HEAVY ENGINEERING
ground-breaking solution into Terrafame’s
Sotkamo operation, in Finland. It also recently
won an order to deliver two bodies to Boliden’s
Aitik copper mine in Gällivare, Sweden, in
addition to supplying rubber truck bed linings for
five more haul trucks at the mine.
The results have, so far, been impressive,
Henrik Persson, Director, Lining Products, Metso,
told IM in the interview, saying a noise reduction
of up to 50% – “or 10-15 decibels” – had been
recorded in trials. An up to 97% decrease in
vibration had also experienced by operators.
Much of this is thanks to the elastic rubber
lining of the truck body, which absorbs the
energy of every impact. Not only does it dampen
the effects of loading, it also allows for a lighter
steel structure, which means more payload can
be hauled per round, while, at the same time,
burning less fuel.
In fact, Metso says its new truck bodies weigh,
on average, 20-30% less than original equipment
bodies, enabling 6-10% more ore to be hauled.
“Our latest innovation…[combines] the wear
protection and working environment benefits of
rubber with the payload-maximising abilities of a
lightweight body,” Metso said.
Another benefit with the rubber lining system
is the system modularity, Persson said,
explaining that single elements can be switched
out when they have become worn down or
damaged, reducing the cost and time associated
with maintenance. These modular lining
changeouts do not require air arcing or heavy
welding work – which is normally involved with a
conventional steel lining. Instead, all that is
needed is a stud welding process.
On top of this, the company has options for
customers that often suffer carry-back problems
when loading and hauling materials such as iron
ore and coal. A flexible lining, low friction
material, or combination of the two, can be
installed to minimise such issues, Metso said.
Still within the truck body field, Austin
Engineering says a unique ‘V’ profile floor,
designed to actively channel the load to the
centre of the tray, is one of the standout design
features of its new Ultima dump truck body.
Designed and manufactured by the Australia-
based engineer, the new body also features
improved structural integrity and payload
advantages, the company said.
Based on Austin’s WESTECH, JEC and JEC-LD
series of bodies, the new tray is lighter and
stronger than current OEM bodies, according to
Austin Engineering. This translates to a 10-15%
weight saving without sacrificing payload,
according to the company.
Austin calls the Ultima the next generation in
mining dump bodies, able to carry a greater
payload, meeting all OEM dump truck
specifications.
“By channelling the payload to centre line of
the tray, the unique V-floor, with its lower centre
of gravity, improves machine stability and safety
and reduces overall tray wear,” the company
said. “The floor design also reduces dump cycle
times (empty is achieved at 3/4 tipping).”
The body also features large radius transitions
to assist in the reduction of material carry-back,
which also provide superior impact resistance
and substantially extend operating life, Austin
Engineering said.
“Overall the optimised shape of the Ultima
body means better material distribution within
the structure while maintaining the
payload/weight advantage,” the company said.
The new body’s increased structural integrity
gives superior impact and wear resistance,
extends fatigue life and lowers maintenance
costs, according to the company. Tapered sides
run the full length of the body to minimise wear,
assist in carry-back reduction and reduce side
spillage in the dumping cycle, while a low-profile
rear floor shape, combined with a reduced height
bolster, provide additional ground clearance
when dumping.
The body is available in both ‘Straight Floor’ or
‘Flow Control Combo’ designs to cater for fixed or
varying SG values and is designed to operate as
a liner-less configuration.
“It can be adapted to suit any mine-specific
application, is suitable for any current OEM
dump truck chassis and is designed to comply