Cummins Mining Magazine

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A LARGE CUT ABOVE THE REST

POWERING UP UNDERGROUNDENGINE REBUILDS

PUMPED UP FOR MINE DEWATERING

miningCummins

MINING BUSINESS WORKAUTUMN EDITION 2012

Content

YOUR MINING MAGAZINE

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A large cut above the restFeature article - Cummins has unveiled its highesthorsepower engine ever, the 4000 hp QSK95.

Powering up undergroundPowertrans underground truck is known as the DAT60 and is the most powerful underground hauler on the market today.

Tier 2 QSK19 for underground mine truckThe Tier 2 version of Cummins’ 760 hp QSK19 engine will be introduced by Atlas Copco in its 60-tonne MT6020 underground mine truck.

Giving them stickDes Abbott has battled injury to become one of the world’s finest hockey players as a member of the Kookaburras, Australia’s national men’s hockey team.

Rebuilt and raring to goFeature article - As the population of high horsepower engines continues to grow, the importance of Cummins’ Master Rebuild Centres becomes apparent.

Serving it up at SavageAll five excavators at Grange Resources’ iron ore mine at Savage River in Tasmania are hitting the availability target of 92 per cent.

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From inside and out. The read that informs, educates and a bit more.

miningCummins

CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC AUTUMN 201204 05

Cummins has unveiled its highest-horsepower engine ever, the 4000 hp QSK95. A 95-litre, 16-cylinder engine, the QSK95 propels Cummins to the forefront of the high horsepower market and will form the basis of future ultra-class mine haul truck and excavator development.

The engine will also be aimed at other high-hour, high-load applications such as power generation, locomotives, and as a drilling power module for oil and gas platforms.

In excavators, the 4000 hp QSK95 will allow the flexibility of a single engine installation in place of the current dual engine set-up if the market considers it an advantage.

A LARGE CUT ABOVE THEREST.

Feature

CUMMINS SOUTH PACIFIC AUTUMN 2012

As the population of high horsepower engines continues to grow

dramatically due mainly to the high level of mining activity, the importance of Cummins’ Master Rebuild Centres in Brisbane and Perth becomes apparent. The two Master Rebuild Centres, quality certified to ISO 9001, were established in 2010 to guarantee the quality of Cummins’ high horse-power engine rebuilds.

“The Master Rebuild Centres are all about providing quality and delivering Certified Rebuilt high horsepower engines through best practice manufacturing and planning,” says Shane Jones, Manager of Master Rebuild Centre Development.

“An engine that has undergone our certified rebuild process provides as-new reliability and life-to-overhaul,

and also carries a new engine warranty of 12 months and unlimited hours,” he says.

Cummins owns more than 300 mining-spec support bank engines – ranging from non-certified to the latest emissions spec – to support mining customers in the South Pacific whenever they need a replacement engine.

The support bank engines are rebuilt to factory specification at

the Master Rebuild Centres using the certified rebuild process – a process that incorporates the latest technology in assembly and includes product improvements as they become available. The certified rebuild process, from teardown to final inspection, is a 600-step procedure that fits into a distinct three-phase flow:

• Teardown, cleaning, component evaluation and inspection,• Component sub-assembly and engine assembly,• Dyno testing, final ‘dress’ and painting, along with final inspection.

The Master Rebuild Centres are fitted with the latest tooling to handle the manufacturing-based process, including electric rollover stands,

Rebuilding

REBUILT… AND RARING TO GO

By the end of 2012 there will be over 3000 Cummins high horsepower engines in mining in Australia ranging from 19 to 78 litres and 500 to 3500 hp.

14 15

ABOVE Block inspection: Borescope is used

to check internal galleries as part of the QA process.


All five excavators at Grange Resources’ iron ore mine at Savage River in Tasmania are hitting the availability target of 92 per cent. The availability calculation includes all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. The five Cummins QSK engines are playing a key role in the success of the Hitachi machines.

“We’ve had no dramas… we’re impressed,” says Greg Ling, Grange Resources’ mobile maintenance

manager at the Savage River mine, which is located in rugged, mountainous terrain on the northwest coast in beautiful Tasmania.

Three of the excavators are EX3600-6 shovels; each with a Tier 2 Cummins QSK60 rated at 1950 hp and an operating weight of 360 tonnes. An EX1900-6 shovel gets its digging force from a Tier 2 Cummins QSK38 rated at 1085 hp, while an EX1200-6 shovel is powered

by a 760 hp QSK23. The excavators are feeding 17 200-tonne haul trucks and are moving around 5 million tonnes of overburden and rock a month. The excavators are operating at load factors as high as 75 to 80 per cent, an endurance test for any piece of machinery.

While he is impressed with the performance of the excavator fleet, Grange Resources’ senior operations manager at Savage River, Gilbert Charles, warns that even tougher duty cycles lie ahead.

“Our mine development phases and material movements are increasing, our key performance targets have been set and we must meet those targets,” he says.

LONG LIFE TO OVERHAUL

Two of the 60-litre, V16 QSK60 engines were changed out after clocking up 18,500 hours.

“The change-out occurred at 18,500 hours to fit in with Grange’s scheduled maintenance program,” says Rob Criggie, manager of Cummins’ operations in Tasmania. “Our tear-down analysis showed the engines could comfortably have reached the 20,000-hour mark.”

The third QSK60 was changed out at 18,000 hours again to fit in with scheduled maintenance.

The QSK38, a 38-litre V12, has proved just as reliable as the QSK60 engines, with change-out occurring at 16,500 hours as part of Grange’s scheduled maintenance program.Perth-based Grange Resources has owned the Savage River mine since January 2009.

The mine has actually been operating since 1966, supplying palletized iron ore to steel producers in Asia and Australia. Grange’s cornerstone share- holder is Jiangsu Shagang, China’s largest privately owned steel producer with assets in excess of $17 billion.

At Savage River, Grange is producing more than 2.4 million tonnes of magnetite iron ore pellets and concentrate a year and is planning to ramp up production to 2.9 million tonnes in the mid to long term future.

Magnetite is a type of iron ore that needs intensive processing before it can be used in steel mills. This downstream processing results in a higher quality product than the directship haematite ore currently mined in the Pilbara in Western Australia.

TIER 2 RELIABILITYCummins’ Tier 2 emissions technology is delivering excellent reliability at Savage River. The three QSK60 engines along with the QSK38 are Tier 2 compliant.

The distinguishing feature of these Tier 2 engines is the modular common rail fuel system, which enables cleaner, quieter and faster power delivery. The system is modular in that each injector has its own integrated accumulator to keep injection pressures – up to 1600 bar (23,500 psi) – constant throughout the system. This prevents unbalanced fuelling between cylinders to signifi-cantly reduce engine vibration, noise and harshness.

Maintenance manager Greg Ling rates suppliers to the mine on service response, parts availability, product knowledge, and mine visit and phone call frequency.

“We get excellent support from Rob Criggie and his team at Cummins,” he says.

Five Cummins QSK engines are clocking up impressive availability at a magnetite iron ore mine in the rugged north west of Tasmania.

LEFT PAGE Tier 2 Cummins QSK60.“We get excellence support from... Cummins.”

AT SAVAGESERVING IT UP

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Cummins Mining Magazine Published by Cummins South Pacific. Pre-press and production by Sill Marketing Pty Ltd.

© Cummins South Pasific, © Sill Marketing.

All material in Cummins Mining magazine is strictly copyrighted and all rights

reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly forbidden. Every care

has been taken in compiling the contects of this magazine, but we assume

no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. All information was correct

at the time of print.

News


As its market share and engine population continue to grow significantly in the mining industry, Cummins South Pacific is bolstering all areas of its service and support operations.

“We have over 250 technicians servicing the mining industry and are adding further technicians monthly to ensure our support effort meets customer expectations,” says Steve Cummins, director of mining business for Cummins South Pacific.

“We are bolstering the number of mobile technicians we have in the field as well as the number of Cummins on-site technicians who are working fulltime at specific mine operations. This manpower increase is coupled in many cases to our expanding branch facilities’ footprint where we are upgrading, relocating and increasing our service density.

“Our local engineering support is also increasing to assist with technical field solutions while at factory level over 500 high horsepower engineers have been added to the business. Parts availability is another key focus as is our high horsepower engine rebuild capability through our Master Rebuild Centres in Brisbane and Perth,” Steve Cummins adds. (See article ‘Rebuilt and raring to go’ in this issue.)

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Cummins South Pacific owns more than 300 mining support bank engines to support mining customers whenever they need a replacement engine.

The support bank engines are rebuilt to factory specification at the Master Rebuild Centres using the Cummins Certified Rebuild process – a process that guarantees quality while incorporating the latest product improvements as they become available.

The Cummins Support Centre (CSC) is another critical element in Cummins’ service support network. The CSC has two hotline numbers – ‘1300 Cummins’ when calling from within Australia and ‘0800 Cummins’ from within New Zealand – and can be contacted 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

The CSC has a team of 20 fully-trained Cummins service technicians who provide technical advice across all Cummins engine products as well as managing breakdowns throughout Australia and NZ.

The CSC is also the national hub for customer parts orders and enquiries with a team parts interpreters and customer service professionals handling this side of the business for all 41 Cummins branches in Australia and New Zealand.

Cummins powers up support operations

Cummins has introduced upgrades to its high horsepower QSK45 and QSK60 engines

aimed at significantly increasing life-to-overhaul. The Robust Design Improvements (RDI) as they are known, focus on the inlet valves, connecting rods, crankshaft (QSK45), main and big end bearings.

“Cummins is constantly working on reliability and durability upgrades to its high horsepower engines…this is emphasised by the RDI initiative,” says Steve Cummins, director of mining business for Cummins South Pacific.

The RDI components were rolled out for both new and rebuilt engines in late 2010, and field experience to date shows significant gains in reliability and durability.

“The first RDI engines will reach rebuild later this year, further proof of the success of the design improvements,” he says.

Cummins’ Master Rebuild Centres in Brisbane and Perth are rebuilding all QSK45 and QSK60 engines with the RDI components.

“Maximum advantage is only gained with update of all the RDI components,” Steve Cummins points out.

IMAGES Steve Cummins, director of mining business, Cummins South Pacific.

A Tier 2 QSK60 incorporating the RDI upgrades at the Cummins Master Rebuild Centre in Brisbane.

ROBUST IN EVERY WAY

04 05


Cummins has announced plans to produce dual-fuel engines from

800 hp to 3500 hp for high horsepower markets. The first in the product port-folio, the Tier 2 QSK50 for oil and gas well servicing applications, will begin production in mid-year 2013, with other QSK engines to follow.

Cummins high horsepower dual fuel engines will operate with common integrated controls, making a seamless transition from diesel fuel to dual-fuel operation. By default, an engine will run on diesel fuel until the operator selects the option on the control panel to run the engine on a blend of diesel and natural gas fuel. The engine will switch to dual-fuel mode and auto-matically select the substitution rate for the operator.

“This technology investment by Cummins further demonstrates our position as a technology leader in the high horsepower markets,” says Mark Levett, vice president of high horsepower engine business.

In traditional operating conditions, a maximum substitution rate of diesel fuel with natural gas of 70 percent can be expected, with average substitution rates of greater than 50 percent, depending on application and duty cycle.

The Cummins dual-fuel solution will be applicable to both new QSK family engines and a retrofit on existing QSK family engines in the field today.

The rapid expansion and abundance of natural gas in many areas of the world has driven a dramatic cost advantage of natural gas over diesel fuel. The ability to substitute diesel fuel with natural gas drives down the total cost of ownership of equipment.

“In the oil and gas industry, variable-speed pressure pumping applications traditionally consume a lot of fuel due to the rugged duty cycle of the appli-cation. These customers can expect to see significant fuel savings from the Cummins dual-fuel solution and will typically see a return on capital invest-ment within the first six months of operation,” said Erik Drewry, director of oil and gas business.

CUMMINS ANNOUNCES DUAL-FUEL QSK ENGINES

ABOVE Dual-fuel QSK50 will begin

production in mid-2013.

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Cummins has unveiled its highest-horsepower engine ever, the 4000 hp QSK95. A 95-litre, 16-cylinder engine, the QSK95 propels Cummins to the forefront of the high horsepower market and will form the basis of future ultra-class mine haul truck and excavator development.

The engine will also be aimed at other high-hour, high-load applications such as power generation, locomotives, and as a drilling power module for oil and gas platforms.

In excavators, the 4000 hp QSK95 will allow the flexibility of a single engine installation in place of the current dual engine set-up if the market considers it an advantage.

A LARGE CUT ABOVE THEREST

New engine


world, including at high altitude, and meeting all emissions standards, including Tier 4 Final in North America.

Cummins’ next-generation Modular Common Rail System (MCRS) enables the QSK95 to achieve high fuel efficiency, even when operating at maximum power output. With up to 2200 bar (32,000 psi) high-pressure fuel injection, MCRS reduces noise, offers smooth idle stability and eliminates visible smoke across the entire operating range.

Cummins’ new NanoNet fuel filtration gives superior fuel cleanliness and enhances the durability of the MCRS system – an important advantage for mining engines required to

The QSK95 is just the start of a new Cummins high horsepower

platform for both diesel and gas, covering 12, 16 and 20 cylinders. The gas engines will not be just a derivative of the diesel product line, but specifically designed for gas.In addition, there are plans to make a 20-cylinder, 5,000 hp QSK120, which would push the high horse-power engine boundaries even further.

The 16-cylinder QSK95, the world’s most powerful high-speed diesel, is also unique in that it reaches the power output previously available only from 20-cylinder engines. It will be available as a global mining engine platform capable of operating at mine sites anywhere in the

“The 16-cylinder QSK95, the world’s most powerful high-speed diesel.”

operate anywhere in the world with varying fuel quality.

High power density is achieved with a hardened power cylinder featuring the strongest single-piece forged-steel piston available in the industry. Deep structural strength is provided by an all-new ductile iron skirted block. This increased strength contributes to higher engine uptime availability, extended life-to-overhaul and more cost-effective rebuilds.

The QSK95 will be capable of achieving 1.7 million gallons (6.46 million litres) and above of fuel consumed before rebuild, with the added advantage of minimum

08 09


midlife intervention. Service intervals are a minimum 500 hours, with the option of much-extended oil change intervals using the Eliminator oil purification system.

A quad-turbocharging system brings the simplicity of a single-stage air handling system already proven on the QSK60 engine.

The four compact turbochargers, one arranged for each bank of four cylinders, provide outstanding step-load acceptance and transient response. This enables the QSK95 to deliver more rapid power across the entire rpm range to improve excavator response times and haul truck speed at full payload capacity.

POWER GENERATIONThe QSK95 will power the new C3000-series genset from Cummins Power Generation, providing a class-leading 3.5 MW high-speed output. The C3000 will leverage Cummins’ ‘Power of One’ capability, with single-company design and manufacture of all key systems.The C3000 also marks the start of a new line of diesel and gas-powered Cummins generator sets. When the larger QSK120 version of the QSK95 engine becomes available, Cummins’ product line will extend beyond 4 MW.The QSK95 will also be configured as a ready-to-install offshore drilling power module (ODPM). It is rated 3000 hp (2125 kWe) at1200 rpm to align with a standard ODPM

FROM LEFT QSK95 high-speed diesel engine.

Mark Levett, Cummins Inc. vice-president unveils the QSK95.

QSK95 genset.

New engine

output node used for moored semi-submersible drilling rigs, jackup rigs, drillships, floating and gravity-based production platforms.

For short haul freight locomotives, the QSK95 will be offered withratings from 3500 to 4000 hp. For linehaul locomotives requiring more than 4000 hp, the QSK95 can be specified with a smaller Cummins locomotive engine as a combined power installation. A smart power-sharing system transfers work between the two Cummins engines to match the locomotive duty cycle more efficiently than a conventional single engine.

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Innovation

POWERING UP UNDERGROUND

A twin-engine, double-articulated mine truck designed and built

in Australia is set to establish a new benchmark for underground haulage efficiency.

The brainchild of Scott McFarlane, chief engineer at Brisbane-based Powertrans, the new truck is powered by twin Cummins QSX engines, each punching out 550 hp.

Powertrans, of course, is the com-pany that developed and builds the remarkable twin-engine Pit Hauler roadtrains that move phenomenal payloads – in excess of 400 tonnes at a time – in mine applications in Western Australia.

The new Powertrans underground truck is known as the DAT60 – ‘Double Articulated Truck, 60-tonner’ – and is the most powerful under-ground hauler on the market today with 1100 hp on tap from its 15-litre Cummins engines.

“It’s all about faster haulage speeds…increased tonnes per kilometre,” says Scott McFarlane.

He points out the DAT60 was trialled at Newcrest’s Cadia Valley Ridgeway mine in NSW and, with a payload of 68 tonnes, achieved 15 km/h on a 14% ramp gradient – evidence of its outstanding performance.


“As underground mines go deeper this kind of performance takes on even greater significance,” he says.

McFarlane and the Powertrans team have worked closely with specialist underground mining contractor Byrnecut in the development of the DAT60, and Byrnecut has bought the first unit for operation at Newcrest’s Telfer gold mine in WA.

With an engine front and rear and a length of 13.4 metres, the Powertrans truck is up to two metres longer than its competitors. However, as McFarlane points out, the extra length has no impact on manoeuvrability or swept path because of the double articulation of the DAT60.

T he Cummins QSX engines are both fitted with compression

engine brakes retarding a total of 900 hp – significant braking effort that was fully tested at the Cadia mine with the DAT60 grossing around 108 tonnes.

“We tested the fully loaded DAT60 going down into the Cadia mine over a distance of six kilometres and the engine brakes held the truck with the transmissions in second gear,” McFarlane points out.

BELOW LEFT Scott McFarlane, chief engineer - Powertrans.

BELOW RIGHT Serviceability is a feature of the DAT60

with room in the engine bays for routine maintenance.

The Cummins QSX engines drive through Allison six-speed 4000-series transmissions to Kessler axles.

Serviceability is another feature of the DAT60 with plenty of room in the engine bays for routine maintenance. Both engines are cooled by radiators with a 1.3 sqm (2000 sq in) frontal area.

Powertrans developed its own cab for the DAT60 as well as the custom dash display which incorporates two tachometers for the QSX engines. The cab has both ROP (roll-over protection) and FOPS (falling object protection system).

A CAN Bus system is also used to significantly reduce electrical wiring.

The DAT60 was 18 months in the making at Powertrans from concept stage to completed construction. A patent has been applied for.

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The Tier 2 version of Cummins’ 760 hp QSK19 engine will be introduced by Atlas Copco in its 60-tonne MT6020 underground mine truck this year. Tier 2 levels are the lowest regulated emissions in the world for off-highway engines over 560kW (751hp).

The 100th MT6020 sold in Australia was recently put into service by ACM (Australian Contract Mining) in WA.

The Tier 2 QSK19 engine has a modular common rail fuel system, including a high-pressure fuel pump generating around 1600 bar, to enable cleaner, quieter and faster power delivery.

The system also prevents unbalanced fuelling between cylinders to signifi-cantly reduce engine vibration, noise and harshness, making the Tier 2 engine 80% quieter under load and at idle.

“We’ll have a cleaner engine – a better engine,” says Atlas Copco business line manager Matt Cobham.“That’s going to make a difference

as these larger, decline-access underground mines in Australia in particular go deeper and grapple with ventilation efficiencies as power costs rise.

“There are plenty of underground mines that will continue to rely on truck haulage, and our aim is toremain the most cost effective option for this. We have continually improved our driveline components and we have a reliable truck that’s fast on grade and is easier to maintain.”

TIER 2 QSK19 FOR UNDERGROUND MINE TRUCK

ABOVE Tier 2 QSK19 has a modular common

rail fuel system.

BELOWMT6020 at Stawell gold mine, Victoria.

OPPOSITE PAGEQSK23 Custom Pak.

Cooling system provides for continuous operation.

New Compak is a lighter, lower cost powerpack for lower horsepower

applications.


PUMPED UP FOR MINE DEWATERING

Cummins has released the QSK23CustomPak for high volume pumping applications such as mine dewatering. Cummins CustomPaks are self-contained powerpacks designed and built in Australia for Australian conditions.

Power for the QSK23 CustomPak comes from Cummins’ 23-litre in-line six which has a continuous rating of 800 hp at 1800 rpm and an intermittent rating of 950 hp at 2100 rpm. The QSK23 engine is well established in high duty cycle mining applications such as excavators and drills and is noted for its reliability and durability.

Cummins CustomPaks have earned a reputation for their robustness and ability to operate in intense heat. All CustomPak cooling systems provide for continuous operation in ambient temperatures of plus 50 degrees Celsius.

The QSK23 CustomPak also meets OH&S requirements with engine protection guards and a low-mounted radiator header tank for ease of top-up. The Cummins CustomPak line-up nowspans 65 to 800 hp in continuous ratings.

NEW COMPAKCummins has also launched a range of compact, lower cost powerpacks for the mining and construction markets. The new Compak range is derived from Cummins’ CustomPak line-up and is a lighter, more compact powerpack for the lower horse-power segment.

Cooling capacity allows the Compak models to operate continuously in ambient temperatures of plus 50 degrees Celsius. The Compak range includes the B3.3TAA rated at 75 hp, the QSB3.3 rated at 99 hp, and the QSB4.5 rated at 160 hp.

All models utilise engines from Cummins’ B-series platform, one of the most successful ever developed by the company with nearly 10 million engines built. All Compak power-packs are also certified to stringent US Tier 3 emissions standards without any loss of performance or fuel economy. They also meet all Australian OH&S requirements for engine-mounted protection guards.

The QSK23 is well established in high duty cycle mining applications.

Community stories

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Dave Abbott, Cummins mining business manager for Western

Australia, has every reason to feel intensely proud of his son Des.

A young indigenous man, Des Abbott has battled injury to become one of the world’s finest hockey players as a member of the Kookaburras,

STICKGIVING THEM


Australia’s national men’s hockey team. Fame can wreak havoc on a person if it comes too swiftly and suddenly. For Des Abbott, 26, keeping a level head has not been a problem, something his father Dave is proud of.

Des loves the team environment of the Kookaburras. “The team spirit is great. No one is stuck up. We’re all mates. We’re all normal human beings who have to work to make a living,” he said, adding it’s hard to believe the Kookaburras still don’t have a major sponsor.

After a period with knee and ankle injuries requiring surgery,

Des is striving for full fitness in his quest to make the Kookaburras team, currently ranked No.1 in the world, for the 2012 London Olympics.

Darwin-born Des Abbott made his debut for the Kookaburras in 2007. Since then his career produced an impressive Olympic bronze medal (Beijing 2008), four consecutive Champions Trophy titles, a Commonwealth Games gold medal and World Cup gold medal, and

MAIN IMAGEDes Abbott (right) and Joel Carroll,

indigineous Kookaburra players.

BELOWDes with father Dave Abbott,

Cummins mining business manager.

If you’ve got a community story you’d like to see in Cummins Mining, please send it to us to review.

[email protected]

“The team spirit is great.We’re all mates.”

selection in the illustrious International Team of the Year in 2010.

This year he has won an unprec-edented third Northern Territory Sportsperson of the Year award and several days later he scored in Australia’s 7-0 thumping of China – his 100th international test match.

Des Abbott is also an ambassador for the National Indigenous Hockey Program, an initiative of Fortescue Metals Group, Australia’s third largest iron ore producer, and Hockey Australia.

The program is aimed at developing hockey in WA’s Pilbara indigenous community as well as the wider Pilbara community. It is also designed to develop leadership skills, encourage active participation, community engagement and talent identification.

Des’s father Dave has happily been with Cummins for 25 years. He spent 10 years in Darwin as parts manager before moving to Perth and serving in various roles. He has been mining business manager for WA for three years.

Community stories

As the population of high horsepower engines continues to grow

dramatically due mainly to the high level of mining activity, the importance of Cummins’ Master Rebuild Centres in Brisbane and Perth becomes apparent. The two Master Rebuild Centres, quality certified to ISO 9001, were established in 2010 to guarantee the quality of Cummins’ high horse-power engine rebuilds.

“The Master Rebuild Centres are all about providing quality and delivering Certified Rebuilt high horsepower engines through best practice manufacturing and planning,” says Shane Jones, Manager of Master Rebuild Centre Development.

“An engine that has undergone our certified rebuild process provides as-new reliability and life-to-overhaul,

and also carries a new engine warranty of 12 months and unlimited hours,” he says.

Cummins owns more than 300 mining-spec support bank engines – ranging from non-certified to the latest emissions spec – to support mining customers in the South Pacific whenever they need a replacement engine.

Rebuilding

By the end of 2012 there will be over 3000 Cummins high horsepower engines in mining in Australia ranging from 19 to 78 litres and 500 to 3500 hp.

16 17


The support bank engines are rebuilt to factory specification at

the Master Rebuild Centres using the certified rebuild process – a process that incorporates the latest technology in assembly and includes product improvements as they become available. The certified rebuild process, from teardown to final inspection, is a 600-step procedure that fits into a distinct three-phase flow:

• Teardown, cleaning, component evaluation and inspection,• Component sub-assembly and engine assembly,• Dyno testing, final ‘dress’ and painting, along with final inspection.

The Master Rebuild Centres are fitted with the latest tooling to handle the manufacturing-based process, including electric rollover stands,

REBUILT… AND RARING TO GO

ABOVE Master Rebuild Centres are equipped

with the latest tooling, including electric roll-over stands and

electric tensioning tools.

at Daventry in the UK and Seymour in the US. ViewEASE provides the operator with specific build instructions and other associated documentation related to the specific assembly process. The Perth facility is implementing ViewEASE this year.

The latest cleaning equipment is also installed at the Master

Rebuild Centres, including hot ferrous and warm alloy cleaning

tanks, parts washers and block spinners. They also have the latest dynamometer test facilities, capable of testing engines up to 4,000 hp.

Shane Jones and his team know exactly how many engines will need to be rebuilt in 2012. “We work to a 12-month rolling forecast and review that forecast every Friday to understand exactly what engines need to be transferred to the build

18 19

electric tensioning tools and a CNC block machine for blueprinting, boring and surfacing. The electric tensioning tools provide 100 per cent auditing of bolt tensioning to underpin rebuild quality.

In the Brisbane facility each assembly station has a ViewEASE touch screen computer that is linked to Cummins’ high horsepower assembly software from manufacturing plants


schedule,” he explains. Critical to this forecasting is the Atlas database which was developed in-house and details all Cummins engines in the field, customers, sites, operating hours of each engine, projected rebuild dates, and a vast array of other data that is important to the rebuild process.

“Our Atlas database is not only critical for our own planning, but it can also

Rebuilding

help our customers understand and plan for their own requirements,” says Shane Jones.

Together, the two Master Rebuild Centres employ over 100 people, including quality engineers, planners, material specialists, technicians and apprentices.

FROM TOP LEFTBlock inspection: Borescope is used

to check internal galleries as part of the QA process.

Electric tensioning tools provide 100% audit of bolt tensioning to

underpin rebuild quality.

Fit-up of valve train, fuel and exhaust systems.

FROM BOTTOM LEFTLatest dynamometer test facilities are capable of testing engines up

to 4000 hp.

Dynamometer control centre.

The finished product… a Certified Rebuilt engine.

All five excavators at Grange Resources’ iron ore mine at Savage River in Tasmania are hitting the availability target of 92 per cent. The availability calculation includes all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.

The five Cummins QSK engines are playing a key role in the success of the Hitachi machines. “We’ve had no dramas… we’re impressed,” says Greg Ling, Grange Resources’ mobile maintenance manager at the Savage River mine, which is located in rugged,

mountainous terrain on the northwest coast in beautiful Tasmania.Three of the excavators are EX3600-6 shovels; each with a Tier 2 Cummins QSK60 rated at 1950 hp and an operating weight of 360 tonnes. An EX1900-6 shovel gets its digging force from a Tier 2 Cummins QSK38 rated at 1085 hp, while an EX1200-6 shovel is powered by a 760 hp QSK23. The excavators are feeding 17 200-tonne haul trucks and are moving around 5 million tonnes of overburden and rock a month. The excavators are operating at load factors

Five Cummins QSK engines are clocking up impressive availability at a magnetite iron ore mine in the rugged north west of Tasmania.

AT SAVAGESERVING IT UP

20 21

Mine report


as high as 75 to 80 per cent, an endurance test for any piece of machinery.

While he is impressed with the performance of the excavator fleet, Grange Resources’ senior operations manager at Savage River, Gilbert Charles, warns that even tougher duty cycles lie ahead.

“Our mine development phases and material movements are increasing, our key performance targets have been set and we must meet those targets,” he says.

LONG LIFE TO OVERHAUL

Two of the 60-litre, V16 QSK60 engines were changed out after clocking up 18,500 hours.

“The change-out occurred at 18,500 hours to fit in with Grange’s scheduled maintenance program,” says Rob Criggie, manager of Cummins’ operations in Tasmania. “Our tear-down analysis showed the engines could comfortably have reached the 20,000-hour mark.”

The third QSK60 was changed out at 18,000 hours again to fit in with scheduled maintenance.

The QSK38, a 38-litre V12, has proved just as reliable as the QSK60 engines, with change-out occurring at 16,500 hours as part of Grange’s scheduled maintenance program.

Perth-based Grange Resources has owned the Savage River mine

since January 2009. The mine has actually been operating since 1966, supplying palletized iron ore to steel producers in Asia and Australia.

Grange is producing more than 2.4 million tonnes of magnetite iron ore pellets and concentrate a year and is planning to ramp up production to 2.9 million tonnes in the future.

TIER 2 RELIABILITYCummins’ Tier 2 emissions technology is delivering excellent reliability at Savage River. The distinguishing feature of these engines is the mod-ular common rail fuel system which enables cleaner, quieter and faster power delivery. Each injector has its own integrated accumulator to keep injection pressures – up to 1600 bar (23,500 psi) – constant throughout. This prevents unbalanced fuelling between cylinders, reducing engine vibration, noise and harshness. Maintenance manager Greg Ling rates suppliers on service response, parts availability, product knowledge, and mine visit and phone call frequency. “We get excellent support from Rob Ciggie and his team at Cummins,” he says.

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Cummins Mining Magazine