Tag Archives: haul trucks

Cat backs autonomy with large mining truck line roll out

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Caterpillar already has seven autonomous haul fleets running around the globe, with an eighth to come online next year at Fortescue Metal Group’s Cloudbreak iron ore mine.

Yet, the company is continuing to drive forward with its autonomous offering with plans to make its entire large mining truck class autonomy-ready.

Cat is currently running the 789D, 793F and 797F in autonomous mode with its Command for hauling module, part of its MineStar system. It has over 100 trucks in the field, which have hauled more than 600 Mt of material.

The company revealed on Thursday at its Tinaja Hills facility in Tucson, Arizona, that it has plans to roll out autonomy across the whole group of large mining trucks. This includes the newly-added electric drive 796 AC and 798 AC haul trucks.

This move shows the company’s intent when it comes to automating mine site haulage, providing various payload options across its large mining trucks.

It is also a reflection of how the benefits of autonomy are becoming apparent to Cat’s current and future customers, with Cat pointing out that mining operators are realising they can continue to reach production goals with smaller machines than previously used in manned operations.

Cat scaling new autonomy heights with virtual mine site simulator

Automation, Base metals, Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining software, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , ,

Caterpillar has quickly become a leader in the field of autonomous haulage, with many new and retrofitted solutions found across Western Australia and the Canadian oil sands.

Yet, the company is not slowing down now it has passed more than 100 operating in the field, with its scalability lab – part of the virtual mine site at the company’s Mossville facility in Peoria, Illinois – a key driver in achieving more sales.

This lab has been in place for more than five years and was devised to stay 20-25% ahead of Cat’s biggest Command for hauling customer, IM and other mining journalists were told on Wednesday during a tour of the facility.

From this lab, and its array of monitors, operators track and orchestrate the movement of hundreds of vehicles, with controllers setting daily production goals and sending machines for maintenance or diagnostic testing. It is designed to enact a real mine site, with the simulation running 24 hours a day, five days a week.

The 20-25% goal means the company is now simulating some 400 pieces of manned and unmanned equipment using Command for hauling in its lab. It uses real-life operating data previously collected from its customers as input parameters, while having set ‘scripts’ for the operating behaviour of the equipment.

The virtual equipment currently includes some 120 autonomous haul trucks, 30 manned trucks and over 100 auxiliary vehicles.

The ability to simulate this mass of machines ensures Caterpillar stays ahead of the game.

In addition to this, the company can use a nearby test track to simulate the reaction time, hazard perception and general behaviour of autonomous trucks via fully kitted out Chevrolet Tahoes. The Tahoes are set up with components normally found on mining equipment in the field, with the generated data scaled up to the equivalent of one of its, or another vendor’s, haul trucks.

All this R&D means the company can continue with its ambitious programme of releasing two new updates of Command for hauling every year with several valuable additions.

It also allows the company to test out some 90-95% of Command for hauling functionality before it even gets to the machines operating at the company’s Tinaja proving grounds in in Tucson, Arizona.

Caterpillar to complete ultra-class electric drive haul truck line

Base metals, Coal technology, Industrial minerals, Mining equipment, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Caterpillar is set to add to its electric drive haul truck line, with two new ultra-class models being readied for launch.

Cat already has the 794 AC (pictured) and 795F AC in electric drive, but the 796 AC and 798 AC haul trucks will soon be added to the platform, Caterpillar Senior Product Specialist Antonio Varela confirmed on a visit to the company’s Decatur truck manufacturing facility in Illinois on Tuesday.

More details are expected later this week, but Varela confirmed the truck chassis will be a larger version of the 794 AC (previously the MT5300) chassis, which has been proven in the field at many mines.

As the brand names indicate, the new machines will have a higher payload capacity than the 291 t 794 AC and the 327 t 795F AC.

This development shows how the company is continuing to invest in both electric and mechanical drive options on even the largest of its haul trucks – a key differentiator for the company in the OEM space. It also indicates there is significant demand for electric drive at the top end of the haulage market.

Cat’s ultra-class electric drive truck platform was established with the addition of the Unit Rig™ product line. This line came with the acquistion of Bucyrus back in 2011.

Bis brings step change in flexibility and efficiency with Rexx haul truck

Base metals, Coal technology, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Australian resource logistics company Bis has launched a new mine haulage product, Rexx, as it looks to offer companies a “step change in flexibility and efficiency”.

Rexx is a haul truck built to carry a 160-t payload and travel more than four times further than conventional dump trucks.

The product will form part of Bis’ suite of bespoke load and haul solutions, which also includes Dual Powered Road Trains, providing a highly competitive, integrated mine haulage solution for its mining customers, the company says.

“Bis has leveraged its unique position as both a leading mine haulage operator and as a proven OEM (through its subsidiary Powertrans) to design and build Rexx in-house, in Perth, Western Australia,” the company said.

Speaking at the product launch in Perth, Bis Chief Executive Officer Brad Rogers said Rexx was a game changer for mine haulage, incorporating the best features of long-haul road trains and short-haul mine trucks.

“Rexx’s robust and simple design leverages our existing knowledge and resources. This has meant we were able to keep our manufacturing costs low, allowing Bis to deliver savings to customers through our service delivery model,” he said.

“At Bis, we are driven by bringing technology and innovation to our customers to deliver real value. We are very excited about the opportunity that Rexx creates for a whole range of mining operations in Australia and internationally.”

Rexx has been designed to operate on narrower, lower specification roads. The design offers a smoother ride and better visibility for operators and dramatically improved tyre management, according to Bis. The haul truck has also been designed for ease of maintenance.

Rexx’s greater distance capability eliminates the need for double handling and its associated risks, Bis says.

Designed with the highest safety requirements in mind, Rexx is equipped with Bis’ fatigue management system, as well as 360°-view cameras and reversing cameras for greater hazard management.

Earlier this month, Bis expanded its underground mining services offering with the acquisition of UGM.