Tag Archives: HERCULES

Schlam and BHP WAIO celebrate 300th Hercules mining dump body delivery

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Western Australia-based mining product and services supplier, Schlam, is commemorating the delivery of the 300th Hercules mining dump body to one of its key customers, BHP Western Australia Iron Ore.

BHP WAIO received its first Hercules body in 2018 and formalised a supply agreement with Schlam in November of the same year. Today, nearly all the mining trucks across WAIO’s fleet are fitted with a Hercules dump body, Schlam says.

The 300 Hercules dump bodies have been 100% designed and manufactured in Western Australia, creating additional employment opportunities and averaging 56 full time jobs per year.

Being lighter, the Hercules body provides miners with a significant increase in payload, increasing operational efficiency, Schlam says. The innovative curved body design and targeted material selection have resulted in a service life increase of up to 100%.

Hendrik Mueller, Managing Director, Schlam Payload Solutions, said: “Each Hercules body is custom engineered and built to suit the unique operational requirements of the mine site it operates in. Working collaboratively with the BHP team we have been able to identify the key performance criteria needed to deliver on safety, productivity and cost goals.”

He added: “We work closely with BHP, at many levels, especially on-site, with their input having contributed to the ongoing development of some of our products. The Hercules EXO is one example, with the product now being the dump body of choice among iron ore miners in Western Australia, and beyond.”

A commemorative event is being held at Schlam’s head office in Welshpool today. The 300th dump body, with its commemorative livery incorporating the brand colours of both companies, was recently transported from the company’s Forrestfield plant to be proudly
displayed at the event in Welshpool.

Schlam to supply Fortescue with new Hercules EXO truck body

Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Schlam says it has been awarded a multi-million-dollar supply agreement with Fortescue Metals Group Limited for both its products (Schlam Payload Solutions) and services (Schlam People Solutions) divisions.

The contract will see Schlam Payload Solutions supply Fortescue with dump bodies and buckets – including the company’s newly-released Hercules EXO – while Schlam People Solutions will provide skilled on-site mechanical and fabrication services for a minimum of three years with options to extend, it said.

The agreement solidifies Schlam’s decade-long relationship with Fortescue, the company added.

Schlam Chief Executive Officer Matt Thomas said that he expected the agreement’s value to reach over A$90 million ($62.7 million).

“Fortescue will be one of the first operators to receive the Hercules EXO since its successful trial and market release,” Thomas said. “The Hercules EXO is a 240-t-class iron ore specific dump body that is 20% lighter than the company’s already class-leading Hercules. The decreased weight gives miners a greater payload potential, while a complete redesign and innovative material selection have resulted in a 100% increase in service life.”

Thomas added: “Like Schlam, Fortescue is a proud and innovative West Australian company. This relationship strengthened when we trialled a Hercules dump body suited to their fleet of 240-t-class trucks in 2018. At the time, it was the lightest 240-t body we had manufactured and, through working with innovative partners, like Fortescue, we’ve been able to develop the next generation of payload products, including the Hercules EXO.”

To date, Schlam has supplied almost 60 Hercules bodies to Fortescue’s fleet of mining trucks and will deliver a further 50 in the next financial year alone.

The agreement brings Schlam Payload Solutions and Schlam People Solutions under the same set of terms and conditions. The latter expands Schlam’s portfolio of Tier-1 clientele, for which it supplies heavy-duty mechanics, boilermakers, auto-electricians and other skilled labour.

“The agreement will underpin our journey to introduce the latest robotic technology to transform our manufacturing processes and develop a state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing facility right here in Western Australia,” Thomas said.

Schlam offers iron ore miners higher payload potential, longer service life with Hercules EXO

Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Western Australia-based mining product and services supplier, Schlam, has launched the Hercules EXO, a next-generation mining dump body that, it says, offers iron ore miners both a higher payload potential and longer service life.

The Hercules EXO is a 240-t-class iron ore specific dump body that is 20% lighter than the company’s existing Hercules dump body. The decreased weight gives miners a greater payload potential, while a complete redesign and new material selection have resulted in a 100% increase in service life, according to the company.

Schlam CEO, Matt Thomas, says miners will no longer have to compromise between payload and longer service life with the arrival of the Hercules EXO.

“The Hercules EXO is an ultra-lightweight body that maximises payload without sacrificing body life or requiring the addition of wear packages,” he said. “It is the culmination of 20 years of continuous improvement and innovation wrapped into one high performance dump body.”

Schlam’s engineering department completely redesigned the previous Hercules to reduce weight in all non-wearing components.

“The team looked at the structural componentry individually to reduce weight so we can maximise steel thickness in the wearing areas, where it really matters,” Thomas said. “Using hybrid steel thickness, combined with Hardox® 500 Tuf steel from Swedish steelmaker SSAB in the wearing areas, means that the EXO has a service life more than double other lightweight options.”

The extra service life has three added benefits: cost, safety and the environment, Schlam says.

Compared with heavy-duty products on the market that use liner packages, the payload potential of the Hercules EXO is far more significant, according to the company. It also does not require the labour-intensive wear plate replacement events needed to achieve target body life.

“When you factor in stored energy, working at heights, craneage, welding and more, liner replacement is high-risk work,” Thomas said. “The Hercules EXO removes these risks making it a safer option for miners.”

The EXO project was completed in close consultation with Schlam’s customers, who revealed carbon impact is increasingly coming to the forefront of their concerns, the company said.

“It’s no secret that steel production creates a lot of carbon,” Thomas said. “However, having a dump body that uses less steel in the original manufacturing process and only needs to be replaced every eight years rather than every four has a massive net benefit on carbon production.”

Schlam books Hercules dump truck body order from BHP

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Mining products and services provider, Schlam, has been awarded a multi-million-dollar national contract to supply its Hercules dump body to BHP Minerals Australia.

The tender will see Schlam continue to supply dump bodies to BHP Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) sites and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) sites in Queensland and New South Wales with its world-class trays.

The contract will generate revenue in excess of A$110 million ($79 million) for Schlam, it said.

The Hercules dump body was selected due to its lightweight design and durability, according to the Western Australia-based company.

“Our engineering team was challenged by their counterparts at BHP to push the limits of the Hercules’ design to lower its already light weight and increase payload further,” Schlam CEO, Matt Thomas, said. “This resulted in the development of a new Hercules design that is 20% lighter than other already class-leading Hercules models and is maintenance-free with up to six years of service life due to steel innovations.”

The contract gives Schlam confidence to push ahead with its national and international expansion plans in both the product and service side of the business, the company said.

Thomas said the award would see Schlam transform its manufacturing processes to use the latest technology and robotics, redefining the production methodology for the business.

“We are delivering on our promise to make mining equipment more productive,” he said. “Supplying the highest quality buckets and bodies in parallel with the talent we provide through our mechanical and fabrication services division, the business is going from strength to strength. As we edge closer to the end of 2021, the outlook for Schlam has never looked better.”

New Cat 793Fs start arriving at KCGM’s Super Pit gold operations in Kalgoorlie

Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Northern Star Resources has started to welcome the first of its 39 new Caterpillar 793F haul trucks to its KCGM Operations in Western Australia.

The first of these haul trucks arrived in September, with the remaining trucks to arrive at site between now and April 2022, Northern Star said. They will be transported from Perth to Kalgoorlie-Boulder on the Great Eastern Highway.

Part of an open-pit fleet replacement program, the trucks will offer “improved visibility and comfort” to Northern Star’s 200-plus local operators working in the Super Pit, while supporting KCGM’s life of mine plans to 2034, the company said.

The trucks are fitted with Schlam’s Hercules dump bodies, which have been custom designed to suit the hard-rock mining environment of the Super Pit and KCGM’s mining plan, Schlam said.

At KCGM, open-pit mining rates continued to ramp-up in the September quarter, with an increased production rate of 72 Mt/y achieved at quarter end.

Schlam adds SSAB Hardox wear plate to Hercules dump truck bodies

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

Schlam has teamed up with global steel giant SSAB to offer its Hercules dump truck bodies with Hardox® wear plate. The move follows Schlam being accepted into the Hardox In My Body program.

Glenn Brearey, General Manager of Schlam Payload Solutions, said the company is choosing to use Hardox steel due to its wear resistance, hardness, strength and overall performance, which surpasses the metal found in competitors dump bodies.

“Hardox has used the latest technology to create the world’s leading abrasion-resistant steel, giving our clients extended service life and high productivity in the most challenging mining environments,” Brearey said. “The Hercules is the dump body of choice for many Tier 1 miners around the globe due its lightweight and, therefore, greater payload potential. By using Hardox wear plate in the Hercules HX we’re adding another dimension to our already world-class offering.”

The Hercules HX can withstand heavy impacts without permanent deformation or cracking, ensuring more service life from the truck body investment, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership, the company said.

Every Hercules HX made by Schlam will have a ‘Hardox In My Body’ decal on it to verify it’s been manufactured using Hardox wear plate and not an inferior imitation, Schlam says.

SSAB Marketing Manager – South East Asia & Pacific – Kirs Chua said: “Each application with the sign attached has passed our strict quality control and is approved as a premium product by the SSAB board. Specialists within wear and structural technology carefully analyse each application regarding welding quality, manufacturing process and design.

“Each sign has a unique ID that is traceable and can secure the origin and material.”

Every Hercules HX is custom engineered and built from the ground up based on a mine’s unique operational requirements and is designed to deliver the same outcomes across all commodities, including coal, gold, copper and iron ore, Schlam says

Schlam Engineering, DT HiLoad and The Pilbara Clean Machines unite

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , ,

The Schlam Group – Schlam Engineering, DT HiLoad and The Pilbara Clean Machines (TPCM) – has been amalgamated under one name, Schlam.

The move, which will unify the three companies under the one banner, purpose and set of principles, the company says, was initiated to better to reflect Schlam’s status as a “globally relevant company wholly focused on making mining equipment more productive”, it said.

Schlam Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Schlam, said the move would provide a stable platform for future growth.

“Bringing the group together under the one name will better position us to achieve our purpose of ensuring that the customer experience is exceptional,” he said.

“How we will do this is by solving the whole of equipment maintenance and payload challenges that keep our customer’s mines from being better tomorrow than they were today.”

The new brand has been partitioned into three distinct but related divisions covering Payload Solutions, People Solutions and Engineering Solutions.

According to Ryan Schlam, the roots of the company are secured deep within the People Solutions division.

“For almost 25 years we have been providing the industry with superstars in equipment maintenance, rebuilds and shutdowns,” he said.

“Be it mechanical, electrical or fabrication, our people are ready to join your team for as long as you need them, or to bring their expertise and field equipment to your site at a moment’s notice.”

Previously known by the name DT HiLoad, the Payload Solutions division will continue to manufacture and develop products such as the Hercules and Bullant trays, and Barracuda buckets for Tier 1 clients on six continents. Hercules truck trays are currently in place on the Cat 793s at BHP’s Eastern Ridge (Newman East) operation in the Pilbara. These trucks have just started to move to autonomous mode.

Ryan Schlam says the company’s growth was only possible due to its engineering mindset and holistic view of equipment productivity.

“Engineering is at the heart of everything that we do,” he said.

“Productivity problems don’t solve themselves and our Engineering Division will give customers access to people and technology that will enable them to help them rethink and reinvent how they’re currently doing things.”

The three divisions will be headquartered at the company’s offices in Forrestfield, Perth, in Western Australia.

Truck & Shovel conference gains Singapore Mining Club support

Automation, Careers in mining, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The inaugural Truck & Shovel conference is now just over seven weeks away and the stage is set for an exciting event looking into the future of the global loading and haulage industry.

With topics such as automation, digitalisation, fleet management, and tyre and fuel optimisation on the agenda, there will be much to discuss at the 1.5-day event, taking place at the InterContinental Singapore, Middle Road, on September 19-20.

In addition to gaining the support of Komatsu Mining (Platinum Sponsor), Zyfra Mining (Gold Sponsor) and Mining Industry Professionals (Media Sponsor), IM Events is pleased to announce that the Singapore Mining Club has backed this global event.

Truck & Shovel 2019 will now be held in association with the Singapore Mining Club, an influential group that exists to promote development of Singapore as the pre-eminent regional hub for the management and financing of mining enterprises.

We chose Singapore for this global event for several reasons, including:

  • Many of the big mining companies have procurement and marketing hubs in this Asian metropolis;
  • It acts as a gateway through to key mining hubs such as Australia, India, China and Indonesia, and;
  • It has good transport links and an excellent reputation for event hospitality.

Taking place in Ballroom I and II of the InterContinental Singapore, this event has attracted a number of high-profile speakers that have masses of industry knowledge to share with delegates.

We plan to kick off the day with a keynote from Komatsu Mining’s Jason Knuth (Senior Manager – Data Solutions) and Simon Van Wegen (Product Manager – Data Solutions) on ‘Data-driven designs for dynamic mining environments’.

The duo, who have spoken at many high profile conferences around the world, are set to reveal how advanced mining original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are leveraging the plethora of data nodes on smart equipment to adapt equipment and design solutions for the modern mine environment.

Mikhail Makeev, Global Business Director, Zyfra Mining, is set to continue this digitalisation theme during his catchily-titled ‘How to make your mine “rock”’ presentation. The company has automation and fleet management expertise that it has applied across many mine sites, with Makeev keen to share details on these experiences.

Automation

For those focused on surface mining automation, Truck & Shovel tackles the concept from three different angles.

Drew Larsen, Director of Business Development, ASI Mining, will provide a business case for haulage automation with a presentation titled: ‘Autonomous Mining – more feasible than you might think’. The company, 34% owned by global mining OEM Epiroc, began work on a project with Barrick Gold to retrofit and automate a fleet of Komatsu 930-E Ultra Class haul trucks at the Arturo joint venture operation in Nevada, last year, and is expecting to issue news on projects with other miners in the near future.

Tony Cutler, Principal Consultant, OTR Global, will be tackling automation from a different stance in his ‘Factoring tyres into autonomous haulage’ presentation. Research from the leading mining OEMs offering autonomous haulage systems (AHS) indicates these systems have the potential to prolong tyre life, a claim Cutler will interrogate up on stage.

And Steve Russell, Director – Mining, Scott Technology Ltd, will be looking at autonomous refuelling in his talk. With a title of ‘Robofuel Robotic Refuelling – A safety and productivity initiative for the 21st Century Mine’, he will highlight case studies that showcase just how effective this process is in an open-pit mining context.

Equipment design and innovation

The look and feel of loading and haulage equipment hasn’t changed dramatically over the past few decades, but with mining companies and OEMs now receiving data in real time about how trucks and excavators are operating and interacting with each other, one would expect these design blueprints to, in the future, be altered in some way – for example Komatsu’s cabless haul truck concept.

Taking on this topic at the event will be Christopher B Althausen, Director of Sales & Marketing for Pioneer Solutions LLC, and Brad Rogers, CEO of Bis Industries.

Althausen’s presentation, ‘Mining truck design and development: challenges, hurdles and solutions’, looks at his and his company’s experiences approaching haul truck design over many decades. Rogers’ talk, meanwhile, focuses on ‘Innovation in minesite haulage’. With Bis Industries now having successful trials of its revolutionary Rexx haul truck in its back pocket, delegates will look forward to hearing all about the proven productivity benefits of using this 20-wheel machine.

Maximising payload

The first day of the event will finish with a packed session on truck bodies and excavator buckets where four speakers will highlight just how effective customised solutions can be in the open-pit mining environment.

Carl Samuelson, Global Business Support Manager, Metso Haul Truck Solutions, will talk about successes the mining OEM has had with its hybrid haul truck tray, the Metso Truck Body, while David Pichanick, Global Manager Market Development & Innovation, Austin Engineering, will reveal how thinking ‘outside the box’ and changing the way the company uses materials in dump bodies and buckets has had an impact on safety and productivity. Tom Smith, Engineering Manager at DT HiLoad, rounds out the truck body talk, presenting, ‘HERCULES: The Strongest Tray in Earth’.

Ian Cornfoot, Managing Director of G&G Mining, has the honour of closing day one with a presentation on the use of customised excavator buckets titled, ‘Moving Rocks Not Steel – “Productive innovations in earthmoving buckets”’.

Fuel efficiency and management

As has been well documented, fuel efficiency is key when it comes to open-pit mining, with optimised fuel selection and management often keeping the cost per tonne down.

This topic kicks off day two of the event, with Kevin Dagenais, CEO of Blutip Technologies, looking at the use of predictive modelling techniques to target mining inefficiencies in this space. Sean Birrell, Group Product Officer, FluidIntel, follows closely behind him on ‘Analytics opportunities in fuel and lubricant management – unseen risks & untapped value in your supply chain & operations’, with Joao Silveirinha, Chief Technology Officer of Banlaw, rounding out the fuel talk with a talk titled, ‘Digital Transformation and Automation as it relates to the management of Hydrocarbons in Mining’.

Safety and training

The last session of the conference is all on safety and training, with two speakers keen to talk up the benefits of these in open-pit mining where accidents can cost lives and machines.

Daniel Bongers, Chief Technology Officer of SmartCap Technologies, will present, ‘Zero fatigue incidents achieved – moving to alertness monitoring’ in his 30-minute slot, with Graham Upton, Director of Business Development at simulator specialist, Doron Precision Systems Inc, following him with ‘Shovel and Truck, side-by-side Coordinated Training’.

For details of how to register for this event, or access the full program, please visit the website: https://im-mining.com/truck-and-shovel/

Please note, all company delegations of two or more people are entitled to a discount. Get in touch with Editorial Director, Paul Moore ([email protected]), or Editor, Dan Gleeson ([email protected]), for more information.