Komatsu has announced its HD1500-8E0; a rigid frame off-highway haul truck, purpose-built for mining, quarry, and aggregate applications.

Delivering performance with a 1580 hp (1180 kW), Tier 4 final Komatsu SDA16V159E-3 engine, the HD1500-8E0 helps drive high levels of productivity. The redesigned cab, combined with a MacPherson strut-type and hydropneumatic suspension, gives operators the smooth and comfortable ride they need for long shifts.

Quick specs of the HD1500-8E0

• Net horsepower: 1570 HP (1171 kW) @ 1900 rpm.
• Operating weight: 550 229 lbs (249 579 kg).
• Rated payload: 153.2 US t (139 t).
• Rated capacity (SAE Heaped 2:1): 102 yd³ (78 m³).

Travel performance for productivity

In addition to speed on grade, the HD1500-8E0 is equipped with hydraulic, wet multiple-disc brakes on all four corners. The continuously cooled, large-capacity brakes also act as a highly responsive retarder, providing operators with confidence at higher speeds when traveling downhill. Downhill descent can also be controlled by setting a desired travel speed with the automatic retard speed control (ARSC), which applies the brake retarder to maintain the desired setting and descend the road with confidence.

Manoeuvrability for tight spaces, steep grades, and slippery haul road conditions

With a tight turning radius (36 ft 9 in. / 11.2 m) operators in the HD1500-8E0 can easily manoeuvre in and out of tight spaces when spotting to be loaded or positioning to dump. The MacPherson strut-type independent front suspension features an A-arm wheel-to-mainframe design for wide spacing and easy access to the engine bay.

Komatsu’s Traction Control System (KTCS) provides excellent control in loose or slippery haul road conditions by monitoring the rear wheels for slippage and automatically applying pressure to the independent wheel brake assemblies.

Technology that promotes enhanced productivity

The HD1500-8E0 has a 7-speed, fully automatic transmission with two configurable reverse speeds. Komatsu’s advanced transmission with optimum modulation control system (K-ATOMiCS) provides electronic shift control with automatic clutch modulation, promoting optimised clutch engagement at every gear to provide smooth shifting without losing torque, offering a comfortable ride while helping to reduce material spillage.

Enhance payloads, promote productivity and control the life cycle costs of your truck with the HD1500-8E0’s integrated payload meter (PLM). It manages the payload of each hauling cycle, analysing production volume and the working conditions of the machine.

Operator comfort and visibility

Designed with a convenient control layout, the ergonomic operator cab is equipped with an air suspension seat to help dampen vibrations. Seat heater and ventilator are equipped as standard. To help improve operator comfort, hydropneumatic suspension provides a smooth ride over rough terrain, while the low noise engine, fan clutch and cab sealing provide a quiet, low decibel operating environment.

Give your operator greater visibility to the work-area with features like KomVision, a 360° monitoring system that uses six cameras for a real-time view of surroundings. Two screen mode allows your operator to view the 360° bird’s eye view and any of the six cameras to be viewed simultaneously, on a dedicated monitor.

Maintenance made easier

Designed for convenient preventative maintenance and servicing, a ground-level service centre is located at the bottom of the HD1500-8E0‘s hydraulic tank, putting engine, transmission, brake control, and hydraulic oil filling evacuation ports accessible in one central location. The standard, automatic greasing system helps minimise maintenance time by automatically supplying grease at predetermined intervals. A battery disconnect switch, located on the left side of the vehicle, is accessible from the ground level. For security during maintenance, there are tie-off anchor points for safety harnesses.

The cold weather package includes electric heating elements for engine oil pan, coolant, steering and hoist oil tank, transmission oil pan and brake oil tank, which plugs into an external power supply. The engine is also equipped with a cold weather ether starting aid system, standard for the HD1500-8E0.

.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC, has announced its purchase of ATR Sales Inc. (ATR).

Based out of Santa Ana, CA., ATR has been manufacturing and providing ATRA-FLEX® premium flexible couplings to the power transmission industry for more than 36 years.

Made in the US, ATRA-FLEX premium flexible couplings provide customers with increased productivity and profitability by offering high-quality solutions for rotating equipment. ATR’s commitment to high-quality products and building strong end user relationships are a perfect fit with U.S. Tsubaki’s long-term growth strategy.

Celebrating 50 years this year, Electra Mining Africa is pulling out all the stops to deliver an event that continues to serve as an essential and valuable meeting place for industry stakeholders. A place where buyers and sellers come together to connect face-to-face and where innovative products, services, and technologies are revealed.

During the five days of the show thousands of people will connect across industries, thousands of products will be on display and thousands of face-to-face interactions will take place. Over 650 companies will be exhibiting this year.

With machinery and equipment on display often high-value items, the show offers a platform for buyers to get up close to the products, see the quality, speak to technical experts, and view the live demonstrations. It also offers the opportunity to compare products and brands.

Charlene Hefer, portfolio director at Specialised Exhibitions, organisers of the show, comments:

“There’s a lot that visitors can expect at this year’s Electra Mining Africa.

“As a 5-in-1 trade show, it covers everything from mining, electrical and automation to manufacturing, power and transport. So, there’s a lot to see for everyone in those fields. The halls are broadly categorised across these sectors whilst the vast outdoor exhibit area generally lends itself to pump and valve exhibits and water activations and those activations with moving parts, like materials handling. We have colour coded the outside areas to enable easier navigation for visitors.

“We are expecting many innovative new products, services, and technologies to be launched at Electra Mining Africa.

“Loads of live demos have been planned where machinery and products will be seen in action, and the new forklift competition we’ve added to the show in conjunction with Lifting Africa and LEEASA (Lifting Equipment Engineering Association of SA) will be enjoyed by many. It’s where exceptional forklift driver skills will be put to the test.

“We are really looking forward to this year’s show and are proud to be celebrating its 50th anniversary.”

The automation technology hall is a big addition for the show and is expected to draw a lot of interest. Hefer is delighted to have the support of the Society for Automation Instrumentation Mechatronics and Control (the SAIMC) and values their endorsement and involvement. Automation focussed free-to-attend seminars will take place in Hall 7, hosted by the SAIMC, most of which are accredited and offer CPD points to those that attend.

International participation includes the Austrian, Belgium, German and Italian Pavilions, as well as exhibitors from India, Chile, France, Australia, the US, Taiwan, Turkey, Switzerland, the UK, Poland, and Canada.

The winner of the Forklift Driver Competition will receive a trophy, a cash prize and be crowned the Forklift Driver Champion. Businesses can enter their skilled employees in recognition of their skills, hard work, and dedication. Forklift operators can also nominate themselves. Entry is free of charge. All participants need to be in possession of a valid forklift license. The competition aims to recognise and reward highly skilled and safety conscious operators.

Visitors to the show can also look forward to the South African Institute of Mechanical Engineering (SAIMechE) free-to-attend seminars in Hall 9. Topics presented by industry experts will be aligned to the show’s theme days; automation, innovation, safety, future skills, and South African Day. Conferences taking place at the show are hosted by Women in Mining South Africa as well as LEEASA.

Southern Africa’s biggest mining, electrical, automation, manufacturing, power and transport trade exhibition and its line-up of conferences and free-to-attend seminars will be taking place from 5 – 9 September at the Expo Centre, Nasrec, in Johannesburg.

Continuous, reliable communications are essential for the success of mining operations. They enable the transfer of crucial information across facilities, ensuring that fans, pumps, conveyors and other key pieces of equipment operate correctly. When ineffective communications led to an increase in downtime at a mining complex in Mexico, CC-Link IE network technology offered a solid solution.

Mining operations are becoming increasingly smart and digitised, with key pieces of equipment connected via industrial communications networks in order to run autonomously. In addition, they provide businesses a unique actionable insight into all mining operations. With non-stop activities characterising this sector, the ideal network should be able to process large volumes of data without any interruption. When a Mexican mining complex was not benefitting from such communications infrastructure for its operations, a rapid revamp was necessary.

When the (broadcast) storm is coming

The facility utilises a Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC iQ-R PLC platform to control 35 variable frequency drives (VFDs), which in turn modulate the speed of fans, pumps, and conveyors. While the automation components have been operating successfully for years, the mining complex was experiencing prolonged downtime associated with network failure. More precisely, approximately 20 hours were lost every month because of broadcast storms, data packet collisions, intermittent, or even lost communications between higher enterprise level software and field devices.

To address these challenges, the mining company decided to replace its existing network technology with a more effective one. After evaluating and testing CC-Link IE open industrial Ethernet, the company was convinced this was the best solution to address their need for reliability and continuity. In particular, the mining specialist was impressed with how CC-Link IE’s unrivalled gigabit bandwidth could prevent congestions and ultimately downtime. In addition, the company found the diagnostic tools provided extensive and easy to use.

Gigabit Ethernet to ensure reliability

When Mitsubishi Electric started to support the mining company in the configuration of CC-Link IE, further benefits became apparent.

Carlos Sepúlveda, Sales Engineer at Mitsubishi Electric Mexico, explains:

“It is possible to conduct network configuration and diagnostics from the same software used to program the iQ-R PLC, GX Works, which offers a single point of contact. This also streamlines any work on the infrastructure and architecture, as, if the topology is altered, e.g. by adding components, the platform automatically incorporates and reflects these changes.”

In addition, the installation of CC-link IE helped the company reduce infrastructure costs. While the existing network technology required managed switches to ensure correct operations, these devices are optional with CC-Link IE, minimising capital expenditure (CAPEX), as well as expenses associated with their maintenance.

Since the new network has been put in place, no downtime associated with network failure has been experienced, maximising productivity. The gigabit bandwidth has also supported the mining complex to enhance responsiveness. Furthermore, it is playing a key role in getting the information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) domains closer, hence opening a gateway to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

Sitting on a goldmine of data

Sepúlveda comments:

“The customer is extremely happy with CC-Link IE open industrial Ethernet. This technology is helping the mining company reduce the gap between IT and OT as well as make its operations ‘smart’, as it can now rely on a robust network that can manage a lot of data packages while offering high performance. These successful results are boosting the customer’s confidence in CC-Link IE – this is why they are already planning to use it in a new project.”

The mining specialist is also looking at futureproofing its facilities, by leveraging CC-Link IE TSN, the first open industrial Ethernet to combine gigabit bandwidth and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) to enhance determinism and convergence.

Sepúlveda adds:

“The customer has been showing considerable interest in learning more about CC-Link IE TSN and what benefits it offers.”

Mariana Alvarado, Marketing Specialist at CLPA, concludes:

“We are delighted with the positive feedback received by the mining company and look forward to collaborating with the company again soon. Our family of network technologies for industrial communications are designed to offer next-level capabilities and support the digital transformation of businesses by means of round-the-clock, reliable, high-speed data transfers.”

Epiroc has won a large order from Glencore in Canada for battery-electric equipment and automation solutions that will be used at what will be one of the world’s first all-electric mines.

Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations has ordered a full fleet of battery-electric equipment for use at the Onaping Depth Project in Ontario, Canada. The nickel and copper mine is located below the existing Craig mine and is being developed to start production in 2024. The order also includes the capability for advanced automation solutions, including remote control.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, comments:

“Glencore is taking a major leap forward in the mining industry by going all-electric with its Onaping Depth Project.

“We are excited to collaborate with Glencore and deliver battery-electric vehicles and automation features on their journey to build a mine of the future.”

Traditionally, mining machines are diesel powered, though more and more mining companies are adding battery-electric machines to their fleets. The benefits with battery electrification are significant, including eliminating emissions in operations, reducing noise pollution, and lowering costs by lessening the need for ventilation and cooling when required; this is especially important as underground mines keep getting deeper.

Peter Xavier, Vice President of Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, comments:

“Epiroc scored high on safety, design and testing of the entire battery system.

“Epiroc also offers large capacity batteries, uses a standard CCS charging protocol, has a battery swap system, and the designs are universal and compatible. Also, the batteries have integrated cooling systems and safety systems built into the design.”

The ordered battery-electric equipment is manufactured in Örebro, Sweden. The 23 machines ordered include Scooptram loaders, Minetruck haulers, Boomer face drilling rigs, Boltec and Cabletec rock reinforcement rigs, and Simba production drilling rigs. The Simba rigs will be operated in part through tele-remote from the comfort of a control room. All units will be equipped with Epiroc’s Rig Control System, making them ready for automation and remote control, and will also be installed with Epiroc’s telematics system; allowing for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real-time.

David Haukeness, Komatsu’s product manager for autonomous systems, comments:

“Reliable communications networks that offer continuous mobile connectivity are crucial to successful autonomous haulage operations.

“Rajant’s low-latency Kinetic Mesh and support for LTE and WiFi make their network a key part of our efforts to help our customers achieve their autonomous goals.”

Komatsu’s FrontRunner AHS uses a wealth of onboard technology and requires continuous, reliable wireless communication with the central office. Rajant Kinetic Mesh^® machine-to-machine (M2M) InstaMesh^® technology provides autonomous solutions like Komatsu’s FrontRunner AHS with higher reliability and network resiliency with low latency, which is critical to maintaining ‘always-on’ connectivity for autonomous machines.

Rajant is already co-deployed on Komatsu mining equipment in more than 100 mines globally, and is now ready to support Komatsu’s autonomous solutions.

Sagar Chandra, Vice President of Sales – Americas, Rajant Corp., comments:

“Achieving Rajant certification with Komatsu reflects the work of many individuals and addresses a key request from our mutual customers to continue utilising both companies’ advanced solutions.”