Continuing in our examination of the different regions across the world, the second article in this series looks at Australia.
Hydraulic excavator operating in the harsh conditions of a Lithium mine in Western Australia.
Australia is the world’s second-driest continent with arid and semi-arid deserts covering 70% of the continent. A significant majority of Australia’s mine sites are located in these hot dry regions where temperatures can reach over 50°C (122°F). Progress Mining’s head office is located in Australia making our team very aware and familiar with the extreme environmental challenges of the continent. Our team has put this experience to good use when designing and manufacturing undercarriage components. The success of our designs is proven with over 60 machine installations currently across Australia.
Western Australia where much of the large-scale mining takes place is characterised by low lying and largely arid plateaus where these extreme environmental challenges are common place. The landscape is dominated by predominantly hard, rough terrain with sharp, angular rocks that drive high impact loading and abrasive wear.
The Lithium mine site in Western Australia above is an example of how hard and rough the terrain can be and the abrasive wear that is caused by it.
The climatic challenges include extremely high summer temperatures, strong wind events and seasonal heavy rain. Western Australia’s rich ore and mineral deposits mean that large open-pit hard-rock lithium mines are often co-located with iron ore, gold, or nickel operations.
Some of the operational challenges that arise in these conditions include:
- High impact, abrasion and rock accumulation that accelerate undercarriage wear and reduce component life.
- Excessive dust and elevated operating temperatures that affect sealing capabilities of lubricated components.
- Remote locations that are not easily accessible make logistics of shipping replacement components challenging.
High impact, abrasion and rock accumulation seen in these photos clearly illustrate how these factors contribute to accelerate undercarriage wear in the region’s harsh conditions.
Combined these elements work together to accelerate component wear. These factors need to be considered when designing and manufacturing undercarriage components that will last in these conditions. Continuous Condition Monitoring Inspections enable our team and the customer to learn more about what processes and design innovations can be implemented to improve performance and durability in these harsh environments.
If you are located in Australia or your mining operations face similar harsh conditions to these visit https://progressmining.com/contact-us/ to find the nearest Sales Representative or Distributors in your region. Where ever mining is Progress Mining is there to help.