Caterpillar’s 6040 hydraulic mining shovel has taken the Australian resources industry by storm.
Over the years the Caterpillar hydraulic mining shovel has undergone several iterations and been fitted with various Cat components such as engines, electronics, and steel structures.
As part of its unwavering commitment to continuous improvement, Caterpillar has expanded the HMS range to include the 6040 model, which was built to increase productivity and efficiency without compromising the machine’s robustness.
“The original 6040 HMS was released in 1995 under its legacy branding and has continued to be enhanced into the 6040 model of today,” Hastings Deering HMS product manager Andrew Thorn told Australian Mining.
“The 6040 HMS is well known across the mining industry for its class-leading durability and reliability. These core traits have been the foundation for its success to date and will be carried into the machine’s next generation.”
The 6040 HMS is currently available in an excavator or face shovel configuration and includes two Caterpillar C32B engines that provide 1550 kilowatts of power, resulting in an output of 39.6 tonnes of material moved per cycle.
The next-generation 6040 HMS is set to be retrofittable from diesel to an electric drive, marking the continuation of Caterpillar’s mission to electrify its equipment.
Image: Hastings Deering
“This allows for the versatility of an untethered diesel solution in the early phase, with the ability to convert the existing asset into a tethered electric machine at a future drivetrain PCR (planned component replacement) event,” Thorn said.
“Customers can purchase the 6040 model as a diesel for a greenfield site to work on getting different pits established. Then – once electricity supply is available – you can replace the two diesel engines with electric motors, but keep the same major steel structures.
“The inclusion of optimised hydraulics on the next-generation platform has resulted in reduced engine load and reduced hydraulic operating temperatures, yielding a further reduction in fuel consumption while improving the service life of the hydraulic components.”
The 6040 model has been manufactured to meet US EPA Tier 4 Final, European Stage V and China Nonroad Stage III emission standards, making the machine a perfect fit for those wanting to reduce their emissions and decarbonise their operations while ensuring their throughput is not compromised.
A total of 240 6040 HMS machines have been produced globally, with almost half of these machines being delivered to coal mines in both Queensland and New South Wales and iron ore mines in Western Australia.
Boasting up to 4000 tonnes per hour in peak productivity, the 6040 HMS is fitted with Cat’s intelligent pump managing system, which continuously evaluates the engine and hydraulic operating values against values such as electronic load limit control, flow on-demand, automatic zero flow regulation and automatic engine revolutions per minute (RPM) reduction.
It then adjusts the pump output accordingly, resulting in greater productivity and less energy used.
“There have been examples of 6040 models surpassing over 100,000 hours of operation,” Thorn said.
“Typically, we’d forecast 60,000–80,000 hours, but there are some legacy 6040 HMS’ in Queensland that have exceeded 100,000 hours, a testament to the machine’s durability and performance.”
The 6040 HMS cabin supports seating for up to three people and boasts a dual heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, all built with optimal comfort in mind.
“The state-of-the-art operator’s cabin has a 40 per cent increased field of view that incorporates a glass floor window and the relocation of in-cab hardware to below the operator’s line of sight,” Thorn said.
The 6040 HMS is compatible with various Cat tools and components, with the OEM having the ability to design and support the HMS end-to-end.
“The 6040 HMS is well matched with the Caterpillar 785, 789 and 793 large mining trucks, not only from a pass match perspective but also from a parts and support commonality standpoint,” Thorn said.
The latest 6040 HMS to be delivered to Australia was pre-assembled off-site by Hastings Deering to reduce the impact on the operation’s resources, resulting in the on-site assembly lasting only two weeks.
Since commissioning, the machine has been operating at an “exceptional level”, according to Thorn.
“Because the 6040 model is connected remotely, we can see the health data and performance of the machine, allowing for visibility of the machine’s performance, technical data overlays and logging between machines of the same era globally,” Thorn said. “This particular one is punching above its weight.
“The pre-strip application sees the 6040 HMS working consistently at the top end of its capabilities. It has the highest engine load factor, the lowest idle time, and its uptime has been incredible, resulting in a lot of material being moved in a short amount of time.”
The success of the 6040 model speaks for itself, with many legacy Cat customers often electing to replace their aged HMS with the 6040 upgrade due to its proven consistency.
Image: Hastings Deering
It has also caught the attention of new Cat customers.
“When a new customer is considering a Cat HMS, the 6040 has proven to be their initial machine of choice based on the wide industry feedback that it’s a proven, reliable and durable machine,” Thorn said.
Tying back to continuous improvement, Caterpillar and Hastings Deering conduct voice-of-customer feedback sessions twice a year to evaluate the mining industry’s perception of all Cat equipment and their respective models.
The 6060 HMS went through this process in 2019, with the enhancements aligning with what customers felt the previous model was lacking. The 6040 model will go through the same process soon.
“The next generation era of Cat machines is a true testament to this process,” Thorn said.
“The improvements and enhancements implemented not only met our customer’s needs, but in many cases have exceeded them.”
As a leading Cat dealer, Hastings Deering offers a range of HMS aftermarket support.
“Hastings Deering has the largest parts, service and support network with designated HMS experts available spanning regions such as Queensland, the Northern Territory, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Solomon Islands,” Thorn said.
“We have designated HMS staff for all the major roles – from technical parts to ongoing daily support reliability – mostly based out of the Bowen Basin for Queensland, but also out of PNG on the sites where we have a dealer branch or part stocking store present.”
Supported by Caterpillar Australia and global distribution centres, Hastings Deering also provides engineered solutions to meet local customer needs, ensuring the ongoing maintenance of the 6040 HMS machine throughout its service life.
“I think the big strength is our regional and global footprint,” Thorn said.
“We’ve got a major store that can support any unplanned events, the oil SOS lab for preventative maintenance, and an engineering department that does all the bespoke modifications to meet local regulations and site requirements.”
With the next-generation Cat 6040 HMS due for release in 2025, the shovel is gearing up to be a trailblazer in surface mining.
This feature appeared in the November 2024 issue of Australian Mining.