Australian Mining ventured into the global mining and construction marketplace last week by attending Bauma, the world’s largest construction trade fair in Munich, Germany.
The 2019 event drew more than 620,000 visitors from over 200 countries, the best results in the exhibition’s 65-year history in both areas.
Australia, with China and Japan, delivered the strongest gains in attendance from an overseas market perspective.
Bauma may traditionally be a construction-focused event, but the attention of the exhibition is now more than ever on the mining industry.
The growing spotlight on mining was reflected by the large number of companies that revealed or showcased solutions developed specifically for the industry.
In the first of a two-part series, Australian Mining looks at some of the key mining solutions that were on show at the Messe München.
Cat electric-drive R1700 XE underground loader
Caterpillar (with Zeppelin) premiered more than 20 products at Bauma in 2019. Of those solutions, the standout for mining was the electric-drive R1700 XE underground loader. The Cat R1700 was introduced in 2018 as a ground-up redesign, providing improvement primarily coming from a new electro-hydraulic system. The new design saves fuel and delivers a 65 per cent increase in lift force. The R1700 XE combines these new features with a Caterpillar-developed lithium-ion battery operating and charging system. Caterpillar has undertaken key testing of the R1700 in Australia, including automation trials at Newmont Mining’s Tanami gold mine in the Northern Territory.
Metso truck body
Metso moved into new territory at Bauma 2019 by unveiling a hybrid truck body that combines the benefits of rubber and high structural steel. Metso has supplied rubber lining for haul trucks for several decades, delivering positive results ranging from a reduction in maintenance to improving the work environment for truck drivers. Metso aims to enhance this experience even further by combining the performance outcomes of the rubber lining with this lightweight body that is ideally suited for off-highway trucks. According to Metso, its truck body typically weighs 20 to 30 per cent less than a traditional steel-lined truck body. Depending on the application, this translates into a payload increase of several tonnes.
Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions eccentric roll crusher
Thyssenkrupp chose Bauma for the world debut of its eccentric roll crusher (ERC), which has been developed as a new solution for the primary reduction of hard rock and ore. The crusher stands out as a compact and robust solution for both underground and surface operations. The patented design with an integrated screen permits throughputs of up to 8000 tonnes per hour. Thyssenkrupp has designed the crusher to effectively combine many advantages in one machine, including a height that is 20 to 55 per cent lower than that of conventional primary crushers for hard rock.
Komatsu PC4000-11 hydraulic mining shovel
Komatsu’s mining presence at Bauma 2019 was headlined by the PC4000-11 hydraulic mining shovel that was originally launched at the 2016 Minexpo in Las Vegas. The PC4000-11 at Bauma had the latest Tier 4 engine technology, as well as technological features such as KomVision and Komtrax Plus 2, integrated to elevate performance. The live displays of the machine in action proved a strong drawcard throughout the event. Locally, Komatsu Australia released the latest version of its 370-tonne-class mining excavator (PC4000-6 Series 3) earlier this year. Based on the PC4000-11, the Australian release incorporates a Tier 2 emissions standard engine rather than a Tier 4 Final.
CDE Combo all-in-one wet treatment plant
CDE officially launched its all-in-one wet processing line, known as the Combo, on the global market at Bauma. The company claims the Combo wet processing system provides the technological answer to the challenges facing material manufacturers. The Combo allows all important processes to take place on a single chassis, with the system acting as a linked and factory-ready unit that includes an integrated operator console with a single operating point. The system has been designed as an ultra-compact wash solution that requires minimal foundation and tubing. Users are able to easily move the facility within their location or transport it to another location.
Liebherr T 236 mining truck
Liebherr originally presented the T 236 100-tonne mining truck to the public at the 2016 Minexpo in Las Vegas and used Bauma 2019 as the latest event to showcase the product to the world. While the T 236 concept may already be familiar in the mining industry, Liebherr did announce at Bauma that it had concluded a development contract with VA Erzberg for a Trolley assist system for the 100-tonne truck. VA Erzberg plans to electrify the main haul road of its Erzberg iron mine in Austria and operate a fleet of T 236 trucks from 2021. The rigid-frame dump truck, with a diesel electric drive system, was Liebherr’s entry into the 100-tonne class back in 2016.
Bridgestone’s world’s largest mining tyre
Bridgestone’s exhibit at Bauma 2019 was highlighted by the world’s largest tyre, a four-metre-tall tyre that is used on the biggest mining trucks across the globe. The company supported this headline act with a number of other tyres, including brand new products such as the VSDL loader. This product is the first wheeled-loader tyre to combine the benefits of the super-wide-base 65 series with the deep Bridgestone VSDL tread pattern.
Bridgestone also showcased the recently-launched VLTS articulated dump truck (ADT) tyre, which was specifically developed for Volvo Construction Equipment’s 60-tonne ADT.
Stay tuned for part two tomorrow.