REBUILDS & REPAIRS
H-E Parts ' Birrana™ portfolio includes mining truck mechanical drive wheel group redesign and manufacturing
innovations are available globally as applicationspecific components that improve service life and machine availability . Some of the H-E Parts innovations under the Birrana™ brand include planetary and brake redesigns ; underground drive axle design and manufacture ; gearing , differential , final drive , and other major component design and re-manufacture ; mechanical drive wheel group redesign and manufacturing ; Birrana™ oil sample plugs , brake wear gauges & collated pins ; electric drive wheel group redesign & manufacturing ; and suspension systems .
Looking in detail at options for wheel groups , in order to achieve substantial improvements and offer distinct value to our customers , the dedicated team utilise proprietary Birrana™ technologies such as the Birrana™ Flexible Spacer , which is available for both front and rear wheel groups . It fits over the spindle in between the wheel bearing cones and acts as a spring to provide a lateral clamp force on the bearing cones . “ This assists in preventing cone rotation on the spindle and reduces associated wear . Use of the Birrana™ flexible spacer means bearing pre-load is maintained and wheel bearing life is improved .”
The Birrana™ Hardened Spacer is splined to the spindle to prevent movement and provides a hard surface behind the outer bearing cone in the rear wheel groups . The hardened spacer has an anti-fretting surface treatment and minimises wear or fretting on the anchor gear . This reduces the likelihood of wear particle contamination and maintains bearing pre-load while improving the overall wheel bearing life .
Birrana™ Wheel Bearings are made from premium clean steel for long fatigue life . “ Superior surface finishes are employed where required to reduce the incidence of thin film lubrication and increase bearing life . Additionally , in critical applications , special heat treatments are specified to provide significant debris resistance , while modified profiles on rollers and races prevent premature bearing failure by reducing stress concentrations under load .” Incorrect bearing pre-load setting is a common cause of premature wheel bearing failure . Birrana™ has a proprietary wheel bearing pre-load setting process that is says is accurate , reliable and repeatable . It is not affected by inconsistencies in bolt torques , bearing fits or housing dimensions . “ Wheel bearings can only achieve their full potential life if pre-load is set correctly and maintained for the life of the bearing . Excessive pre-load and loss of pre-load are known causes of early bearing failure .”
Birrana™ Retainer Plates are also available for select front and rear wheel groups . They are thicker than the OEM plates with countersunk bolt holes . Plates for front wheel groups also have a larger outer diameter which increases the contact area for the outer bearing cone .
When fitted to both wheel groups , Birrana™ isolation seals effectively divide the rear axle into three separate compartments . This separation eliminates cross contamination between the wheel groups and the differential . A failure in an axle compartment is confined to that compartment and will not damage the rest of the driveline components . The separation allows oil samples and magnetic plug samples to be more meaningful as they reflect the condition of the sampled compartment only . Used in rear wheel groups , the isolation seal assembly is fitted to the inside of the spindle and has a rotating section that seals on the half shaft .
Designed for rear wheel groups , Birrana™ Contamination Guards consists of a series of ‘ super magnets ’ positioned inside the end of the wheel hub and two metal plates that are attached to the anchor gear and wheel hub . The super magnets collect wear debris out of the oil and the plates form a labyrinth arrangement . The labyrinth arrangement allows oil to pass but keeps any wear particles generated in the planetaries away from the wheel bearings .
Finally , it offers the Birrana™ Contamination Excluder Seal for standard Cat 793 rear wheel groups . “ Many Cat wheel groups have the potential for mud to pack between the brake and wheel hub around the outer mechanical face seal , which can cause premature failure . The Birrana™ Contamination Excluder Seal works by preventing mud packing in the area immediately around the face seal . This prevents contamination and damage to the face seal and the seal ramps , allowing the face seal to last longer .”
Teck ’ s Truck Rebuild Pilot
The mining industry isn ’ t all about new machines and future technologies – mines also have to make the most of the fleets they already have . Teck Maintenance ( TM ) was established in late 2020 with the goal of enabling the Maintenance team to transform how assets are maintained and managed across Teck ’ s operations globally . Two programs Teck Maintenance currently has underway – the Truck Rebuild Pilot and Asset Health – both aim to proactively address challenges before they become problems . In a 2022 article , the company outlined the thinking and aims behind both .
Over the next 10 years , Teck Coal in BC , Canada will need to replace 83 aging haul trucks at a cost of approximately C $ 706 million . The Truck Rebuild Pilot will evaluate the feasibility of rebuilding those trucks , rather than purchasing new ones . “ The lead time for a new truck is six to eight months ,” says Steve Dobie , Senior Maintenance Engineer , Teck Maintenance in the article . “ We believe we can rebuild our trucks in less than four weeks and for half the cost . This has the potential to save Teck Coal up to C $ 400 million of future capital spend , while increasing our fleet consistency , predictability and reliability .” Partners in the Truck Rebuild Pilot include Canadian Komatsu dealer SMS Equipment which has carried out rebuilds of 930E units at its Elkford facility .
Dobie shared how the rebuild process can help reduce our overall carbon footprint . The approach is simple : when Teck refurbishes and reuses parts , as opposed to immediately purchasing new parts , the greenhouse gas emissions output is lower . How much lower ? Estimates show that it could be as much as 70 % less . He also notes that the true success comes back to the people who
58 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2023