkey mining contract for what is says is an industry-leading industrial sand producer in West Texas. This mining services agreement continues to expand Turner’s client portfolio into diverse markets as the global demand for frac sand continues to rise, it said.

Employing more than 80 miners to perform the services, Turner will manage and oversee all mining activities in a multi-site effort to streamline operations. The scope of work includes construction of mine haul roads, loading and hauling 55 million tons (50 Mt) of sand, overburden removal, construction of tailings impoundments and freshwater ponds along with stockpile management and load-out.

The selection of the mine services contract was awarded based on Turner’s safety record, production capabilities, asset management plan and overall “value for dollar” along with an established and proven track record of delivering safe production and professionalism previously across several of the client’s other locations, Turner said.

Paul Moran, Chief Commercial Officer, added: “We’ve built a strong relationship with this producer over the last several years and we look forward to the opportunity to expand upon our successful, partnership that ensures ownership and accountability.”

With safety and efficiency at the forefront, Turner says it has invested in a significant fleet of new and low-hour equipment to maximise machine uptime and availability. Acquiring and deploying nearly $30 million in equipment assets to ensure uptime and efficiency, the expansive fleet includes Volvo articulated haul trucks, Hitachi 1200-7B excavators (one pictured), various utility excavators, wheel loaders and ancillary mining support equipment. Turner mobilised over 50 pieces of equipment in less than two months to meet project timelines and production demands.

On the substantial acquisition, Cade Smith, SVP of Equipment, explains: “The equipment we chose to utilise was based on the scope of work, length of haul and site material characteristics. The fleet is equipped with telemetry technology to provide more detailed reporting, so that we can review hauled tonnages, machine speeds and efficiencies via the systems we have in place.”

This contract is another big win for the Turner team as it continues to broaden its mining capabilities and establish partnerships with clients across a multitude of material types throughout the USA, it said.

Keaton Turner, President and CEO, said: “This recent Texas contract award is yet another stepping stone in our mission to make life better for the mining industry by creating dozens of local, high paying jobs while also relocating traveling miners from all across the country to work in the beautiful Lonestar State. I could not be more proud of our team for deploying a fleet of high-production assets, cutting-edge technology and living out our values which allowed us to safely mine more than 1 million tons of material in our first 30 days on site. This is a testament to our team’s relentless dedication while working shoulder to shoulder with our clients to solve some of the industry’s greatest challenges.”

CR Digital plans Titan 3330 virtual simulator mine site roadshow

CR Digital has built a virtual simulator to, it says, bring the Titan 3330 Load Haul Optimization System out to the mine site.

Players can experience Titan 3330 as if they’re the operators of a backhoe excavator, trying to hit target payloads and getting real-time feedback on their accuracy.

The experience is as realistic as possible, and players can test their skills under different weather conditions or at night, according to the company. Ground engaging tools can even fall off while operating, with players notified by GET Trakka to stop and find the component.

Unveiled at MINExpo 2021, in September, the simulator allows visitors to control an excavator using two joysticks and a large monitor, along with a real Titan 3330 screen to monitor their digging in real time.

CR’s Global Marketing Manager, Chris Mayo, said: “We had players at MINExpo who operate excavators every day, and the feedback from them was that it’s very realistic. For anyone without operator experience, it’s a fun challenge to learn the controls and start getting closer to target payloads.”

For an added challenge, players competed for the highest score based on two measures:

  • Productivity: how many tonnes were moved and how closely trucks were loaded to target payload – as scored by CR’s Orion Data Analytics; and
  • Safety: safely operating the excavator by avoiding collisions with dump trucks.

Looking forward, CR will look to bring the Titan 3330 simulator out to mine sites and directly to customers so players can continue to experience the accuracy of Titan 3330’s payload monitoring for themselves.

“Once customers see for themselves how Titan 3330 helps operators improve payloads in real time, we think there’s going to be a lot of excitement for the system, particularly as we grow our presence in North America,” Mayo said.

XCMG showcases three new US-tailored mining machines at MINExpo 2021

XCMG has brought three new customised products to MINExpo 2021 in Las Vegas, namely its XE950G excavator, XDA45U articulated dump truck and GR3505T5 grader.

This is XCMG’s first time exhibiting at MINExpo, with the company using this time to highlight three new products customised specifically for the US market that are adapted to work under different and highly challenging construction conditions, it says.

The 95 ton (86 t) XE950G excavator is, XCMG says, an efficient and energy-saving model applicable to global markets, featuring an advanced control system and behaviour monitoring system, highlighting dual-pump independent technology. It also excels in comfortable and smart operation and is well suited to extreme mining environments, the company says.

The 45 ton (41 t) XDA45U ADT adopts mature power matching technology and delivers strong passing and reliable braking performance. It is also equipped with precise hydraulic control and is all-terrain adaptive, according to the company.

The GR3505T5 grader has strong traction output and features a high-pressure, high-displacement and load-sensitive hydraulic system. The all-gear rear axle can prevent wear effectively and the hydraulic lock is “error preventive”, XCMG says. The model also provides an upgraded operation experience with speed-sensitive and assisted steering, ergonomic electronic double joystick control system and fresh air circulation with standard cab pressurisation.

XCMG was the earliest manufacturer in the Chinese construction machinery industry to enter the US market and has not only launched products that meet local certification and standards, but also established a comprehensive sales and service network capable of providing complete construction solutions for customers, it says.

Xie Bin, CEO of XCMG North America Corp, says: “XCMG has accumulated a wealth of experience in mining equipment and solutions and is committed to providing highly reliable, efficient and safe products for our customers, and our customisation strategy has enabled XCMG to compete with the world’s best manufacturers in the high-end market.”

Whitehaven Coal reveals cost benefits of autonomous haulage with Hitachi

At an investor day presentation last week, Whitehaven Coal Chief Operating Officer, Jamie Frankcombe, confronted the topic of autonomous haulage systems (AHS), spelling out why the Australia-based coal miner is planning to leverage this technology at its expanding Maules Creek operation in northwest New South Wales, Australia.

In what was an honest assessment of AHS performance to date, he said miners and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) had made “broad suggestions about the scale of improvements” that came with automating equipment, but the “detailed underpinnings” of these improvements have not been disclosed publicly.

He gave a few reasons why this was the case: First, each mine is structurally different in nature, so performance metrics are not ‘one-size-fits-all’. Second, the underlying performance of each AHS fleet is proprietary information to the operator and OEM.

Despite this, productivity improvements of around 15-20% had been discussed by miners and OEMs – linked to higher availability and utilisation rates in fewer trucks being required – along with anecdotal reports of maintenance savings, tyre life improvement, equipment life improvement and safety benefits.

On the capital expenditure side, AHS was also expected to reduce fleet sizes by allowing more tonnes to be mined with existing equipment.

Frankcombe was speaking about automation at a time when the coal miner is embarking on its own AHS journey.

Back in July 2018, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd and Whitehaven announced the two had come to an agreement to implement the first commercial Hitachi autonomous truck fleet at the Maules Creek coal operation in northwest New South Wales, Australia.

The collaboration between the two companies entailed scoping the delivery and commissioning of phased AHS deployment for the fleet of Hitachi EH5000AC3 trucks at Maules Creek and the establishment of the physical and technological infrastructure to support AHS capability.

The original release was short on detail, but said the AHS solution would leverage the fleet management system provided by Hitachi’s Wenco International Mining Systems subsidiary, in addition to Hitachi Construction Machinery’s Smart Mining Truck with Advanced Vehicle Stabilisation Controls using Hitachi robotics, AC motor and drive control unit technologies. The Blockage management system from Hitachi’s railway business would also play a role in this solution, as would a sensing technology and navigation system cultivated in Hitachi Group’s automobile industry segment.

In Whitehaven Coal’s results for the six months ending December 31, 2018, it said testing of the Hitachi AHS system had begun and, in August, it confirmed the first fleet trials would take place by the end of June 2020.

During Frankcombe’s presentation to investors, he narrowed down those timelines, saying the Hitachi AHS had been approved for operational implementation, and commissioning and training was to follow in a segregated area of the mine. This was before the mine transitioned to an operational area for AHS from December 2019.

He also said the initial AHS fleet would comprise one EX3600 excavator and six EH5000 trucks. Following a six-month period, a transition to one EX8000 excavator and nine EH5000 trucks would occur, he said. Then, additional EX800 fleets would be added in six-monthly intervals based on “performance gateway” achievements, with a target of five fleets and up to 45 trucks within three years.

This is a rapid ramp-up of automation, but Maules Creek is being expanded over this timeframe, with Whitehaven expecting production to go from 11.7 Mt run of mine (ROM) in the year ended June 30, 2019, to 16 Mt/y of ROM coal. This expansion will also see the company incorporate in-pit dumping into its operations as it looks to lower its operating cost.

Frankcombe went further than a lot of other miners using AHS in outlining the estimated operating cost impact of introducing this technology into the operation.

He said the cost benefit of integrating autonomous haulage into Maules Creek equated to A$3.70-$4.10 ($2.53-2.81) per product tonne – including the related 16 Mt/y expansion.

The operating costs benefits included the direct savings associated with AHS across personnel – offset by AHS service fees – of A$1.40/product tonne, in addition to a A$0.90-$1.10/product tonne impact from increased productivity leading to lower capital intensity and a reduction in fixed costs across overheads, wages, equipment hire and coal handling preparation plant fixed costs.

On the capital benefits side, the low capital intensity of the expansion derived from in-pit dumping, cast blasting and the AHS trucking fleet would drive a capital saving on a unit basis of A$1.40-$1.60/product tonne, he outlined.

Not many other miners have gone into such detail about the cost benefits of AHS.

Of the major adopters, BHP has previously said safety incidents relating to heavy vehicles have fallen by 80% at its Jimblebar iron ore operation, in the Pilbara, while truck productivity has risen 18%. Fortescue Metals Group – on its way to having the world’s first fully-autonomous iron ore fleet – has reported a 32% increase in truck productivity; and Rio has previously said each of its AHS truck operates at a 15% lower load and haul unit cost vs manned trucks.

It will be interesting to see just how accurate Whitehaven’s predictions turn out to be in a few years’ time.

Cummins to showcase electric prototype mini excavator at Bauma show

Cummins will feature an electric prototype mini excavator at its Bauma stand on April 8-14, showing visitors it is “transforming our industries, and innovating the latest alternative power solutions”, Executive Director of Electrified Power, Julie Furber says.

Powered by Cummins BM4.4E flexible battery modules (4.4 kWh each), the 3.5-ton (3.2-t) Hyundai excavator prototype to go on show at the company’s stand (A4-325) is designed to support a full work shift and charge in under three hours, according to Cumms.

Cummins and Hyundai are not the only companies developing battery-electric excavators for the construction space. Volvo recently announced it would launch a range of electric compact excavators (EC15 to EC27) by mid-2020, with the first machines to be unveiled at the event in Munich. Caterpillar dealer, Pon Equipment, has also recently delivered a 26-t battery-electric excavator to a Norway-based construction site.

Furber said: “We look forward to continuing to partner with companies like Hyundai to design and test the construction industry’s latest technologies.”

The machine eliminates all gaseous emissions and substantially reduces noise, making it ideal for use in urban and sub-urban construction, according to the company.

The excavator contains eight BM4.4E modules connected in a series configuration to provide a total energy of 35 kWh. Mounted near the base of the excavator, the Cummins-designed and built battery modules use lithium-ion technology to achieve a higher energy density and proprietary control technology to maintain the battery state-of-charge for a longer zero emission range, Cummins said, adding that the modular design allows for scalability to other applications and duty cycles.

Doosan ups the distribution ante in North America

Doosan’s Infracore North America division has opened a new 100,000 ft² (9,290 m²) parts distribution centre serving its dealers and Doosan customers in the US and Canada.

Strategically located, the new parts distribution centre allows Doosan Infracore North America to provide both dealers and customers with better service options, deeper inventory and faster parts delivery, the company said.

The centre is located adjacent to the Doosan Infracore North America headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia, some 48 km northeast of Atlanta.

Edward Song, CEO, Doosan Infracore North America, said: “Doosan is committed to being a top-five construction equipment brand in North America and this new parts distribution centre illustrates our promise to support our dealers and our customers with parts availability and prompt delivery.” He said the company can “significantly reduce” shipping costs and can provide less than two-day delivery on a majority of its genuine parts delivered from the warehouse.

The facility, managed by leading contract logistics firm DHL Supply Chain, is designed for Doosan parts distribution and shipping. It will stock around 40,000 stock keeping units that can be shipped to service Doosan construction equipment throughout the US and Canada.

The parts distribution centre will house a majority of Doosan parts, with only some low-volume parts needing to come from Doosan manufacturing facilities around the globe, the company said.
Doosan supplies a variety of equipment to the mining sector including excavators and ADTs.