Category: Tech Talk

When considering the essential equipment required for a mining operation, fire pumping systems come pretty high on the list. As specialist Australian pump suppliers since 1975, Kelair Pumps Australia’s fire pumpsets are favoured by major mining companies including Rio Tinto, BHP, FMG and Glencore and are installed in mining operations across the country. Kelair Pumps offer fully equipped and tested turnkey containerised systems. Fully compliant to each mine site’s individual requirements, Kelair’s fully packaged fire pumpsets meet the requirements of AS2941 and come complete with fully piped and valved suction and discharge manifolds ensuring that installation is fast simple and meets all WHS standards. Kelair supplies diesel and electric pumpsets for fire hydrant, sprinkler, combined hydrant / sprinkler, deluge, foam,…

Australia is the creative hub for many exciting innovations in the mining industry and the new Wear Asset Monitoring (WAM) system from Alloy Steel International (ASI) is a perfect example of local ingenuity. Real-Time Wear Plate Condition Monitoring The use of wear plate to protect chutes, conveyors, truck bodies and dozens of other vulnerable areas that are in constant contact with abrasive ores or slurries is standard practice across the mining industry.  Just like sacrificial anodes, these hard steel or ceramic shields take a beating to keep plants in operation and the mine in production. However, when these wear surfaces need replacing, the cost of a shut down to repair or replace them is significant.  The cost of an unplanned…

Like all good doctors, TyreDoctor is in the business of ensuring the health of its clients, with the overall goal of preventing serious injuries and waste of resources. TyreDoctor specialises in OTR tyres for the mining and heavy earthmoving sector, with a strong presence in open-cut and underground mining operations across Eastern Australia. Its work revolves around tyre and rim repair, testing, fitting, and supply, as one of Australia’s two largest independent distributors of Michelin, Maxam, Yokohama, Goodyear, and other major OTR brands. OTR tyres are serious business. TyreDoctor specialise in 45-inch and larger – focusing on 57 and 63-inch dump truck tyres. At 4.5m in diameter, one tyre weighs 6-tonnes, which includes 2-tonnes of stainless-steel cord. An in-depth understanding…

Keeping its customers wheels turning is the number one priority of OTR Tyres, with an innovative approach to tyre repair and safety. Specialising in on-site earthmover and OTR machinery tyres, OTR Tyres’ expert team of mobile tyre technicians manage a fleet of field service units and tyre fitting trucks for all on-site fitting and maintenance. OTR Tyres combines world class facilities, tools and equipment with professional and experienced technicians to ensure tyres are serviced to the highest standards. The company offers a comprehensive range of tyre service and repair options including on-site coverage, call-outs and emergency repairs. OTR Tyres’ global sourcing and supply capacity gives it the added ability to source the right tyres and wheels for all requirements and…

A new joint venture between Australia’s largest tyre recycler Tyrecycle and Kariyarra Contracting will specialise in the processing of end-of-life (EOL) off-the-road (OTR) mine-site tyres within Western Australia’s Pilbara region. In early 2019, the Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation (KAC) became aware of a problem facing Pilbara-based mining companies relating to an intractable waste stream for which, at that time, there wasn’t an appropriate solution that avoided disposal. The waste stream relates to end-of-life, off-the-road (OTR) tyres with approximately 40,000 tonnes produced and managed in-pit (i.e. buried on-site) each year in the Pilbara region. By mid-2019, KAC had undertaken an extensive investigation into the technical and commercial feasibility of options for recycling OTR in the Pilbara. The Corporation’s due diligence identified Tyrecycle…

The Hills Rockslinger brings speed, high level accuracy and accessibility to the installation of soil, rocks, mulch at extremely high production levels of one tonne per minute.  This versatile machine has changed the nature of materials placement with its ability to place rock and soil accurately over walls, curbs and other obstacles and project to a distance of 30 – 40 meters beyond the truck location. The Hills Rockslinger increases efficiency in all major earthmoving and mining construction and rehabilitation projects, civil works, landscaping and more. The Fleet The Hills Rockslingers fleet currently consists of three machines that are suitable for use in metropolitan regions and one all-terrain machine for hard to access locations, all with remote control capacities for…

Suspended loads always present an inherent danger, particularly through unplanned moves.  However, by removing and replacing suspended loads via remote control operation, maintenance personnel are removed from high risk areas and the potential for injury from those loads. Using a Tracked Elevating Device (TED) and its range of attachments from Nivek Industries can not only improve the safety of maintenance crews working on a vast array of heavy equipment but also increase productivity during each shift. TED was developed and built in conjunction with Australian mine staff to deliver the operational and safety functions they demand.  TED’s initial role was the remote removal and replacement of belly plates, which it handles with ease due to its precise tracked drive, 800kg…

With many modern vehicles coming into service with lower GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) 6×6 AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd have created a solution that offers tremendously improved pay-loads with highly-safe and stable performance outcomes in the vehicle’s steering and ride handling department. Driving on a remote mine-site requires full confidence in handling over rough terrain, as well as the ability to carry all the necessary kit. 6×6 provides effective solutions to the various requirements in Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) capacities and in tractability upgrades for all potential applications in both on-road and/or off-road uses. 6×6 Australia has the highest levels of legal payload in the market. CEO and owner, Bob James, has been designing and building bogie-drive (6×6) conversions on light commercial…

Fleetcrew is a leading provider of mine spec light vehicles, delivering hire vehicles for short and long term hire to the eastern states from our branches in Brisbane, Dysart, Mackay and Mt Isa. Fleetcrew offers market leading 4WD hire vehicles and maintenance services for mining, construction, commercial and recreational use, as well as upgrades to vehicle GVM. Its fleet includes GVM upgraded Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series vehicles.  The upgrade provides extra carrying capacity, within legal limits, safety, and an increase in clearance, combined with the versatility of a normal 4WD vehicle. The purchase of already upgraded vehicles allows mining companies to send their vehicles out to remote sites with the confidence that they are safe and compliant. Fleetcrew initially purchase the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series as a Cab Chassis directly from…

Most light vehicles found on a mine site are used in applications that are far more demanding than that of the typical 4WD enthusiast.  As such, they require upgraded suspension systems to enable them to legally and safely carry heavier loads than their regular street variants can handle. Due to the need to comply not only with the transport codes of each individual state and territory but also the requirements of Australia’s largest mining companies, upgrading the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of any 4WD is a complex matter.  All componentry fitted to these vehicles, from springs to shock absorbers, bushes and link arms must be built to OEM or better standards and must also be engineered and exhaustively tested to…

GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) suspension upgrades have become a major consideration for vehicle fleet operators and onsite contactors over the past decade. This is due to safe operating legal load limits and insurance implications, for example, when a vehicle is involved in an accident or workplace incident. All vehicles sold by dealerships are rated to a certain GVM, which determines the maximum payload that vehicle can legally carry. There is a preference these days to fit out fleet and site vehicles with “trade mate” type bodies or site-specific body requirements in order to make vehicles “fit for purpose” for the environment or trade-related requirements they are operating in. These bodies or trays are typically of a heavy-duty construction, fitted with…