Mine Maintenance
THE most valuable result emerging out of the data age is the ability to extract deficiencies in a mining operation.
When it comes to haulage, it’s become pretty clear there are some serious gains to be made with the right maintenance regime.
Tyre destruction, high fuel usage and premature wear of haul truck suspension have all popped up on the radar in this big data era.
Now we know the problem, how do we fix it? Comprehensive studies into haulage profitability point back to haul road integrity, surface conditions and an obstruction-free working surface.
These are all areas that South Australian company Broons has been specialising in for close to 50 years.
The company’s unique towed rollers have been maintaining mine sites for decades now – and it has three options available to improve surface security and hold onto a lot more of those hard-fought-for dollars.
The BH-14 Grid Roller is the ‘Kreepy Krauly’ of any mine site.
Towed with any suitable 4WD tractor and weighing in at 12 tonnes, the grid roller’s main job is to flatten and tighten the haul truck transport routes.
Haul roads, pit floors and tip heads can quickly turn rouge and start tearing tyres to pieces without regular maintenance.
When using the BH-14, the loose sharp rock is cracked and pushed flat to create a tight pavement that’s friendly to expensive tyres.
In doing so, it also eliminates the excess fuel used to power through any undulating loose surfaces.
Constantly accelerating out of dips and holes has been identified as a major factor in premature suspension fatigue as well.
With the roller, there are no computers, no motors to upkeep, just a few shots of grease.
The BH-1950MS Impact Roller is a towed 18t square module that is used primarily for deep compaction.
It is ideal for big-hitting jobs on any mine site like haul road construction and maintenance, tailings dam construction and capping off waste dumps.
Used to generate stability and shear strength, its influence can go literally metres below the ground.
Nothing on the market comes close to the efficient deep compaction of this roller.
Towed at speeds of around 15 KPH, the unique square impact roller is also a great tool for ‘rubbilising’ loose rock to bed down haul roads.
Reinforced linkage, gusseted main chassis, lugged tyres and ware plates on the module’s four faces, makes this unit ideal for the rigours of a mine environment.
No computers, low maintenance and huge productivity have made it the industry standard.
The BH-1830 Combination Roller is universally used in the construction and maintenance of vital LV gravel road infrastructure.
Hydraulically switched between either smooth steel drum or multi-tyre compaction, this 12t roller can be towed by either tractor or grader while the bitumen rated tyres allow quick deployment down the highway, eliminating the downtime needed for a float.
Heavy enough for deep layer road construction, it’ll also be happily towed behind a grader for regular patrol grading duties.
Fuel supply, workers and mine product depend on this network, so a reactive approach to maintenance can be high risk.
When round-the-clock production is at the heart of your mine haulage, you want your maintenance plant to keep up.
Broons’ engineers have deliberately kept simplicity in their roller design, with an emphasis on heavy duty construction.
There’s no computers, motors or sensors to nurture, so maintenance is kept to basic daily greasing – simple, reliable plant.
Available worldwide with matched tractors, there are both CAPEX and OPEX packages available for compaction and maintenance requirements.
Meeting all OH&S and mine compliance standards, rollers and tractors can be on site fast.
Suitable training from Broons’ specialised staff will have you up and running the same day.