RDH Mining Equipment announces the development of its conveyor haul truck, the Haulmaster 600-7LPC, designed specifically for low height seams. With units currently working in potash mining, operators and mine managers are praising its benefits and performance.
The Haulmaster 600-7LPC’s conveyor built into the chassis moves the load towards the rear door without the risk of side spillage associated with the unloading of traditional haul trucks. The load mass is evenly supported by a series of robust crossbeams. Chains pull the conveyor to ensure a smooth, even and fail-safe operation. Driven by hydraulic motors, the load is safely and steadily moved to the rear of the load body. In addition, the hydraulic control allows the operator to reduce conveyor speed or even stop it completely if needed.
When compared to traditional underground haul trucks the conveyor truck has a few specific advantages. Because the load body is never lifted, the truck can work in low seams or under obstacles like ventilation or electrical, which is ideal for low ceilings as in potash mining. Units are currently working in a 70 inch heading. There is no risk of tipping. The unit can unload on uneven surfaces or incline as the dump body is never lifted. The conveyor system allows the unit to unload in a fraction of the time it takes a traditional dump truck.
The low-maintenance truck is highly cost-effective, integrating a maintenance-free conveyor mechanism with sealed bearings. No downtime has been experienced in over one year of operation, ensuring the mines production targets are met.
Prior to the introduction of the conveyor belt truck, the mine used LHD’s to carry the potash from the face to a conveyor system, which was proving inefficient. Since the introduction of the RDH conveyor truck the mine is experiencing a 400% increase in productivity as the truck can do what the loaders were accomplishing 4 times faster. With greater load capacity and quick unloading ability the truck can do what the loaders were accomplishing in one quarter of the time.