HIGH PROFILE
Cummins digging deeper
As one of the leading engine suppliers to the mining
industry, Cummins says that its engines on new
equipment and in repowers are achieving both significant
cost savings as well as increased productivity
ummins states that its mining customers
report that the combination of proven
performance and advanced technology is
resulting in significant cost savings and increased
productivity. “This is true not only for new
equipment, but for repowers as well. Promises of
improved performance and lower prices are
always tempting, but the harsh nature of mining
environments always identifies the best products
and helps miners make decisions based on facts.”
C
Overpowering facts fuel repowers
“In 2015 and 2016, engine manufacturers were
faced with the decision of how to manage an
unprecedented downturn in the mining industry.
One Cummins competitor took advantage of the
situation and offered benefits that initially
attracted cash-strapped miners. They promised
fuel savings, higher performance, better reliability
and durability and, greatest of all, extremely low-
cost products. As a result of these promises, many
mines throughout North America were enticed to
try these competitive engines. Three years later,
these mining customers are looking beyond such
promises and focusing on results, which show
that most mines have better productivity and
lower cost using Cummins engines…and
customers are opting to reinstall Cummins.”
The company continues: “At the end of 2017, a
large Western US copper mine decided to replace
11 competitive engines (including two Tier 4 units)
with Cummins QSK60 engines in a fleet of
Komatsu 930E haul trucks and a LeTourneau
L1850 wheel loader. In a second US copper mine
site, the customer tested the competition’s 16-
valve diesels and found they failed to meet the
power demands required by the Komatsu 930E
trucks. Not only did the trucks move less material,
but they also burned more fuel than the Cummins
QSK78 engines. The customer decided to replace
all four of the competitive engines with Cummins
QSK78 engines. At the same time, a Western US
gold mine began testing four of the same firm’s
12-valve Tier 4 engines. Once again, promises did
not meet customer expectations, as these engines
fractured more than six main GE traction
alternator shafts, causing major downtime. To
make matters worse, this customer experienced
multiple catastrophic engine failures requiring
complete engine replacement. After contacting
their local Cummins distributor, this customer is
now in the process of repowering their equipment
with Cummins QSK60s and they are excited to
return again to peak productivity.”
Kevin Spiller, Vice President of Cummins Mining
Business, notes: “These repower successes have
been possible due to the exceptional support
provided around the clock, 365 days per year by
our Cummins technicians, our local Cummins
branches, and the dedicated efforts and
knowledge of our Regional Mining team members.”
Clear leadership At Colorado coal mine
This February, Trapper Mining in Northwest
Colorado purchased a Liebherr R 9400 excavator
to use at its Craig Station coal mining operation.
The coal that is unearthed at this site is delivered
directly to an adjoining 885 MW, coal-fired power
station.
Environmental concerns are paramount at this
site near the Yampa River, and Trapper Mining is
doing its part. The Liebherr R 9400 mining
excavator, which is powered by a Cummins QSK50
engine, is the first diesel-powered excavator to
comply with US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) exhaust emissions standards. Output for
the engine is conservatively rated at 1,675 hp
(1,250 kW).
Trapper Mining produces nearly 2 million short
tons of coal per year, which means equipment
productivity is paramount to the operation. “The
Cummins-powered Liebherr R 9400 mining
excavator doesn’t just scrape at the top layer with
its bucket. It forcefully digs its teeth deep into the
most densely packed soil, using its backhoe
configuration to penetrate the surface and achieve
maximum bucket fill. Equipped with a 37 yd 3
mining-optimised bucket, the Liebherr R 9400 is
the ideal excavator for loading 240 short ton
mining trucks.”
Michael W Morriss, President and General
Manager for Trapper Mining, has high
expectations for this unit: “We’re looking forward
to significant productivity improvements over our
previous equipment mix, and are excited about
bringing greater economies to Craig Station in the
future.”
Digging for insight
But Cummins closes by saying the innovation that
has the greatest potential impact for mining isn’t
found under the ground, or even at ground level.
“Cummins’ Data Enabled Mining Solution (DEMS)
provides real-time monitoring of equipment
uptime and availability, advanced detection of
critical situations, reduced probability of
catastrophic failures, and extended maintenance
intervals and significantly lower unplanned
downtime. It can also be used to improve operator
efficiency and utilisation. Engine data is captured
using over-the-air technology and analysed
against a global database to ensure that if a fault
code is tripped, the engineering team can check it
against comparable engines and equipment
running a similar duty cycle. The result is a more
accurate diagnosis and repair.”
Continuous mapping of air, coolant and fuel
filtration elements provides visibility into
operational efficiency, allowing users to safely
extend recommended filter change intervals. This
maximises uptime and productivity. Performance
data including idle mapping can be examined
across multiple pieces of equipment in a
Cummins-powered fleet, providing insight into the
productivity of different operators and areas for
improvement. DEMS is available globally for all
QSK50, QSK60 and QSK78 mining engines. IM
DECEMBER 2018 | International Mining 21