Tag Archives: Razor

Bis’ Rexx, Razor and HUGO solutions up for sale

Australia-based Bis has put its innovation portfolio up for sale, a company spokesperson has confirmed.

The company, which serves numerous mining houses across Australia, handles, hauls and processes millions of tonnes of raw materials and commodities every year.

On the logistics side, it has a fleet for out-of-pit, on-road and off-pit applications. When it comes to material handling, it refers to itself as an expert in production input management, including inbound supply chain, out of pit, run of mine, processing, ship and train loading. And its underground services cover the hire of equipment, maintenance services and contract mining, and labour hire.

In the last decade or so, the company has leveraged this position and tight client relationships to develop innovative products aimed at solving a number of challenges mining companies experience – on surface and underground.

In the former category is the Bis Rexx hauler (pictured), a 160-t-payload mining truck with multiple steering and driving axles, enabling it to handle gradients of up to 12% when fully loaded while reducing fuel consumption by up to 40%. Rexx has already been widely trialled, including at Griffin Coal’s Ewington mine, Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine and Glencore’s Murrin Murrin nickel operation, all in Western Australia. Both hybrid and electric power options have been discussed in the past, in addition to the potential for retrofitted automation.

Underground, Bis has developed a specialised grader for the coal market called Razor. The key features of Razor include high engine power and grader mass that has been optimised to increase tractive effort by over 30% and the use of four gears (as opposed to three) for greater flexibility on difficult ground. Whitehaven Coal secured one of the first units after launch in 2020.

The most recent innovation to come out of Bis is the HUGO (Hybrid Underground Operations) underground mining truck. Offering payloads of up to 80 tonnes, HUGO comes with a diesel-electric hybrid power train that, the company says, meets the current need for lower emission solutions, while providing a platform for decarbonisation and development in using alternative energy sources. The truck brings a 40% increase in productivity compared with today’s largest available 60-65 t trucks and a 50% increase in speed-on-grade capability, Bis says. Late last year, the company said it had reached the next stage in the commissioning process of HUGO with Proof of Concept testing.

Bis Razor makes the cut for Whitehaven Coal operation

Bis’ latest innovation, Razor, has sparked strong interest from Australia’s mining community shortly after launching, with Whitehaven Coal securing one of the underground graders and another miner committing to taking two units.

The orders follow a product launch in October and a customer roadshow across Queensland and New South Wales in November.

Bis CEO, Brad Rogers, said: “We are delighted in the industry response for Razor, and I am pleased that two long-term customers of Bis are the first to secure the technology. Razor was designed with miners, for miners – offering a step change in efficiency and importantly, operator safety.”

The key features of Razor include high engine power and grader mass that has been optimised to increase tractive effort by over 30%. Bis says it designed the grader with safety front-of-mind, resulting in a modular drivers’ cabin that improves ergonomics and a safer, more reliable, braking system.

The key features of Razor, according to Bis, include:

  • Fifty-five percent greater engine power than comparable machines;
  • Four gears rather than three, giving greater flexibility on difficult ground;
  • The operator compartment layout improves access to all controls and provides greater visibility of the blade and steering tyres;
  • Access to the cab from both sides;
  • Improved structural/fatigue integrity of the chassis; and
  • The braking system incorporates dual SAHR emergency/park brakes directly coupled to the rear drive wheels for increased safety and reliability.

Rogers continued: “Bis is a resources logistics business that is differentiated in the market by our range of patented mining solutions. We harness the talent and experience of our team and design innovations and invest in new technology which delivers efficiency improvements for our customers.”

He said the company has a pipeline of innovations planned for the sector over the coming 12-18 months, with these new products and services adding new markets and geographies to its current portfolio.

The release of Razor comes little over a year after Bis unveiled Rexx, its revolutionary 20-wheel dump truck to the market.