Category: Tech Talk

The beauty of engineering is its design and construct tools and equipment to increase the volume and efficiency of human endeavours.  The mighty haul truck is an iconic example, able to move more material in one load than over 8000 workers with buckets. However, machines might make light of the toughest work but they also wear out and require regular repairs and maintenance to keep them operating shift after shift.  Our current line boring technical feature covers an important area of maintenance, where the pin bores of almost every hydraulically operated machine must eventually be bored back to round, reclaimed with weld and machined back to a tight OEM tolerance – all while remaining in perfect alignment with all the…

In the mining industry, line boring is an essential part of machinery upkeep. Every large machine that mine operators depend on, from dozers to excavators, haul trucks to cranes, will require a pin bore refurbishment during its life cycle. The process involves the use of specialised rotary welders and line boring machines which restore worn or oval pin bores to a perfectly circular shape before this oversized hole is then reclaimed with weld before being machined to OEM specifications. AMR spoke to line boring specialists, Austin Engineering, about what goes on in the line boring process – both in-house and onsite. Near and Far Austin Engineering, founded in 1982 with a national and international reach, offers its customers line boring…

Hydraulic drive pumps for insitu line boring and surface facing have historically been heavy for operators to handle and lacked control and power at low cutting speeds.  AVS Engineering, in Bellevue WA, has recently released a brand new innovation in this area – a DC servo controlled hydraulic pump. The new pump is the result of extensive design, development and testing in WA and is based on AVS’s need for more consistency and control in their own jobs on mine sites across the state.  The product they have developed is now available for sale to other onsite machining companies. Conventional hydraulic pump controllers for these applications regulate cutting speed by restricting the flow of fluid to the pump.  This creates…

Mining is a high-risk, high-reward enterprise, the success of which is dependent on a range of factors. For companies involved in the exploration phase of mining, and for those in the capital markets who invest in mineral exploration, the risk-reward ratio and the problem of uncertainty is perhaps even more extreme. And though uncertainty is pervasive, the JORC code means ASX-listed mining companies must abide by a strictly enforced uniform resource reporting standard and be as accurate and detailed as possible in their reports to investors. Therefore, accurate information is the foundation for success, and whether it is an established mine looking to extend their reserves, or a company engaged in remote greenfields exploration, the enterprise with the sharpest picture…

Imagine having to machine a bucket wheel excavator so big it needed to have the surrounding shed walls torn down to move it for servicing. But that sort of task is all in a day’s work for Victoria-based rotary welding and line boring specialist Metro Machining, a small engineering company that has earned a big reputation. Bucket wheels combine robustness with outstanding speed and high throughputs and are used worldwide in the handling of bulk materials such as coal, iron ore, petroleum coke, limestone, bauxite, lignite, phosphate, and other kinds of ore. These excavators are the largest machines found on mine sites, and it’s no surprise that one of them is the largest land vehicle built in human history, measuring…

Supporting mining projects throughout the Bowen Basin and Queensland, Emerald-based Centurion is a major provider of mobile cranes for all applications. Its fleet of cranes range from 20t to 250t and are operated by a team of highly skilled and experienced operators. Centurion is a full logistics solutions provider delivering a comprehensive range of distribution, warehousing, and specialised services. The company’s extensive transport fleet of more than 2000 vehicles and specialised equipment, coupled with an unsurpassed branch network in key centres across Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, ensures a flexible and reliable supply chain solution. Its fleet of cranes service local mines as well as agriculture, building and construction and railway industries. The Centurion depot in Emerald holds cranes for all mining…

Water scale is a major issue in mining operations affecting equipment as diverse as cooling towers to fire hydrant systems. Limescale build-up is a major cause of decreased performance for a wide range of critical mining infrastructure and can lead to costly equipment failures and increased risks of safety incidents such as boiler overpressures and explosions. Triple7 EnviroScale Plus is a unique and highly concentrated limescale and calcium remover designed to meet the challenges of the mining, oil and gas industry. Limescale is a hard chalky deposit, consisting mainly of calcium carbonate and builds up inside tanks and piping especially in hot water systems. Deposits from when the water evaporates leave the mineral behind. It is also often found as…

Allied Heat Transfer offers a fully comprehensive end-to-end service for all heating and cooling of liquids for critical plant and equipment. From design, to manufacture, to repair, it has the expertise and capability in everything from thermal mechanical design, recommendation, and supply of materials, to repairing and fabricating replacement components. As well as manufacturing, repairing, and servicing parts, it also supplies a large range of stock products. It holds parts for an extensive range of machinery for heavy equipment, from small coolers right through to large industrial radiators, fans and anything else with components found in cooling or heating units. OEM parts for Australian conditions AHT’s highly trained engineers and technicians are specialists in assessing OEM equipment that is either…

Tank maintenance presents ongoing challenges to mining companies which rely on a consistent water supply for ongoing processes and operations on-site. Cracked and leaking tanks can be remediated installing a heavy duty polymeric liner, presenting a cost-effective and long-lasting alternative to replacing the entire tank. And when it comes to tank lining, Fabric Solutions Australia is the expert. The company is a leading provider of custom design, fabrication and installation of liquid containment solutions, architectural fabrication and fabric products. It utilises the highest quality materials, first-rate knowledge and a brand that has been trusted to deliver quality fabric solutions for decades. Applications of its products include dam liners, tank liners, cavity and void tank liners, onion and flexi tanks for…

Dust suppression has taken on higher consideration in the mining industry lately, with the release of a new review of regulations for acceptable levels of mineral and chemical dust volumes by WorkSafe. With the re-emergence of coal miner’s pneumoconiosis and silicosis, the occupational exposure limit for respirable dust at coal mines was dropped to 2.5mg/m3 in November 2019, with a further drop to 1.5mg/m³ expected with the release of the review. That’s why dust suppression systems have increased importance and in usage in recent years, with one of the most popular being Tecpro Australia’s automatic and autonomous dust suppression units, designed and manufactured in Italy by EmiControls. According to Tecpro Australia’s Patrick Cooper, EmiControls systems ensure high level dust suppression…

Austin Engineering is a leading designer and manufacturer of mining equipment, including the reputable JEC and WESTECH brand, bringing more than 50 years’ experience in engineering and manufacturing equipment for the mining industry. Austin partners with top companies and OEMs to engineer customised solutions to mining challenges. Its highly sought-after quality products include dump truck bodies, buckets, tyre handlers, ancillary equipment, engineering solutions and a new range of patented, innovative water tanks. Austin Engineering’s range of water tanks are designed with an innovative baffle which greatly reduces the effects of surging to allow a more stable and safer operating water tank option. Baffles?are flow-directing vanes or panels used in tanks to direct the flow of?fluids?for maximum efficiency. The baffles interlock in an eggcrate formation providing accuracy in manufacturing with increased structural…