Tag Archives: Western Australia Iron Ore

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.

BHP looks to conserve and reinforce local water resources with asset-level CBWTs

Mine operation news, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , ,

BHP, on World Environment Day, has announced new asset-level context-based water targets (CBWT) that aim to ensure local water resources are conserved and resilient.

Unlike efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which can be tracked globally by measuring tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent released into the atmosphere, there is no single agreed metric to measure water risk and performance, BHP says. Instead, there is growing acceptance that measures chosen for reporting on water should reflect the local context.

BHP’s new CBWTs have been set for many of its operated assets and will support its Water Stewardship Position Statement. They have been developed to reflect the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate guide on ‘setting site water targets informed by catchment context’, it says.

The targets aim to ensure local water resources are conserved and resilient so they can continue to support healthy ecosystems, maintain cultural and spiritual values and sustain economic activity.

Anne Dekker and Mischa Traynor, Joint Vice Presidents Environment, say with BHP operations spanning a wide range of settings including deserts, sub-tropical regions and marine habitats, the company was committed to setting context-based water targets for its operated assets.

“The context-based water targets are based on what we heard from a broad range of stakeholders and our own assessment of water-related risks and opportunities,” they said. “They include actions to address our operational water performance (like improving water efficiency), and actions which are intented for the collective benefit of stakeholders in the region, such as sharing environmental data across water and biodiversity between companies and governments.”

An example of this will be implemented at its Western Australia Iron Ore operations where at least 50% of surplus water is to be prioritised for beneficial use to improve the sustainability of regional groundwater resources, or to generate social value.

“Preferred practice for water targets, and for nature targets more broadly, is changing as the global community builds understanding on how to set meaningful and effective corporate targets and the practical steps needed to get there,” they said. “We are proud of our new water targets and the potential for positive impact on the ground.”

Context-based water targets support BHP’s 2030 Healthy environment goal as they are expected to contribute to the protection and or restoration of water-dependent ecosystems in the vicinity of our operated assets, the company says.

Earlier this year, BHP also released the first of its Water Resources Situational Analysis reports.

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.”