Tag Archives: thyssenkrupp

Berco bolsters Excavator Line with Cat 6020B undercarriage replacement range

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

Berco, a leader in the manufacturing and supply of undercarriages and components to OEMs and the aftermarket, has reached another milestone with the launch of its complete undercarriage replacement range for the Cat 6020B hydraulic mining shovel.

Developed specifically for the high-quality demand mining segment of the aftermarket, this is the first “non-captive” range available to purchase, according to the company. This means that aside from Cat, Berco is the only company currently capable of providing a full and significantly more affordable variety of undercarriage replacement components for this particular machine, Berco said.

Launched in 2014, the Cat 6020B is a 230 ton (224 t) excavator at the high end of the mining range. Depending on the abrasiveness of the soil, undercarriage components need to be replaced every four-to-five years, according to Berco, meaning there are significant numbers of this particular model currently due undercarriage maintenance. This number, moreover, is forecast to grow in the coming years.

To meet this demand, Berco is supplying a full range of undercarriage components including the chain, the bottom rollers, the top rollers, the drive sprocket and idlers with supports. Everything is set to be available from September onwards.

“These machines must be capable of working in harsh environments for 20-24 hours a day without stopping, because when the main excavator on a site is out of service, it has a direct knock-on effect on all of the secondary machines,” Diego Buffoni, Head of Aftermarket Berco, said. “We are particularly proud of this new range launch, which will offer a great business opportunity for our partner distributors worldwide. On top of Berco’s acclaimed high quality, which it provides, it also signifies the path we are on, which is to supply comprehensive and affordable solutions to all aftermarket customers.”

For the Cat 6020B hydraulic mining shovel range, Berco used a “reverse engineering” process to deconstruct the original equipment components. Three-dimensional material scanning was carried out to gain a complete understanding of the initial design criteria, while laboratory analysis determined the materials used as well as the heat treatments and microstructures.

“Having gained a full understanding of all of the components in question, company engineers then proceeded to develop their very own Berco-quality aftermarket undercarriage system, which is further boosted by the addition of another Berco innovation: BPR2™ (Berco Positive Pin Retention2™ system),” the company said. “This improves the working lifetime of the components by mechanically locking the link to the pin which results in the avoidance of ‘end-play generation’ and ‘pin walking’ in an undercarriage.”

For the track chain, a newly designed track link with a 350 mm pitch was produced using the “drop forged” process made from a mild carbon steel grade with boron. Unlike the original equipment product, however, the chemical composition of the Berco version is enriched with chromium to increase tensile resistance. In addition, the track bushing has a high resistance to wear. With 60 HRC hardness, it can contain pitch elongation, according to the company. The case depth has also been increased by 20-25% when compared with the original. The track pin, moreover, has deeper case depth and higher core hardiness, resulting in an improved bending load resistance, Berco said.

The track roller can, because of its lubrication and seal features, adopt an “all-weather” configuration, ranging from -40°C to 50°C. Additionally, three top rollers without a central flange support the heavy weight of the chain, and the oil filling hole has been moved to the outer collar to ensure full access to it.

With Berco’s Dozer Line already complete, the launch of its range for the Cat 6020B hydraulic mining shovel brings the company closer to finishing its Excavator Line too.

Accounting for a large portion of all aftermarket sales, Berco says the mining market segment is of particular importance to it. The company is now looking to further strengthen its position by extending its mining ranges and becoming the only high-quality alternative to OEM components.

Berco on the latest innovations in mining undercarriage solutions

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

Berco, part of the thyssenkrupp Forged Technologies Business Unit, is continuing to innovate within the undercarriage component market segment, with Francesco Grenzi, Executive Director of R&D, talking up some of the company’s most recent solutions for demanding applications like mining.

With over 100 years of experience and expertise in the industry, Berco says it manufactures and supplies undercarriage components to the world’s leading heavy machinery OEMs and to the aftermarket.

“Universally renowned for the very high quality of its products, Berco’s reputation is further bolstered by its dedication to providing tailor-made and innovative solutions for applications that operate in both unique and extreme conditions,” Grenzi says.

A recent challenge for Berco has been that of extending the number of hours of its mining excavator application.

“Because of the work efficiency of the most advanced mining excavators, as well as the extremely different working modes used in the open-pit mines, the goal of achieving 20,000 maintenance-free hours was indeed a difficult one,” Grenzi said.

The traveling rate of an undercarriage is also something that can significantly vary between applications. When blasting is being carried out, for example, the heavy machinery will naturally be evacuated from the area before detonation. In situations such as this, the use of carburised bushings is recommended to reduce the speed of wear.

For applications that do not travel frequently, however, undercarriage parts are still often subjected to wear. Continuous hammering of the front shovel, for example, may not lead to quick wear of the bushings, but can cause other side effects such as cracks on bushings.

Berco’s solution in this case was to use both quenched and tempered, and induction hardening and tempering bushings, as well as a quenched and tempered steel with boron to increase hardenability. These specially produced bushings deliver even more added value when fitted on reinforced chains, Grenzi said.

This solution, which is designed for heavy application such as for track chains used on 200-400 t machines, provides high resistance to wear as well as outstanding resistance to impact, according to Grenzi. Being capable of achieving up to 20,000 hours of use in the field, it ultimately reduces ownership and undercarriage costs. Since November 2020, they have been fitted as original equipment on two of the machines the manufacturer has built to perform in Russia’s most extreme environments.

While heavy machinery manufacturers look to Berco for tailor-made solutions, the company goes one step further by placing a large emphasis on R&D to anticipate solutions that are ever-more innovative, Grenzi says. An example of this is the use of ‘rotoforged’ steel in the production of rollers for very demanding mining applications.

This pioneering process will bring significant benefits to machines that have a huge load transfer in their working times, such as mining excavators that weigh above 200 t. For applications of this size and even heavier (350-400 t), the rollers are under pressure as they take all of the inertia of the vehicle. This means that the rollers need to be made of “perfect steel”, which is why the ‘rotoforging’ process is ideal, according to Grenzi.

Steel that has undergone this heat treatment process acquires a high microstructure and compactness, to such an extent it is able to achieve toughness values double those of conventional steel, he said. Continuous casting steel is usually rolled. Rolled steel that undergoes the new ‘rotoforging’ process has its microstructure transformed down to the core, resulting in a much stronger and tougher structure.

“For this reason, rollers made from ‘rotoforged’ steel are suitable for machines which must operate in the most demanding environments around the globe,” Grenzi said. “They offer a very high level of reliability of between 15,000-20,000 hours. This innovation is now ready to enter production.”

thyssenkrupp rail-mounted stacker handed over to BHP South Flank

Bulk handling, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

thyssenkrupp says it has handed over the world’s largest rail-mounted stacker to its client BHP for the South Flank iron ore development in Western Australia,

The first stacker among a “trio of giants”, ST-04 took more than three years of research and design development in six countries, and two years of significant local fabrication, construction and commissioning processes, thyssenkrupp said.

Over the next few months, it will gradually ramp up its operating capacity of 20,000 t/h.

The engineering company was awarded this contract − one of its largest ever fabrication and construction projects in Western Australia − by BHP back in late 2018.

Under the €150 million ($181 million) contract, thyssenkrupp was to supply two stackers that deposit iron ore into stockyards for loading, and a reclaimer for loading the ore onto trains for transport to Port Hedland. The machines’ capacity of 20,000 t/h made them the largest rail-mounted stackers and reclaimers in the world, according to the company.

Primero has been helping thyssenkrupp in this pursuit, carrying out pre-assembly of the machines at its Australian Marine Complex, in Henderson, Western Australia.

In BHP’s half year results to December 31 released earlier this week, it said South Flank remained on budget and on track to deliver first production by mid-2021. The company expects the operation to ramp up to 80 Mt/y of output, helping replace production from the existing Yandi mine, which is reaching the end of its economic life.

thyssenkrupp wins semi-mobile-crushing-plant contract in India coal hub

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining software, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , ,

thyssenkrupp has been awarded a contract to supply three semi-mobile-crushing-plants (SMCP) to a major open-pit coal mine in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh, India, namely the Jayant mine of Northern Coalfields Ltd, a division of state compay Coal India. The plants will be used for a new 15 Mt/y coal handling plant (CHP).

Looking to boost production from 10 Mt/y to 25 Mt/y, the miner is implementing an in-pit crushing and conveying system utilising the in-pit SMCP for the CHP, which will, thyssenkrupp says, make the production process more efficient and stable.

thyssenkrupp won the contract from an India-based engineering procurement and construction contractor, SK Samanta. It involves the complete design, engineering, manufacturing and supply, and “TAG services” for the three semi-mobile crushing plants.

The plants consist out of three separate modules. The receiving hopper module comes with a 2.2 m wide and 10.5 m long, heavy-duty apron feeder, which can be fed by trucks and has a capacity of around 150 tons (136 t).

The heart of each plant is the crusher module, which uses a RollSizer DRS 1,000 x 2,250 (centre distance x length of the roller) for a maximum feed capacity of 1,900 t/h.

The third module is the electrical building with the operator room. By separating this module from the crusher module, the operators and electrical equipment are not exposed to any vibrations from the crushing process. This ensures the plants meet all requirements from a health and safety perspective, while guaranteeing a long life of the electrical equipment, thyssenkrupp said.

“Compared to stationary crushing plants, SMCPs are more flexible and can be relocated when the distance between the mining area and the crushing plant increases and, thereby, can reduce the cost for transport of the run of mine material significantly,” thyssenkrupp said.

“thyssenkrupp can look back on a long history of supplying fully-mobile, semi-mobile, and stationary crushing plants, which makes the company a leading partner for the engineering, construction and service of industrial plants and systems for the coal industry.”

thyssenkrupp reaches new milestone on Rio EII facility

Bulk handling, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

Just over a month after declaring the first ore aboard a new stacker at the bulk handling facilities of Rio Tinto’s East Intercourse Island (EII) facility, thyssenkrupp says it has achieved another milestone at the sustaining capital project in the Port of Dampier, Western Australia.

First ore has now arrived on Stacker ST2EN, according to the company, with two of the three stackers now installed as part of the project, which involves the manufacture, installation and commissioning of three replacement stackers and associated equipment as part of an almost A$70 million ($39.8 million) upgrade.

When the upgrade was announced back in August 2017, Rio said design and fabrication work was expected to commence in 2018, with installation and commissioning anticipated in late 2020.

Rio also said at the time that thyssenkrupp Australia would manufacture, assemble and fabricate the stackers required for the refurbishment before transporting the 1,860 t of stacker weight to the Pilbara.

thyssenkrupp to deliver next gen gyratory crushers to Iron Bridge magnetite project

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

thyssenkrupp is to make history in Australia, with plans to install KB 63-130 type gyratory crushers at the jointly owned Iron Bridge magnetite project, in Western Australia.

The company said its mining business unit had been awarded consecutive contracts to supply these two gyratory crushers and a radial stacker for Iron Bridge, which is a joint venture between Fortescue Metals Group subsidiary FMG Iron Bridge and Formosa Steel IB Pty Ltd.

Iron Bridge will be a new magnetite mine, around 145 km south of Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Delivery of first ore is scheduled for mid-2022.

Johann Rinnhofer, CEO of thyssenkrupp’s mining business in Australia, said: “We are proud to be part of this project and excited to install two of thyssenkrupp’s next generation gyratory crushers here in Western Australia. These high capacity crushers are considered to be the largest and most powerful in the world and are unrivalled when it comes to crushing blasted hard rock and ore.”

The KB 63-130 type gyratory crushers will be the largest ever installed in Australia, according to thyssenkrupp, with the crushers processing raw iron ore material from the pit and transfering it to a receiving conveyor.

The slewing and luffing radial stacker, meanwhile, will be used to stack secondary crushed magnetite iron ore onto a stockpile at the mine.

The Iron Bridge project will deliver 22 Mt/y (wet) of high grade 67% Fe magnetite concentrate product, according to FMG.

The first stage of the project was completed successfully by building and operating a full-scale pilot plant at the North Star mine site. This pilot project included the use of a dry crushing and grinding circuit, which FMG plans to leverage in stage two.

The second stage of the project comprises the construction of a large-scale process plant, and port
infrastructure to support the production of 22 Mt/y (wet).

Primero lays foundations for world’s largest rail mounted stackers, reclaimer

Bulk handling, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

Primero Group looks set to hit the June 30 deadline for the pre-assembly of two stackers and one “off-reclaim machine” for thyssenkrupp at the BHP-owned South Flank iron ore project, in Western Australia.

In an update posted today, Primero said it was nearing completion of the pre-assembly and dressing out of 24 machine modules for thyssenkrupp, with the last of these modules being “punch listed” and signed off in preparation for shipment.

The modules will complete the world’s largest rail mounted stackers and reclaimer, which are currently under construction on site in the state. thyssenkrupp said previously that the rail mounted stacker/reclaimer units will have a loading capacity of 20,000 t/h.

Primero has been carrying out the work at the Australian Marine Complex, in Henderson, south of Perth, Western Australia, with the company saying over 10 km of cable, 2 km of piping and 200 m of conveyors had been installed. The project has seen Primero reach 75,000 project hours loss time injury free, it added.

The Primero contract commenced last year and was expected to be completed in the current Australia financial year, ending June 30, 2020.

The $4.6 billion South Flank iron ore project will be one of the largest iron ore processing hubs in the world when operating. It includes an 80 Mt/y crushing and screening plant, an overland conveyor system and rail-loading facilities. The mine will replace production from BHP’s Yandi mine, which is nearing the end of its life.

Construction began in July 2018 and first production of iron ore is anticipated in 2021.

New thyssenkrupp stacker starts up at Rio Tinto’s East Intercourse Island facility

Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , ,

thyssenkrupp is celebrating the first ore aboard a new stacker at the bulk handling facilities of Rio Tinto’s East Intercourse Island (EII), in the Port of Dampier, Western Australia.

The engineering company confirmed this week that “Stacker ST1EN” had reached the iron ore milestone at the project, which involves the manufacture, installation and commissioning of three replacement stackers and associated equipment as part of an almost A$70 million ($39.8 million) upgrade.

When the upgrade was announced back in August 2017, Rio said design and fabrication work was expected to commence in 2018, with installation and commissioning anticipated in late 2020.

Rio also said at the time that thyssenkrupp Australia would manufacture, assemble and fabricate the stackers required for the refurbishment before transporting the 1,860 t of stacker weight to the Pilbara.

Mondelphous strengthens BHP ties in Western Australia

Base metals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

Monadelphous Group has secured a number of contracts across Western Australia with BHP as part of a package of construction and maintenance agreements worth circa-A$110 million ($75 million).

The news comes on top of existing maintenance and other contracts the company has previously secured with the major mining company.

These include a contract at the BHP-owned Mining Area C iron ore mine site in the Pilbara, where Monadelphous will provide upgrades to existing conveyer equipment, and power switching and stackers. Work is expected to be completed in the September quarter of 2020.

The engineering firm has also won a contract for the provision of services associated with the demolition and rehabilitation of a number of end-of-life facilities at Nelson Point in Port Hedland. This contract is expected to commence in January 2020 and will be completed in the September quarter of 2020.

Monadelphous will also carry out a 12-month extension to its existing contract with BHP’s Nickel West division for the provision of maintenance, shutdowns and off-site repair services at the Kalgoorlie nickel smelter.

Lastly with BHP, the company has been awarded a contract with thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (Australia) for the construction of a reclaimer and two stackers at BHP’s South Flank project in the Pilbara. thyssenkrupp has previously said these will be the largest rail mounted stacker/reclaimers in the world, with a loading capacity of 20,000 t/h.

Monadelphous’ work is expected to be completed in the March quarter of 2021.

In Queensland, meanwhile, the ASX-listed company has secured a three-year contract for the provision of general mechanical and maintenance services as part of Incitec Pivot’s scheduled turnarounds for its Queensland manufacturing facilities, it said.

thyssenkrupp to deliver jaw gyratory crusher to Roy Hill iron ore mine

Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

thyssenkrupp is to install the first above ground jaw gyratory crusher in Australia at the Roy Hill iron ore mine, in the Pilbara of Western Australia, following an agreement signed with the mining company.

Located 340 km southeast of Port Hedland, Roy Hill has integrated mine, rail and port facilities and produces 55 Mt/y of iron ore, with approval to increase to 60 Mt/y.

The new crusher will be designed for high performance and cost-effective operation, ie low servicing and maintenance costs, according to thyssenkrupp.

Ben Suda, Head of Sales at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (Australia), said: “We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to be supplying Roy Hill with a new primary jaw gyratory crusher. This is the third order for such machine within a short time in Australia. It shows once again the confidence our customers in the country place in crushing equipment from thyssenkrupp.”

The jaw gyratory crusher is characterised by an especially enlarged feed opening, according to thyssenkrupp. It is normally serrated and, together with the upper part of the mantle, forms the initial crushing zone. The coarsely crushed material is then reduced to the desired product size in the crushing chamber below.

Jaw gyratory crushers can handle much bigger chunks of material than comparable gyratory crushers of the same mantle diameter and feature a higher crushing ratio, with less tendency to become clogged in the feed zone as a result of bridging, the company concluded.