HEAVY ENGINEERING & WEAR PARTS since August 2020 , which will soon start to produce smaller volumes of sponge iron made using hydrogen as an input .
It is the product from this pilot plant that will be used to make the steel for use in this collaboration with Volvo , with the OEM planning to start production of concept vehicles and components from this steel later in the year .
Plans for smaller-scale serial production will be made during 2022 and a gradual escalation towards mass production will follow . Volvo and SSAB will also work together in research and development to optimise the use of steel in Volvo ’ s products regarding weight and quality .
Together , the two companies will develop several products of fossil-free steel with the goal of reaching serial production within a few years .
Another potential customer for this fossil-free steel could be global mining equipment solutions provider , Austin Engineering .
SSAB already supplies Austin with Hardox ® 500 Tuf steel for its brands of Westech and JEC truck bodies , which are used across the globe at major mine sites due to their light weight and robust nature .
The Australia-based company recently branched out into Eastern Europe through a pact with Engineering Company Mining Technology LLC . This partnership agreement covers key regions such as Belarus , Russia , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , Ukraine , Poland , Serbia , Bulgaria , Bosnia and Herzegovina , with the appointment part of Austin ’ s strategy to form partnerships in new jurisdictions .
It will enable Austin to widen its networks into new and existing global markets , resulting in further potential sales opportunities , benefitting from a local partner ’ s customer relationships and local knowledge , Austin said .
Belarus-based Engineering Company Mining Technology LLC has developed a wealth of professional contacts with large OEMs , mining companies and contractors within the regions it operates . It has also already sourced several important tender opportunities for Austin to enable users in these regions to benefit from light-weight mining attachments to enhance productivity , the company said .
Striving for quality
Heavy engineering encompasses a great deal of fabrication facets that require tight control for the products to operate as intended . With the heavy gauged quenched and tempered ( Q & T ) steel plates that go into earthmoving buckets – at times reaching or exceeding 200 mm in thickness – quality weldments and prudent material selection are crucial for success , VR Steel says .
Jean Brummer , IIW Welding Engineer for VR Steel , explains : “ These cyclically-loaded structures will always reach fatigue in their joints first – that is their nature . Ergo , ensuring the best process inputs in our welding recipes is the primary step in meeting these rigorous performance demands .”
For over 10 years , Brummer has been involved in testing an inordinate number of Q & T steels , weld consumables , processes , positions and material combinations for the VR Group to provide the product range with the best highcycle fatigue performance .
Tyrone Legg , Group Engineering Manager , added : “ Consistency in material performance is crucial . Our team needs to know that finite element results can be aligned to trustworthy and repeatable material performance . If we cannot trust the raw materials , they simply do not make our approval specification standard ; it is that simple and is not negotiable .”
When demonstrating the extensive database of tests , Brummer remarked : “ It is pretty amazing to think that , despite the number of weld / material tests undertaken with laboratory destructive testing currently sitting at over 300 , VR continues to regularly add to this tally . To have world-class heavy engineering products perform metronomically in mines across the globe , we persist in perfecting our secret sauce .”
Managing Engineer for Truck Trays , Campbell
IM
The flagship product of CR ’ s new MINEAssist product category , GRIPAssist has been developed to transform ground engaging tool changeout practices around the world
Bam , concluded : “ Our philosophy – nay , product directive – remains maintenance-free for the target campaign hours . That is 15,000 , 20,000 or even as much 30,000 hours depending on the project and related deliverables . Our technical department is exceptionally fortunate to have such a broad baseline from which to draw on and guide data-based decisions in material and process selection for the different product ranges .
“ Poor inputs make for poor performance , and that is not an option for us in the great game of heavy engineering – discernible quality comes at a premium .”
GET removal
Still within the mine site arena , CR has continued to grow its presence in the specialist ground engaging tool ( GET ) sector with a new revolutionary GET removal solution .
The company , last year , launched the GRIPAssist Handling device , a safety , maintenance and productivity solution designed to efficiently and safely remove and reposition GET with a minimal requirement for human interaction . The flagship product of CR ’ s new MINEAssist product category , GRIPAssist has been developed to transform GET changeout practices around the world .
The GRIPAssist unit fits onto a tracked skid steer or similar small in-pit mobile loader and includes a hydraulic arm that grips GET products to enable safe , quick and easy maintenance change-outs .
JUNE 2021 | International Mining