SURFACE LOADING
ESCO updates on NEXSYS
It is always hard to replace a tried and trusted brand , but the ESCO ® NEXSYS ® GET Lip System for rope shovel dippers looks to be making a strong business case for mine sites already used to working with the existing Whisler Plus™ system .
Weir says the system is designed to lower lip maintenance requirements , extend tooth and adapter life and , ultimately , provide miners with longer uninterrupted shovel operation . The Weir – ESCO Division has achieved this using field data from hundreds of Whisler Plus system installations , laboratory simulation and analysis and customer input , it says .
“ We ’ ve been serving Whisler Plus customers for 20 years . We are proud of the reputation it has within the marketplace for wear life and longevity ,” Kevin Stangeland , Vice President of Global Products , ESCO , told IM at MINExpo 2024 , in Las Vegas . “ At the time of its release , Whisler Plus was seen as revolutionary ; it has allowed us to capture a market share close to 50 %.”
Considering the machines these systems are used on are viewed as the workhorses of the open-pit sector , rope shovels , ESCO knew it would need something equally revolutionary to move existing customers onto a new product . Stangeland and the ESCO team believe they have achieved that .
The NEXSYS system comes with a new tooth design that requires fewer point changes , according to the company . This is thanks to a rear wear cap that extends service life and protects the rear stabiliser boss . Additionally , the system has dual lock slots to allow lock installation on the side of the dipper with less wear . A single sealed lock on the GET teeth reduces impacted fines for easier removal with an off-the-shelf hand tool .
Weir also stresses the benefits of an optimised nose position and geometry for an extension of adapter life with improved penetration and loading . An advanced point configuration maintains a sharp profile and increases life by over 15 %, the company claims .
The addition of a leading edge lip insert – made from a very high hardness alloy – to increase adapter stability and better distribute loads , provides up to four times greater resistance to wear , reducing overall rebuild complexity and cost , according to Weir .
The Weir ESCO ® NEXSYS ® GET Lip System for rope shovel dippers looks to be making a strong business case for mine sites
Add to this an up to 15 % lighter adapter for overall system weight savings and Weir clearly has a product in contention for retaining – or building on – the market share the Whisler Plus has accrued .
At MINExpo , Stangeland confirmed the NEXSYS GET Lip System had been “ in the dirt ” with field trials for over 18 months at three trial sites – one of these in iron ore – with up to 40 % total cost of ownership reductions calculated through fewer “ downtime events ” and fewer components used during the campaign . He said the company was using the findings from these positive trials to “ refine ” and “ optimise ” the system ahead of going commercial with NEXSYS system .
Specifically , a Brazilian iron ore mine trialled the NEXSYS lip system on one of their Caterpillar 7495HR rope shovels . The remainder of their 7495HR fleet operated with three competitive GET systems . All dippers for the 7495HR fleet had the same capacity and size lip . For this trial , the NEXSYS system was put to work in a section of the mine with the toughest digging conditions . Even in the toughest digging conditions , after six months of continuous operation , the NEXSYS system delivered significant performance advantages over the competitive systems .
The longer component life of the NEXSYS lip system improved machine production , lowered maintenance costs , minimised worker exposure to the hazards associated with maintenance work and reduced the skilled labour requirements for the mine site . It brought a 27 % reduction in parts costs , 46 % reduction in GET related downtime costs and a 40 % reduction in total cost of ownership . downtime . Hydraulic optimisation for the 6020 shovel dynamically assigns individual pumps or groups of pumps to deliver the exact flow and pressure required by each hydraulic function . Reducing waste and excess heat buildup , hydraulic optimisation provides efficient use of the engine for greater productivity , less energy and fuel consumption , and reduced component wear . With its 22 t ( 24-ton ) payload , the 6020 efficiently loads the Cat 775 truck in three passes , 777 in four passes , 785 in six passes and 789 in eight passes .
Designed for operator comfort , the next generation cab on the 6020 offers class-leading visibility for operating productively , safely and efficiently . Electronic-hydraulic servo joystick control delivers fast and precise machine movements with less operator fatigue , while fivecircuit hydraulics allow for simultaneous control of two cylinder motions , two travel motions and swing . The large 254 mm ( 10 in ) high-definition colour touchscreen puts all vital machine and diagnostic data at the operators ’ fingertips . A safer training environment is facilitated by unobstructed views of the digging environment and emergency stop button easily accessible from both training seats .
A range of onboard and optional technology offerings boosts productivity , efficiency and health of the 6020 shovel . The machine ’ s board control system employs multiple sensors to monitor operating data , record faults , and notify the operator audibly and visually for early detection of faults . Factory-ready for Cat MineStar™ Solutions , MineStar Health is fully integrated as an option to deliver critical eventbased and operating data . Also available are MineStar Fleet for real-time machine tracking , assignment and productivity management ; Terrain that enables guidance technology and high-precision management of shovel operators ; and Detect to increase operator awareness and enhance safety .
Cat begins electric HMS rollout with Cote Gold
Cat dealer Toromont recently commissioned one of the first Cat 6060 Tethered Electric Hydraulic Mining Shovels in the world at IAMGOLD ’ s Cote Gold Mine in Ontario , Canada . The mine is giving the new twin-motor 6060 high marks for its high availability , easy maintenance , and quiet and comfortable cab .
Mathiu Aubin , Senior Supervisor Mine Ops , IAMGOLD Cote Gold Mine : “ The Cat 6060 that we have onsite is the first one in the world that is fully electric - we ’ re really lucky to have this commissioned on site . Shovel 201 as we call it here - since its been put into production we have had little to no downtime on it .”
Chris Ryckman , Product Support Manager , Toromont Cat : “ Having a twin motor setup versus a twin engine setup saves significant downtime . The base machine on the new 6060 is similar to the previous generation . The modules for power such as engines or motors can be swapped out . If
38 International Mining | MARCH 2025