Open-pit mines are a harsh working environment with the majority composed of hard rock terrains. These harsh working conditions result in excessive wear and damage to excavation machines and undercarriage components. The team at Progress Mining has observed this type of damage to machines at many mine sites but, one in particular stood out and prompted action to address the problem. Working with customers at a hard rock lithium mine in Western Australia our team observed that the rollers on the undercarriage experienced wear and damage to the lower section of the end block from rock impacts. This caused the retaining pin to fall out of the end block, meaning the axle is no longer retained. The interim solution the customer came up with was to weld a plate to the end of the axle, causing increased machine down time and reduced productivity.
The engineers at Progress Mining worked with the team on the ground to develop a solution, redesigning the rollers with a horizontal retaining pin. This simple yet effective redesign means that the retaining pin cannot fall out when the bottom of the end block is worn, providing greater reliability in harsh conditions. The roller maintains interchangeability and is dimensionally equivalent in all other aspects, reducing down time due to maintenance thus allowing for greater productivity and longer component life. This new roller design is currently available for Hitachi® EX2600 and EX3600 hydraulic excavators.
If you encounter similar problems with the machines at your mine site and want help from our expert team visit Contact Us to find your nearest sales manager or email us at info@progressmining.com