SURFACE MINING TRUCKS released an industry-first operating system and raised a Series A round of funding in June 2021 . MACA added : “ The MoU marks a significant milestone in the development and deployment of contractor autonomy and on MACA ’ s pursuit of this exciting technology . Following a successful six month proof of concept trial at the Karlawinda operations , the rollout will now focus on the deployment of autonomy to a multiple truck environment , in addition to retrofitting various truck types at numerous site locations . MACA made a modest investment in SafeAI in 2021 which has been validated by the successful proof of concept trial .”
MACA says it is also looking at a whole of life battery solution for mining vehicles . This will include maximising the usage of batteries by channelling them during their operational life from high demand utilisation such as in large mining trucks down to the less demanding requirements of other machinery types such as loaders , ADTs and finally small skid steers and other lower energy demand units . MACA also believes its long term diversified industry experience means it has the potential to be the engine of this change .
Shane Clark says : “ A whole of life battery solutions means that we get the full economic life out of a battery , beyond its first use in the haul truck . So , after it gets to a state of charge that is no longer applicable to the mining operation , it means we can move those batteries , because they are modular in nature , into other applications .” He adds : “ Its important to be able to have the ability to change battery chemistries between sites . The future will see a trade off between energy intensity and charging rate , so some minesites will lean towards a lower charging rate and a more static rate of charge across the fleet , while others will lean towards a high capacity charge with the shortest charging time but also a shorter run time of the equipment .”
Regardless of the client infrastructure , MACA says it is developing an interoperable solution that will allow for significant emissions reduction
Pioneer Solutions LLC – a mining truck consulting specialist
Major OEMs and others involved in mining truck innovation and evolution also work with specialist consultants from time to time , especially on components and testing . Cleveland , Ohio based Pioneer Solutions supports leading OEMs through discrete projects : machine / system concepting ; structural design and analysis ; hydraulic system / component design ; power train and gearing , plus field testing . It recently completed a product design line upgrade for a major construction and mining equipment OEM . This included a complete machine re-design and upgrade of 60 t and 100 t truck sizes ; plus development of new machine layouts / concepts as well as detailed engineering and design of a new main frame ( chassis ), front axle , rear axle , front / rear suspension , steering mechanism and body . It also covered integration and detailed engineering / design of Tier 4 Final engines and supporting systems . In the alternative energy / powertrain system feasibility studies side , Pioneer is working on development of concept powertrain systems to lower diesel fuel consumption – including mechanical / electrical drive , full electric drive and hybrid , as well as powertrain evaluations using machine / system modelling for performance , fuel consumption and energy usages over various mine site profiles . This work also includes system cost , weight , performance , and value proposition reviews . The company told IM it is additionally continuing work with aftermarket LNG dual fuel conversions , working with a leading aftermarket LNG dual fuel supplier on a wide variety of mechanical and electric drive models : Cat 777 , 785 , 793 ; Komatsu 785 , 730E , 830E , 930E ; Unit Rig MT4400 . This covers mainly system layout and machine integration plus tank mounting structural design and analysis . Finally , Pioneer has a well known oil cooled disc brake ( wet brake ) product line and has expanded its brake offerings from 320 t size trucks to 360 t and 400 t . It reports a significant increases in brake manufacturing output as customer trucks move from prototype and testing phases to production .
helping them fulfil their net zero timeframes . Clark adds : “ In partnership with AVL Engineering , Mitsui and Forsee Power , we are able to create a modular style of battery , which means that we will be able to change the battery chemistry depending on the infrastructure that is available at our client sites .”
MACA adds that this agnostic approach to battery chemistry as well as being able to utilise a flexible energy mix , potentially including hydrogen / ammonia-based , solar , natural gas and wind power but also other clean power sources ,
Pioneer Solutions-design drive axle gearing ( differential & planetary )
will be crucial to succeeding in the “ contractor battery electric vehicle space .” This along with harnesssing the technological progress of autonomy and AI-powered dispatch that will be “ essential to unlocking the battery electric vehicle value .”
Adam Struthers , GM Plant at MACA adds : “ As part of the transition , we will create multiple pathways for our maintenance teams ” while MACA Mining Engineer Ewen Koh adds : “ This is an industry first for a contract miner and I ’ m excited to be part of this sustainable solution .”
MAY 2022 | International Mining 59