Tag Archives: Rexx

Bis’ Rexx, Razor and HUGO solutions up for sale

Automation, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , ,

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 looking at hybrid, electric and automated Rexx haul truck variants, Peate says

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Bis is already offering clients a “step change in flexibility and efficiency” with its Rexx haul truck, but Chief Development Officer, Todd Peate, says the company has plans to offer hybrid, electric and automated versions of the 160 t payload vehicle as it looks to offer customers a further boost in productivity and their environmental footprint.

Speaking in a blog post on Bis’ website, Peate said the launch of Rexx, a solution that can come out of pit and travel up to 30 km while reducing fuel consumption up to 40%, is a fantastic example of a lower cost approach to running mining fleets.

Rexx was launched in 2018, with Peate saying six customers have been running detailed trials of this solution during 2019 and 2020 as part of fleet replenishment and cost optimisation project assessments.

Among these are trials at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine and Glencore’s Murrin Murrin operation, both in Western Australia.

“Rexx speaks directly to improvements in environmental footprint and productivity for our customers,” he said, adding that, in Bis’ short- to medium-term roadmap, variants will be available in both hybrid and electric forms, with the existing solution capable to be retrofitted with automation capability.

“With the success of Rexx and feedback from the market, we have a roadmap for a product family that will see Rexx continue to grow well into the back end of this decade and beyond,” he said.

Meanwhile, in other areas, Bis is developing a “category disruptor” in the underground market in the early part of 2021, Peate said.

He concluded with the news: “From an automation point of view, we’ll be bringing something to the market very soon in the form of an offering that has potential application for not only our equipment, but for all equipment in the industry.

“Stay tuned!”

Bis Razor makes the cut for Whitehaven Coal operation

Coal technology, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , ,

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.

Innovations in mine site haulage on show at Truck & Shovel

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Bis has been causing a storm in the open-pit haulage sector with its innovative Rexx truck. Fitted with 20 wheels, the machine combines the distance capacity of a traditional off-road haulage solution with the ability to go out of pit.

Virginie Hannah, Group Manager Innovation and Product Delivery, Bis Industries, will be talking all about this innovation at the Truck & Shovel Conference, in Singapore, September 19-20, during her presentation, ‘Innovations in mine site haulage‘. Attendees will be looking forward to hearing all about the mine site trial success stories the company has had with Rexx at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine in Australia and Glencore’s Murrin Murrin operation, also in Australia.

Bis has a culture of customer-driven innovation, with a strong focus on innovation in mine site haulage for reduced costs, improved productivity and better community and safety outcomes. Its game-changing truck, Rexx, was introduced to the market late last year.

The company explained: “The idea for Rexx came about when Bis leaders recognised a problem in double handling product when it was being moved from pit to processing. The solution was a 20-wheeled, long range, out-of-pit hauler that would combine the distance capacity of a traditional off road haulage solution with the ability to go out of pit.”

Bis says Rexx offers a range of competitive advantages, moving resources more efficiently and delivering greater profitability for customers.

The company’s culture of curiosity and innovation has driven the business from its early days, and has recently seen it listed as one of Australia’s most innovative companies by The Australian Financial Review.

To hear Hannah speak at this International Mining Events conference – along with 17 other speakers – click here to register.

Truck & Shovel conference gains Singapore Mining Club support

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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.

Bis secures four-year contract extension at Glencore-owned Murrin Murrin mine

Base metals, Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Bis says it has extended its haulage and site services contracts for Minara Resources at its Murrin Murrin nickel mine in Western Australia’s north-eastern Goldfields.

The multi-year extension will see Bis extend its longstanding partnership with Minara, wholly-owned by Glencore, where it has been delivering a range of services at Murrin Murrin since the operation began in 1998.

Bis’ services at Murrin Murrin include haulage and haul and road maintenance services, calcrete services, and bulk logistics services. The Murrin Murrin site also recently hosted Bis’ new innovative haul truck, Rexx, as part of its trials in working mines across Western Australia.

Bis Chief Operating Officer, Michael Porter, said: “We are proud to have been part of the Minara operations for over 20 years, working in collaboration with Minara to deliver safe and innovative solutions that add value to their operation. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with our colleagues at Murrin Murrin.”

Bis’ 20-wheel Rexx haul truck up for the challenge at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine

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Rexx, the 20-wheel mine haul truck designed and built by Bis, has been drafted in for a challenging assignment at the Granny Smith gold mine in Western Australia, Bis says.

The Gold Fields-owned mine, near Laverton, identified the dual powered 20-wheel dump truck as being suitable for the task of helping shift thousands of tonnes of waste material out of the Wallaby Pit to a stockpile 15 km away.

Bis CEO, Brad Rogers, said the campaign not only capitalised on Rexx’s strengths, including its versatility and range, but also provided a challenging environment to further test the truck in different conditions.

“Rexx is performing extremely well at the mine, proving its ability to come out of the Wallaby pit with a 160-t payload,” he said. “As part of the testing during the trial, Rexx has also completed numerous hill starts fully loaded, on the incline.”

Rogers said the work at Granny Smith provided a “perfect demonstration” of the range capability of the new truck, with Rexx required to complete round trips of 30 km from the pit to the stockpile location.

He added that Rexx has more than four times the distance capability of competing dump trucks and an on-demand power system that lowers fuel consumption. The vehicle also has the capacity to carry enough fuel for at least two 12 hour shifts, eliminating downtime needed for refuelling.

Granny Smith General Manager, Andrew Bywater, said: “We are embracing innovation and technology across our mining operations and this is a great example of how we can work with our business partners to create advances in the industry. We see this as a real opportunity to explore potential improvements in trucking efficiency, and are encouraged by what we have seen to date.”

The work at Granny Smith follows extensive testing at Glencore’s Murrin Murrin mine where Rexx proved its ability to deliver up to a 30% reduction in operating costs, compared with conventional dump trucks.

The truck has also operated fully loaded in pits below the water table and handled the sticky and boggy conditions with ease, Bis said.

Rogers said the versatility of Rexx, including interchangeable bins, had sparked interest not only in the resources industry – internationally and in Australia – but with potential customers across a range of sectors including construction and civil.

“Rexx is the latest example of how Bis finds the best and inventive ways to haul, transport, handle, process and deliver our customers’ critical commodities,” he said.

Bis has been shortlisted for the Australian Financial Review Most Innovative Company awards, which is set to be announced in August 2019.

Bis’ Rexx 20-wheel dump truck impresses at Glencore’s Murrin Murrin mine

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Bis Industries says its “revolutionary” new mining haul truck has delivered outstanding results in trials at Glencore’s Murrin Murrin nickel mine in the north-eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

Known as Rexx, the dual powered 20-wheel dump truck has been designed with a range of features specifically incorporated to deliver savings to Bis customers, the company said. Rexx has more than four times the range of conventional dump trucks, outstanding manoeuvrability, operator comfort and maintainability plus on demand power that lowers fuel consumption, according to Bis.

Bis CEO Brad Rogers said the testing at Murrin Murrin mine has been carried out in `real-life’ operating conditions and the results to date indicated Rexx had the capacity to deliver up to a 30% reduction in operating costs compared with conventional dump trucks. These savings will be delivered to miners as part of Bis’ integrated haulage solution, it added.

Rogers said one area of the savings that could be passed on to Bis customers in haulage costs was average fuel use by Rexx, which was around half the fuel consumed by equivalent competing dump trucks.

“The fuel savings are a direct consequence of Rexx being designed with patented on-demand power that lowers fuel consumption,” the company said. “The vehicle has the capacity to carry enough fuel for at least two 12-h shifts, eliminating downtime needed for refuelling.”

Rogers said Rexx had been designed in-house by the Bis engineering team while the construction had used the talent of Western Australian tradespeople.“In Rexx we have a game changing work horse that showcases Australian innovation,” he said.

For example, the steering system enables an industry leading turning circle of just 13.5 m, allowing Rexx to manoeuvre easily in smaller spaces, the company said.

With an eye to industry trends, Rexx had also been designed and built to be easily retrofitted for autonomous operations with features including steering sensors, stability control sensors and a futuristic in-cab console, Rogers said. The console provides the operator with real-time data including pressure monitoring on all tyres and sensors for detecting bin tipping, engineering operation and payload.

Mining Manager at Murrin Murrin, David Ayres, said: “We were thrilled to be involved with Bis on this exciting project. Outside of autonomous systems, there haven’t been many major fundamental design changes in the rigid-frame off-highway game in a long time.

“The Bis design offers the ability to haul directly from pit-to-plant from a much longer distance, without the need for the re-handle step, which should save costs and reduce ore loss/dilution. Rexx solves a niche haul-distance equation,” he said.

Rexx has sparked significant interest from major miners both internationally and within Australia and a series of demonstrations are now being staged with interested customers, Bis said.

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.