RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

Good body image

Selecting the optimal body design and wear materials for each truck
can have a huge impact on mine haulage profiles. Carly Lovejoy
explores best practice and the current market

here are currently about 35,000

mining haul trucks in use at surface
operations across the globe with
payload ratings in excess of 90t, and
around 42,000 if you count those that are
currently out of service. The Parker Bay
Co, which provides market research for
the mining equipment industry, estimates
that around 4,500 new trucks are introduced to the market each year.
While most of these are supplied with
bodies by their original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), there is a steadily
growing market for specialist body
designs, particularly those made by
independent manufacturers.

Selection
When selecting haul truck bodies, there
are a number of factors to be considered
including: the characteristics of the
material to be hauled; truck payload/
design; the range of bodies available;
which loading tools the truck will be
matched with; haul road conditions, grade
and average haul distance; plus
environmental conditions at the site.
Before we begin a design, we conduct
an extensive review of the mine needs,
operations (loading tools), facilities and
production budget requirements, says
Rich Peters, sales manager for North
America at Westech. This includes
maintenance facilities and road conditions.
Once this is complete, we use the latest in
engineering technology to design, model
and measure the design. We use such

www.

.com

software as Pro/E, Ansys, CF Design and

EDEM. Once the design is complete, a full
review is done with the customer.
We spend a lot of time talking with
customers, and use computer models to
determine the optimal interaction
between the truck body and the loading
tools, explains Dowen Raynor, product
manager for truck bodies at ESCO. This
system approach creates value for
miners and helps define the balance
between payload and service life.
Sizing the body to allow the customer
to achieve the rated truck payload is
crucial. An appropriately sized body is one
that can reach target payload and
minimise spillage when hauling all
material types at a mine site.
To minimise the risk of machine
overload, Caterpillar uses the 10-10-20
policy. This dictates that no more than 10%
of loads should exceed 110% of the target
payload, and no load should ever exceed
120% of the target payload; the average of
all loads should be the target payload.
Javier Llano, large mining truck body
product manager at Caterpillar, says: We
collect mine-specific information, including
information on the material, such as
fragmentation, abrasion and cohesion, and
information about the loading tool being
used, as well as customer expectations and
maintenance criteria. Caterpillar application specialists then review the information
and determine the optimal body
configuration for each mine site.
Josh Swank, vice-president of sales at

Philippi Hagenbuch, says design is the

most important thing to look at when
selecting bodies. However, body life is
determined by both the design and the
material the body is made from.
Weve learned that not all steels are
created equal, he says. Start with the
best quality steel and welding consumables, paired with the design that provides
optimal performance and life, and you will
arrive at the most efficient truck body to
operate as well as maintain.

113

A DT HiLoad
body on its way
to Xstratas
Mount Owen
mine

Design
The most important factor affecting truck
body design is the material being hauled.
This will not only determine the capacity
and position of the body on the chassis
due to the stated materials angle of
repose (the stacking angle), but it will also
determine which accessories/wear parts
may be needed so that the body can
achieve its specified life.
For example, if the material being
hauled is very abrasive or the particles are
very large, it may be beneficial to add
liners to protect the truck body from
premature wear and/or localised denting.
If the material is very light, such as coal,
then it is unlikely that liners or heavy main
plates would be needed.
The loose density of the material
affects the volumetric design of a truck
body, and directly determines the payload
of the truck: the weight of the final truck
body design, plus the truck chassis
weight, subtracted from the gross vehicle
weight (GVW) will give the potential
payload. The lighter the body, the greater
the payload potential, and the heavier the
truck body the less payload potential
there is within the trucks GVW range.
In addition, allowances must be made
for environmental influences, such as the
weather, on the material; moist material
can have a tenancy to hang up (stick) in

The loose
density of
the material
affects the
volumetric
design of a
truck body,
and directly
determines
the payload
of the
truck

September 2012

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 113

20/08/2012 11:52

RDO.indd 1

14/08/2012 15:36

RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

the truck body after dumping, so

modifications may be needed to
counteract this.
Loading tools will also affect the way the
truck body is designed, so as to off-set
characteristics inherent to each type of
tool. Dennis Frank, director of sales at
Mine Rite Technologies, explains: Wheel
loaders tend to discharge the material in a
wave that splashes against the off-side of
the truck body and may require additional
plate thickness or structure to counteract
this. Shovels typically drop their load in
one area, creating impact, and can also
have the same effect as a loader, but
against the front wall of the truck body as
the shovel bucket is swung into the truck
body and emptied.
Further considerations for tray design
include:
road design and width restrictions;
w orkshop design (width and height
restrictions);
loading and unloading equipment and
or procedures;
legislative conditions (environmental,
health and safety); and
the clients business plan.
Barry Miller, vice-president, business
development at Trinity Mining and
Construction Equipment, says that no
matter what marker a mine uses to
determine the efficiency of its haul fleet, it
all comes down to finding the lowest cost
per tonne for hauling material.
Our efforts begin with the customer
providing basic operational information,
such as material weights, loading tool
information and any restrictions that might
come into play, such as body height, width
restrictions and even berm height at the
dumping location, he tells MM. Our
engineers are then able to custom-design
a body that meets the requirements of
each individual mine, while hauling the
maximum allowable payload.
John van Reenen, managing director of
VR Steel, says that when selecting a new
truck body, the question should be: which
body will be the longest lasting, strongest
and lightest that will work in the
conditions specific to the mine?
Lightweight bodies are more
susceptible to fatigue failure, which puts
more emphasis on the design and
manufacturing, he explains. It is vital to
choose a supplier with good manufacturing and excellent design capabilities.

Truck performance
An optimal body design will maximise
machine productivity and component life,
resulting in the lowest operating cost per
tonne for the customer. When designing a
body for a specific application, it is

www.

.com

on the DT HiLoad Hercules body in under

a year.
Selecting a truck body that is not
designed for a customers site-specific
conditions and use could lead to less than
optimal payload deliveries. Exceeding the
trucks GVW can lead to warranty denial,
increased fuel and maintenance costs,
increased downtime and less productivity.
important to make sure it is not only of
the correct capacity, but also positioned
correctly on the chassis to distribute the
weight of the load properly on the tyres.
This will prevent uneven tyre wear as well
as braking, steering or dumping issues.
Mr Swank explains: Every truck has a
maximum GVW that must be maintained,
plus correct distribution of weight between
the front and rear axles to stay within
warranty and for optimal performance.
If the body is positioned correctly
within the front/rear axle distribution
range (usually 1/3 front, 2/3 rear), the
likelihood of encountering tyre or stability
issues is greatly reduced.
Lighter-weight bodies allow for more
material to be hauled. However, a body
that is oversized can lead to loads in excess
of the rated payload of the truck, and
result in decreased braking and steering
capability, and reduced component life.
Conversely, if the body is undersized, the
truck is not being fully utilised, which
results in a higher cost per tonne.
Mr Llano from Caterpillar says: We
have seen incidents of incorrect weight
splits, excessive debris build-up due to the
lack of, or incorrect placement of guards,
and interference with the frame or other
chassis components when aftermarket
bodies are mounted on a Cat chassis.
Richard Lang, CEO of DT HiLoad, adds:
If the body design is tough enough for
the mine conditions and lasts an economic
period, then a lighter body will carry more
payload all day every day. We find that
customers typically get a payback period

115

Truck bodies
must be
designed to
accomodate the
loading tools
used. This photo
shows a VR Steel
body in use

Maintenance
All truck bodies will require some amount
of repair. However, the frequency will vary
greatly depending on the application and
the care taken by the customer. Knowing
customer expectations and having an
understanding of the application is the
best way to ensure that payload and
durability are balanced.
Some customers, those who want to
maximise production even at the expense
of some additional costs, prefer a
consumable lightweight body that will
operate for a certain amount of time
before being replaced, Mr Llano tells
MM. Customers at the other extreme
want a single body to last the life of the
chassis with no major rebuilds. There is a
middle ground too, where most customers
fall a body that can be refurbished or
rebuilt for a second or third life.
Regularly scheduled maintenance
inspections are critical to ensure maximum
life. Application severity plays a major role
as well; rock impact is the number one
cause of body damage. Applications with
large rocks and inexperienced loading
tool operators tend to have more impact
damage (denting or buckling of ribs).
Another consideration is the abrasiveness
of the material being hauled. Some ore
contains a high amount of silica and can
quickly erode the steel as it exits the
body, resulting in higher maintenance
frequency or reduced body life.
Steve Grant, vice-president of technical
and marketing support at Hitachi,
comments: A standard-type body with

When
designing a
body, it is
important
to make
sure it is
not only of
the correct
capacity,
but also
positioned
correctly on
the chassis

The wrong design

The consequences of selecting an incorrect design
include: overloading the truck, which leads to safety
concerns with steering and braking; under-utilisation
of the truck; premature tyre wear; increased
carry-back; higher fuel costs; and downtime
associated with repairs. Mr Raynor at ESCO
comments: Downtime is the enemy of all miners; it
results in loss of production that can never be
regained. Loss of productivity is a loss in revenue.
Chris Killian, regional manager at Duratray,
agrees: It is all about payload; if you can haul
more for less, then you are winning. Poor design
choices that create carry-back, for example, can
almost halve the amount of material you haul.
Poor design in matching loaders to bodies can

also contribute to similar payload shortages.

Poor design can increase the occurrence (and
amount) of carry-back; this is material that adheres
to the truck body and remains in the tray after
dumping. It constitutes extra weight for the truck to
carry when making return journeys to the loader, and
prevents the full capacity of the body from being
utilised. It is a particular problem at operations with
sticky materials, such as clay or oil sands.
Selection of the correct body is all about
maximising productivity of equipment and thereby
reducing the cost per tonne of moving material,
states Mr Miller at Trinity. The results of choosing a
body for any reason other than this can mean more
expense to move a given amount of material.

September 2012

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 115

20/08/2012 11:53

116 RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

The payload
must be
distributed
correctly on the
chassis to avoid
steering and
stability issues

Proper
loading
practices,
operations
management,
blasting
practices
and loading
tools all
play a role
in the life of
a body

25mm-thick floor would typically last

70,000h and a lightweight body around
25,000h. Bodies used in iron ore and
copper ore where liners are used can
expect an extra 12,000h out of liners.
A body that sustains a lot of contact
damage from loading tools and distortion
from tail dragging during tipping will
require more maintenance. Mr Lang of DT
HiLoad explains: We recommend that
the body should be inspected during
regular truck maintenance intervals. Floor
thickness measurements, which guide our
unique wear management strategy,
should be taken every six months. You
need to manage the regular maintenance
separately from damage repair.
We find that even in hard rock applications, our bodies can go 20,000h before
undertaking any significant maintenance.
In less arduous conditions this will be
considerably longer, maybe 30-40,000h.
Wear tiles are added as calculated
depending on the wear rate, which is a
function of how abrasive the ore is.
Material selection and assembly is an
important ingredient in a truck bodys life
span. ESCO uses finite element analysis to
assist in determining the correct material
combination. The standard-duty ESCO
body for coal applications is engineered
to have a life cycle of 24,000h to 30,000h

with regular scheduled maintenance.

Westech Engineering takes a different
approach. Rich Peters explains to MM: A
Westech body is designed to be operated
maintenance-free for the designated life
cycle. Our bodies need minimal care, but
everything is predicated on the mines
operations. Proper loading practices,
operations management, blasting
practices and loading tools all play a role
in the life of a body.

Repair or replace?
The replacement of truck bodies varies
greatly with design and application. The
decision is usually decided based on the
expected chassis life of the truck.
Mr Frank tells MM: Mine Rite designs
its truck bodies to the customers needs
and works with them to match the
number of replacement bodies needed to
reach the customers life expectation of
the truck chassis.
He explains that a truck chassis that has
achieved half the life of the customers
expectation and is ready for a replacement body may only need one more body
to reach the customers ultimate chassis
life goal. However, the customer may opt
for a lightweight replacement body and
increase the trucks payload potential by
accepting that it might have to replace

the truck body more than once during the

remaining chassis life.
A customer may also opt to increase
the payload potential of a new truck
chassis by fitting it with a lighter body
from the beginning, and match the body
replacement schedule to the life
expectations of the chassis. Mr Swank
reports similar findings: A trend weve
seen in the past is for some operations to
go with disposable truck bodies that
would last for three years or 15,00020,000h, receive minimal maintenance and
are replaced at set intervals. And more
often than not, the bodies outlived their
intended lifespan considerably.
Downtime required to rebuild a body
can also be very expensive, and if a spare

advertiser

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 116

20/08/2012 11:53

RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

body is not available, a truck can sit idle for

weeks. More and more mines are looking
for life-defined bodies with minimal
maintenance and highly productive
designs. We have designed bodies that
were to last 21,000-24,000h that are still in
use at 30,000h, comments Mr Peters.
Mr Miller at Trinity says that there is no
hard and fast rule regarding repair and
replacement of bodies. However, design
characteristics, such as the internal
gussets in sills and floor bolsters used in
Trinitys TMAX bodies, can help provide
strength and longevity.
The expected life of a truck is
between 50,000h and 60,000h, says Mr
van Reenen of VR Steel. We expect our
bodies to be repaired once at 25,000-

30,000h and then to last until the truck is

decommissioned.
Independent manufacturer Duratray
has created a Suspended Dump Body
(SDB) design. The company says that the
frame of the body can be used in excess
of 10 years in most applications. The
replacement of the wear mat depends on
the application, but it will usually be
changed when the 100/135mm thickness
has worn down to 30-40mm. The rate
differs from mine to mine, and abrasive
materials will typically require mat
changes every 30,000-40,000h.
Some mines opt for throw-away trays
at 20,000-30,000h, explains Mr Killian.
We find though that a life cycle of 6-10
years with a Duratray outweighs this
option financially, even with periodic rope
maintenance. Strategies often change,
and a mine might find it is having to
spend upwards of US$90,000 on
throw-away trays to keep them running,
which results in a higher cost over the life
of the body.
Duratray says that truck availability can
also be increased with the use of its
suspended design as it reduces the impact
sustained by the truck. The company states
that BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto in Chile
have seen an increase in truck availability
to 99.9% since introducing SDBs in 2009.

117

Special designs
Certain applications present particular
challenges and opportunities, and a
number of manufacturers have designed
bodies to optimise the hauling of these
materials. Material characteristics such as
density, moisture content, abrasiveness or
stickiness are the key drivers for special
truck body designs. Material density is a
key determinant for capacity sizing, and
moisture content may dictate a design that
resists material sticking to the truck body.
Coal applications
Special coal bodies are necessary due to
the low material density. Many coal
operations see material densities in the
range of 0.75 to 1.25,explains Mr Miller.
In order to maximise the payload of
the trucks hauling this material, bodies are
required that are wider, longer and taller
than the standard designs, in order to
achieve the volumes necessary to haul at
the rated payload.
Westech introduced its first gate-free
coal body in 2001. Traditionally, coal was
hauled in large heavy gated bodies, but
the new design helped increase payloads
and reduce maintenance costs. Our new
Flow Control body is designed to make the
truck platform safer, by discharging the
coal in a metered fashion, making the

Some
operations
go with
disposable
truck bodies
... and more
often than
not, the
bodies
outlived
their
intended
lifespan
considerably

advertiser

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 117

20/08/2012 11:53

T H E EVO LU T I O N O F M I N I N G
Its time to move on. The future belongs to the smarter. The smaller.
The ones that get the job done, but with less fuel, fewer parts and
fewer problems. The ones that will deliver higher availability, increased
productivity and better protability. Welcome to a new era of mining
solutions at scania.com/mining. Or see us at MineEx po, stand 17210,
Silver lot, Las Vegas Convent ion Center, 24-26 September 2012.

h_SCAN176_Ad_B_Mining_Magazine_275x200mm.indd 1

2012-07-13 15:03

RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

crusher more efficient, and reducing coal

dust emissions, Mr Peters explains.
Coal is less abrasive than metallic ores,
which allows the use of thinner floors and
sides to keep body weight down and
enable more coal to be hauled. Komatsu
advises that coal bodies often require a
special floor and front sheet design to
ensure they are properly positioned
and to help obtain the rated payload.
Trucks are designed to haul whatever
load they can support, but the bodies
need to be specific to the purpose and

the operation, explains Mr Swank. Coal

bodies need to be large, and to achieve
good ground clearance at full dump, you
need to either restrict the body length or
increase the body sidewall height.
Mr Frank adds: Specific bodies can
lower operating costs by increasing the
payload potential and reducing the haul
cycle times by addressing certain dump
criteria (better dumping of sticky or wet
material) and reducing the empty vehicle
weight. Attachments such as tailgates and
liners can also be added to aid payload

potential and address restrictions that

may arise as a result of the loading tools.
Oil sands
Haulage in the Canadian oil sands
presents a number of challenges; the
material is generally very sticky, and the
extreme climatic conditions in northern
Canada increase the potential for loads
freezing to the truck body, making
carry-back a real concern.
To help prevent the material from
sticking, oil sands bodies are sometimes

119

Bodies
need to be
specific to
the purpose
and the
operation

Steels and wear parts

A range of specialist steels can be incorporated
into the manufacture of truck bodies, or applied
later in the form of plates/components, in order
to enhance their resistance to abrasion and
impact. A few choices are detailed below.
A dead
bed
made
from
Hardox
steel

are too big to fall through the bars, they exit the
tray with a tumbling motion during dumping,
rather than sliding along the floor; a tumbling
rock creates less wear than a sliding rock, and
SSAB says the wear rate can be reduced by
30-40% compared with a flat plate.
SSAB has launched WearCalc2.0, an
application that calculates the relative service life
of abrasion-resistant spare parts. Combined with
a comparison of material and production costs,
the application allows quick selection of optimum
wear materials. It predicts erosive and impact
wear as well as sliding wear for all types of
Hardox wear plate.

Hardox

Raex and Optim

Hardox was launched in the 1970s by Swedish

manufacturer SSAB. Available in six hardness
levels 350 HB, 400 HB, 450 HB, 500 HB, 550
HB, 600 HB and Hardox Extreme 700 HB the
steel gains its strength from SSABs specially
developed quenching process. This results in very
tough and ductile plate with a low level of
alloying elements. It is particularly resistant to
impact and can absorb heavy strain, even in very
low temperatures. Hardox can be produced in
thicknesses from 1mm to 160mm.
The company says that in spite of its strength,
Hardox is still easy to handle in the workshop,
and its low carbon equivalent values make it easy
to weld. The plate can be easily cut with gas,
plasma or laser, and its consistent quality and
purity make it suitable for press and roll bending.
SSAB produces Hardox at mills in Oxelsund
(Sweden), Borlnge (Sweden) and Mobile,
Alabama (US), and its products are distributed
worldwide mill direct by SSAB sales staff or
through the Hardox wear parts network. The
company recommends Hardox 400, 450 and 500
steel plates for lining truck bodies; the choice of
steel grade and thickness depends on truck
capacity and ore hardness. Hardox 400 and 450
in thicknesses of 6-15mm are most popular for
body sides, while Hardox 450 and 500 in
thicknesses of 14-25mm are used in tray bottoms.
SSAB says a good way to reduce abrasion is to
use the dead bed concept by putting hollow
lining plates or wear bars transverse to the
material flow direction on the bottom and sides
of the body (instead of lining plates). If the rocks

Finnish steel specialist Ruukki provides Raex

wear-resistant steel in four classes of hardness:
Raex 300, 400, 450 and 500. It says Raex has
been tested in extremely demanding conditions,
needing high strength and abrasion resistance.
Raex (hardness 300-500 HBW) is a hardened steel
particularly suited for long-term use in abrasive
environments with high surface pressure.
Ruukki also produces Optim high-strength and
ultra-high-strength structural steels, including
strip and plate products, as well as tubes and
open steel profiles. Optim 700 MC Plus and
Optim 700 QL, as well as high-strength and
ultra-high-strength Optim hollow sections, are
most suitable for use in truck bodies.
Josu Pia, vice-president, special steel sales at
Ruukki Metals in the Americas, explains: The
hardness of Raex 450 is 2.5 times that of ordinary
structural steel. Raex 450 steel is a good choice
for long-term, heavy-duty parts that are
susceptible to strong surface pressure. The
hardness of Raex 500 is over three times that of
ordinary structural steel.
When increased payloads and energy
efficiency are needed, the high
strength of Optim steels offer an
Hot rolled
plates at
Ruukkis
Raahe
factory

www.

.com

opportunity to design lighter and stronger

structures.
Ruukki manufactures Raex and Optim using
direct quenching at its Raahe factory in Finland,
although its customer base is global. Both can be
delivered in plate form or as customised
components, shaped and bent to OEMs and
sub-contractors requirements.
NanoSteel
wear
plates

NanoSteel
The NanoSteel Co has developed the NanoSteel
SHS 9700 Wear Plate, which it claims provides
400% more wear life than 500 Brinell steel plates
in mining applications.
The company provided a monolithic
NanoSteel SHS 9700 overlay wear plate for
testing to a hard rock mine in southwest US. The
mines 240t trucks were transporting ore from an
electric shovel to a primary crusher, and the 500
Brinell quench and tempered wear plates used to
line the truck beds were lasting an average 12
months due to severe sliding abrasion.
The NanoSteel wear plate remained in service
after 48 months and after hauling more than
10Mt of ore. An ultrasonic inspection of the plate
at 48 months showed 40% of the original 6mm
overlay thickness remaining.

Astralloy
AstraWear 400F is produced by Astralloy, a
subsidiary of Arcelor Mittal. It is a water-tempered martensitic steel, with typical hardness of
400 BHN. Its resistance, high hardness and high
yield strength make AstraWear 400F suitable for
use in applications that require resistance to wear
from scraping or moderate impact.
Astralloy says that AstraWear 400F is
especially suited for mining, quarrying and
construction applications, as it allows a significant
reduction in design thickness, and is up to three
times more resistant than standard steels.

September 2012

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 119

20/08/2012 11:54

Experience the Progress.

At MINExpo 2012, Liebherr will be exhibiting new

products and other innovative solutions for the
mining industry.
With high-quality equipment and personalized
customer support, Liebherr enables superior productivity allowing customers to move more tons
per hour at the lowest cost.
We look forward to seeing you there!

MINExpo 2012
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Convention Center
Central Hall, Booth 7627
September 24-26
www.liebherr.com

The Group

RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

heated using engine exhaust gases and/or

tapered from front to rear so that the
material can flow out of the body easily
when dumping.
Mr Peters of Westech states: We
developed and delivered our first oil sand
body in 2008. With highly customised and
effective heating, carry-back has been
reduced to near zero. The original oil sand
body was developed for the Caterpillar
797. Today we have oil sand-specific
bodies for Liebherr T282 and Komatsu 930.
Our fleet of tar sands bodies in
Canada are reaching 250,000h service
with 99.9% availability. Figures like that in
such a harsh environment are the result of
excellent engineering and mining
experience. Every mine has its own
challenges and needs a truck body that is
customised for that specific application.
Oil sand is also very abrasive. Joe
Shoemaker, product manager, mining, at
Komatsu America Corp, explains that oil
sands bodies may have extra liners and/or
heavier main plates to combat wear.
Duratray has found its SDB rubber wear
mat typically wears three times longer than
steel sacrificial plates in these applications,
and carry-back is also reduced.
Oil sand has a tendency to compact
during travel, and during dumping the
material often remains in the body for an

extended time, then exits as a solid block;

this is referred to as loafing. With a
significant amount of load over the rear
axle, the dumping motion can cause the
front of the truck to lift up off the ground.
As the loaf releases, the truck and its
driver release from suspension and slam
back into the ground. This repeated
process stresses both the truck chassis
and the drivers, who, over time, can suffer
from back and neck issues.
Caterpillar responded to this problem
by adding a hydraulic (hoist system)
set-up, coupled with tapering the
sidewalls of the body to assist with
material ejection.
We also offer several carry-back
reduction designs for sites with very
cohesive material, says Mr Llano. These
include body exhaust heat routing, curved
internal transitions and corner web plates.
For sites with heavy abrasion, we offer
chromium carbide overlay plate, which
outlasts typical high-strength steel. We
recently introduced rubber floor liners to
absorb impact energy and reduce loading
noise for sites located near towns, which
closely monitor operational noise output.
Philippi Hagenbuch has developed a
truck body specific to the needs of oil
sands operations. Mr Swank explains:
Mines had no option other than

modified OEM or generic third-party truck

bodies to outfit their fleets with. Mine
operators invested greatly in different
scenarios in an attempt to reduce loafing
and carry-back, but the issues remained.
Because of this, we set out to design a
new type of truck body from scratch one
that was specifically built for the oil sands
environment. The result is a true oil sands
body, which practically eliminates loafing
and minimises carry-back.
Lightweight bodies/boards
Lightweight bodies can optimise
payloads in non-abrasive ores, and can
potentially reduce wear on the truck
components, extend tyre life and improve
fuel consumption, as the empty vehicle

121

PHIL oil sands

body on Cat 797

Every mine
has its own
challenges
and needs a
truck body
that is
customised
for that
application

advertiser

sleipner.fi

sleipner@sleipner.fi

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 121

THE EASIEST WAY TO BE

MORE PRODUCTIVE

with the clever and simple Sleipner system.

20/08/2012 11:54

122 RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

Komatsu
designs and
manufactures all
its truck body
parts in-house.
This photo shows
a 960E model in
action

weight during return hauls is much lower.

Sideboards or hungry boards can be
added to increase a bodys volume, usually
to compensate for hauling lighter material
and to minimise spillage. For example, if a
truck is used to haul both light overburden
and then heavier ore, sideboards could be
used to reach the available payload for the
overburden, and can then be removed
once the operation moves into ore.
Mr van Reenen explains: The main
situation where hungry boards and
sidewall extensions would be employed

would be if there were an existing body in

the field and the customer discovered
that the material density had significantly
changed. If the current material density
was lighter than the original material
density used to design the body, then
hungry boards/sidewall extensions would
allow the customer to continue to haul a
rated payload with the lighter material.
Mr Peters at Westech cautions:
Alterations to the body with hunger
boards or side wall and tail extensions will
help get the payload numbers up, but can

also raise the trucks centre of gravity. This

can increase the chance of rollover or
instability.
The split ratio is also impacted; more
weight is shifted to the rear, causing more
wear on the rear tyres and struts. The
truck would need more maintenance,
which can affect overall budgets from
maintenance to production. Choosing the
correct body design maximises the
material hauled body weight is reduced
through proper engineering and material
choices.

Truck body manufacturers

MM takes a look at the current range of haul truck bodies available from some of the key OEMs and
independent manufacturers

OEMs
KOMATSU

There are
obvious
benefits to
purchasing
a Komatsu
haul truck
equipped
with an
OEMdesigned
body

A Cat 789C
with gateless
coal body

Komatsu offers standard rock bodies for

its entire range of trucks, and can work
with customers to provide an applicationspecific body where necessary.
We design all of our bodies using the
same basic materials, explains Mr
Shoemaker.
The main difference in the material for
a specific body design would be the
thickness required.
We have designed numerous body
attachments based on customer requests,
including tail and floor extensions, liners
and top rail reinforcement. The most
popular options are eyebrows and canopy
extensions.
Komatsu designs all of its bodies and
parts in-house, with the exception of
liners. Fabrication is carried out at a
number of Komatsu locations, which each
serve various geographical regions. In
some markets Komatsu undertakes this
work in-house, and in other markets the
work is contracted to fabricators.
Customers can purchase a haul truck
from Komatsu with or without a
Komatsu-designed body. There are
obvious benefits to purchasing a
Komatsu haul truck equipped with an
OEM-designed body, states Mr
Shoemaker.
If a customer elects to purchase a
Komatsu haul truck without a body, then
they are required to complete an approval
form. Komatsu then reviews the
information to ensure the third party body
design meets its criteria for positioning on
the chassis and capacity.
If the third-party design does not meet
Komatsus criteria, then it will need to be
modified and the form resubmitted for
review/approval.

CATERPILLAR
Caterpillar offers a selection of bodies for
its trucks. We have a specific configuration for every mine site using our bodies,
says Mr Llano. We have lightweight,
payload-focused bodies,
heavier, more

robust bodies, and also coal and

combination bodies. For example, on the
793F we offer bodies ranging from 140m3
to 307m3, with a weight range of 18t.
The higher-volume bodies are for
hauling coal and the lower-volume
bodies are for rock/overburden. A speciality design
we offer is the
Combination or

September 2012
113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 122

www.

.com
20/08/2012 11:54

124 RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

A Cat 793F
dumps 250t of
rock waste

We see
customers
moving
away from
heavy-duty
bodies
toward a
lightweight,
payloadfocused
solution

Hitachi truck
bodies are
customised for
each customers
needs

Combi body. This is sized between a

rock and a coal application. The body will
not reach target payload when hauling
coal, and will need to be monitored for
overload when hauling rock, but provides
production flexibility to use the truck
anywhere in a coal mine without changing
bodies.
Caterpillar can also customise each
body through different styles and liner
options. Its lightweight body is referred to
as MSD II (Mine Specific Design) and its
heavy-duty style is the X-Body.
We have a very popular wear option
called the rock box, adds Mr Llano. Its
basically a grid structure that fits in the tail
of the body and is constructed of steel
bars. The fine material falls into the grid
openings, and then as the load leaves the
bed, it wears on the packed-in fine
material rather than on the liner steel.
For highly abrasive applications,
Caterpillar offers a chromium carbide
overlay that provides enhanced wear
resistance. This option is also being
evaluated as a method to reduce
carry-back as the surface has a lower
tendency to cause material hang-up.
Caterpillar undertakes all engineering
and design for its truck bodies at its plant
in Decatur, Illinois, US, and the complete
manufacturing process, from first
operations through painting is controlled
in Caterpillar facilities. Caterpillar
dealerships are currently establishing new
manufacturing facilities in South America
and in Australia, and a new factory is
under construction in Batam, Indonesia.
Mr Llano says: We do not partner with
any other body manufacturer to promote
or validate aftermarket bodies on our
trucks. Most of our trucks are commis-

sioned with Cat bodies. We design,

analyse and test our bodies and trucks
together as a complete package at our
proving grounds in Tucson, Arizona, US. It
is our mission to provide the best
integrated and competitive solution so
that our customers dont need to pursue
third-party alternatives.
Several Caterpillar mining trucks are
available in bare chassis configurations
through Cat dealers. These are intended
for speciality applications such as water
transport and towing. Caterpillar OEM
Solutions Group also sells bare chassis
configurations directly to OEMs, who
design, manufacture and assemble water
tanks. The resulting speciality machines
are often co-branded for sale through Cat
dealers to their mining customers.
We continue to see a trend of
customers moving away from heavy-duty
bodies and toward a lightweight,
payload-focused solution, explains Mr
Llano. We believe this is a trend that will
continue for the foreseeable future.

Hitachi
Hitachi offers a range of body designs for
its trucks, including: lightweight, standard
bodies with liners, and approved
third-party designs from DT HiLoad,
Westec and Sebba. Nearly all Hitachi
bodies are custom designed for
customer-specific applications.
The companys own bodies are
designed in-house and built at Hitachi
factories or by fabricators close to their
point of sale. Most are built using 400 to
450 BHN steel.
Some of Hitachis primary markets for
truck sales include: Australia, Colombia,
Indonesia, South Africa, the US and
Zambia. Trucks can be purchased with or
without bodies, or can be fitted with
third-party-designed bodies on request.
Hitachi recently supplied trucks with
DT-Hiload bodies to the BHP-Anglo American- Xstrata Cerrejon coal mine in

Colombia; trucks with DT-Hiload bodies to

Glencore Internationals (now Xstratas)
Prodeco coal mine in Colombia; and
models with Sebba bodies to Kaltim Prima
Coal in Indonesia.

Independents

The number of independent manufacturers

entering the truck body market is steadily
growing. The independent operators
think about their bodies all of the time, so
the service and attention to detail will
always be better, states Mr Lang. It is not
a market that is easy for imitators to enter,
even though they may have many years of
experience in welded structures. This is a
tough application and one where the
customer cant afford downtime.
Mr Swank supports this: The market is
absolutely growing. Fleets and trucks are
getting larger, which means that if youre
not carrying the trucks capacity, the lost
opportunity compounds that much
quicker. Maintenance, payload and
efficiency are paramount to operators
around the world, and theyre not just
willing to try a better alternative, but are
actively looking for better products. Its
exciting because were there to help them
accomplish their goals.
Mr Peters at Westech comments:
There is no doubt that the global market
is growing and the need for a custom
body is growing everyday as well. An
OEM body, or generic as we call them, is
designed to a single material density that
must fit all the mines worldwide. For
example, coal is much lighter than iron
ore a generic body is not actually
designed for either and the truck will
never make payload.
Mines are seeing that a carefully
designed custom truck body can
substantially increase the amount of
payload hauled per year, while at the same
time cutting costs in all areas of truck fleet
operation. A custom truck body is the
smart choice for any mining application.

September 2012
113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 124

www.

.com
20/08/2012 11:54

M
bo INE Co
ot xp me
h o a
#4 In nd
06 ter se
3, na e u
Ce tio s a
nt na t
ra l 2
lH 0
al 12
l!

SSAB Americas
Pittsburgh, PA - USA
T + 1 4 12 26 9 3 231
contactusa@ssab.com
Montral, QC - Canada
T +1 514 364 1752
Vancouver, B C - C anada
T +1 604 526 3700
contactcanada@ssab.com
Monterrey, Mex ico
T +52 81 8192 9130
contactmexico@ssab.com
Lima, Peru
T +51 1 242 1700
contactperu@ssab.com
Santiago, Chile
T + 56 2 9633580
contactchile@ssab.com
So Paulo, B razil
T +55 11 3 303 0800
contactbrazil@ssab.com

INTRODUCING WEAR PLATE FROM 0.028

(0.7 MM) TO 5.118 (130 MM)
Industry is facing extreme challenges in order to
meet the demands of sustainability and competitiveness.
Extreme challenges need extreme performance.
And the new Hardox thickness range is all about
extreme performance. From X-Small to X-Large.
Whats your extreme challenge?

www.hardox.com

SSAB_Miningmagazine_8-13-2012.indd 1

8/13/2012 4:36:34 PM

www.ruukki.com/specialsteels

EVOLUTION
IS MORE
THAN
JUST
A THEORY.
Are you ready for the next product generation?
Do you believe in ultimate endurance? We do. Everything
can be evolved. For example, by switching to Raex steel with
superior wear resistance you could reach longer lifetime than
ever.
Together lets turn your evolution from theory into practice.

ABRASION
RESISTANT
STEEL

RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

DT HiLoad
The DT HiLoad Hercules is a rear-tipping
body for rigid trucks of any brand. We
have sold bodies for use on Caterpillar,
Komatsu, Hitachi, Liebherr and Terex
trucks in the 90-260t range, explains Mr
Lang. We optimise the design for each
customers site, so that the economic
performance of the mines trucking
operation is optimal.
The Hercules body is almost exclusively
made from quenched and tempered steel
for extra strength and durability. The DT
HiLoad wear package system is applied in
such a way that the body retains its
original build weight, and the amount of
wear material applied is specific to the
mine and its application. This means that
the mine can vary the wear package if
conditions change.
DT HiLoad manufactures truck bodies
at its factory in Perth, Western Australia.
The company is currently producing
bodies for Liebherr T262 trucks with
210m3 and 170m3 capacities, and bodies
for Caterpillar 793 and 777 trucks at 65m3.
These latter bodies are loved by
contractors, as we offer them in either a
19mm floor or a 25mm floor, Mr Lang
states. For operations in very remote
locations, contractors love the thicker
floor, which provides a buffer against
mistakes.

ESCO
ESCO currently offers three truck body
designs for the coal market: Dirt Boss,
Coal Boss and Combination. These can be
designed to fit any off-highway truck from
54t to 363t.
ESCOs truck bodies are differentiated
from standard OEM options in that they
are consistently about 1t lighter, and
address a customers specific production
problem, says Mr Raynor. For example,
ESCOs truck bodies are designed with a
curved sidewall and floor interface using
mine-specific material and productivity
data to minimise carry-back. The bodies
are also designed to function correctly
with on-site loading tools and optimise
the full capacity of the truck.
ESCOs bodies are built from
high-quality quenched and tempered
steel. AR500 steel plates are used for
internal surfaces, and ASTM A514 steel is
used for all structural components; ESCO
says its customers usually defer to its
experts to determine the type of steel
used. The company also provides a
warranty to bolster its material selection.
ESCO truck bodies are created by
ESCO engineers and by an outside
engineering firm with ESCO oversight. Mr
Raynor adds: The bodies are fabricated
utilising both internal and external

www.

.com

127

DT HiLoad truck
bodies being
assembled
before being
delivered to
customers

resources globally. Providing our

customers with on-time deliveries and
product support is a priority, and
strategically located ESCO-qualified
fabricators can sometimes be more
responsive to delivery needs.
ESCO also works collaboratively with
OEMs, usually at the request of end users.
It has recently entered into an agreement
with Peabody Energy to supply a number
of 363t Liebherr T282C and 214t Unit Rig
MT4400 truck bodies for some of its
eastern Australian mining operations.

Mine Rite
Mine Rite has a variety of truck bodies for
applications including: overburden, ore,
coal, fly ash, oil sand, sand and gravel. Its
patented Tube-box truck body design
features steel tubing for all of the external
structure, rather than forming and
bending plate steel.
The company says that this offers a
number of advantages, such as not being

limited by the length of the structure, and

the ability to replicate structural parts
consistently, because the steel tubing is
extruded and retains a constant shape
and a better fit of saw-cut tubing. The
consistency of structural tubing also
allows Mine Rite to automate some of the
welding process, thereby reducing
manufacturing time.
The structure is typically lined with
abrasion-resistant steel plate and can be
further enhanced by adding attachments,
such as hexagon-shaped plates in the
lower front corners of the body to aid the
reduction of carry-back, polymer lining or
ejectors to help dump sticky material, or
tailgates to increase the load potential of
the body. Mine Rite also offers a selection
of liners for use in abrasive applications.
Mine Rites truck bodies and components are engineered, designed and
manufactured in-house at its facility in
Buffalo, Wyoming, US. Large bodies that
require breakdown for shipping are

ESCOs
truck bodies
are differentiated from
standard
OEM options
in that they
are about 1t
lighter, and
address a
customers
specific
production
problem

An ESCO truck
body hauling
coal. Coal bodies
are usually wider,
longer and taller
than standard
designs

September 2012

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 127

20/08/2012 11:55

128 RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

Trinitys TMAX
body on a
Komatsu 930E
haul truck

shipped as components or as bundled

components (for overseas), then
assembled on site by Mine Rite employees or trained sub-contractors.
Mine Rite is currently producing truck
bodies for sites in North America,
Australia and Africa, and has worked with
a number of OEMs and customers to
provide truck bodies from 134t to 363t for
newly manufactured chassis worldwide.

Trinity Mining
Trinity Mining designs and fabricates
bodies for haul truck chassis of 90-363t
payload ratings. All TMAX bodies are

custom-designed for mine-specific

applications.
Trinity has standardised the materials
used in the TMAX body structure based

Global Barrier Coatings MRA

There are some highly effective solutions for the
reduction/elimination of carry-back. One of the most
widely used is MRA from Global Barrier Coatings, an
environmentally friendly, non-stick coating. The
product is 99.8% biodegradable, non-toxic,
non-hazardous and does not affect downstream
processing. MRA, a patent-pending blend of natural
oils and other ingredients, has been perfected
through use in a variety of mining applications in
different countries and environments.
Gordon Davies, president of Global Barrier
Coatings, explains: In mining, it is beneficial to
minimise carry-back as much as possible, as it can
prevent equipment from achieving its full payload
potential. By reducing or eliminating carry-back in
haul trucks, the MRA product has a major beneficial
effect on productivity and thus on the bottom line.
The MRA product is used in haul truck beds and
productivity increases of well over 20% have been
achieved.
Working with a major western US coal mine,
Global Barrier Coatings was tasked with reducing
both carry-back in truck beds and reducing the
cleaning times for hauler under bodies. Carry-back,
which resulted from hauling overburden:
reduced the efficiency of the trucks;
caused frequent overloading;
required additional cycles, resulting in increased
wear on the equipment and tyres;
increased the amount of time it took to clean the
trucks;
increased the frequency of bed cleaning; and
increased the potential for damage to beds from
cleaning using an excavator (backscratching).
The data complied after putting MRA into use
showed that the mine achieved substantially
reduced carry-back in truck beds, overloading was
eliminated, haulage efficiency was increased by 35%
through utilisation of up to 99% of haulage
potential, and haulers treated with MRA averaged
150 cycles before any measureable material build-up
was reported (untreated haulers averaged 109 cycles
before accumulating up to 30% carry-back).
Also, the time taken to clean the truck beds was
substantially reduced, thereby decreasing downtime
and increasing availability, equipment wear was
reduced through fewer cycles, and wash times for
under-bodies were reduced by 40% (1,440h/y).

Mr Davies tells MM: MRA has been used in many

types of ore, including iron, copper, coal, kimberlite,
bauxite and gold. We have yet to come across a
carry-back or build-up problem that our product has
not significantly reduced or eliminated.
We are currently working with a number of coal
mines here in the US along with gold mines in South
Africa, iron-ore railroad projects in Canada and coal
and iron-ore railroad and haul truck projects in Brazil,
all with excellent results.
Non-permanent coating products such as MRA
can be used only when needed and do not require
significant capital investment.
For example, mines that experience carry-back
due to freezing can use the product only during the
winter months, without having to purchase
specialised equipment that is not necessary the rest
of the year.

Above:
carry-back
before
applying
MRA

Right: after
applying
MRA carryback is
eliminated

on the materials high-strength or

abrasion-resistant properties. All
sub-structure components, such as the
main and hydraulic pivots, floor, front and
side sheet bolsters, and sills are
constructed from grade A514 plate steel.
The internal gussets, which are placed in
the bolsters and sills for strength, are
made of the same material, and the
interior plates, which are subject to the
highest wear and impact, are constructed
from grade AR450 steel plates.
TMAX bodies can be further customised to include liner packages; this can be
as simple as an impact plate made of
AR450 steel, or more elaborate, utilising a
variety of steel overlay products with
extremely high Brinell hardness ranges.
Mr Miller says: Trinity has in-house
design engineers, and all design work is
accomplished at our principal location in
San Antonio, Texas. Customers are
encouraged to work with the engineering
staff to help achieve the design desired
for each application.
All manufacturing is conducted at
Trinitys two fabrication facilities, subject
to a strict quality control system and ISO
9001:2008 certification.
Trinity has longstanding relationships
with most OEM chassis manufacturers and
regularly fabricates OEM bodies for them.
These relationships do not become
competitive, explains Mr Miller. The
OEMs recognise the value of mine-specific designs. In many cases, the OEM will
actually request a custom-designed body
for delivery with a new truck chassis.
Trinity plans to enter 2013 with
expanded product offerings and
manufacturing capacity. Two examples of
its newest product will be on display at
MINExpo the bodies on the Liebherr
Mining Equipment 363t and 232t truck
chassis. Each of these incorporates a new
side sheet design that was developed to
strengthen and reinforce the side sheets to
the front wall and canopy of bodies for
extremely high-impact environments.

VR Steel
VR Steel designs each truck body
according to the requirements of its
customers. We optimise the payload
keeping in mind the load body weight, life
expectancy, and materials transported,
says Mr van Reenen. We are the only
company in the world offering a minimum
15,000h maintenance warranty. We use
different steels to get to the maximum
payload, but have not used any coatings,
and our design does not require any wear
attachments. Our unique design and
advanced manufacturing techniques are
the rason we can offer long periods
between maintenance intervals.

September 2012
113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 128

www.

.com
20/08/2012 11:55

Visit us at MINExpo
p 2012

Las Vegas, Nevada September 24-26

Unveiling our
NEMISYS lip
system at
MINExpo 2012!

EXPERIENCE INNOVATION
Join us at MINExpo as we unveil our latest products and services. From material
extraction to hauling and processing, ESCO offers a field-proven range of blades,
crusher wear parts, lip systems, ground engaging tools, attachments, truck bodies,
underground mining wear parts, and wear management services. Visit booth C4209
and see why ESCO is trusted at safe and productive mines worldwide.

www.escocorp.com

ESCO.indd 1

19/07/2012 15:04

130 RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

Left: VR Steel
offers a 15,000h
guarantee for its
haul truck bodies
Right: PHILs new
body lifting
system. Inset:
hydrophobic
steel can be
added to PHIL
bodies to cut
carry-back

VR Steel undertakes all design work

in-house, and manufacturing takes place
at its Alrode factory in South Africa. We
also use fabricators all over the world,
adds Mr van Reenen. When we do use
sub-contractors, we like to have our own
personnel present. Geographical markets
determine our manufacturing solutions.
VR Steel has good co-operation with
OEMs including Komatsu, Hitachi and
Liebherr, which it says is mostly driven
from the customer side.
Recent orders include Komatsu 930E
bodies for a platinum mine in South Africa
and a coal mine in China, Caterpillar 793

bodies for an iron ore mine in Australia

and a diamond mine in South Africa, and
Komatsu 730E bodies for diamond mines
in Botswana and iron ore mines in South
Africa.
Mr van Reenen adds Because we
guarantee our bodies for 15,000h, we are
almost permanently on site measuring
thicknesses and inspecting the bodies.
When we find anomalies, we try to
immediately build that into the new
design. We are not stuck with a design if
we can make improvements, we do so
immediately. No other manufacturers
carry a 15,000h maintenance guarantee.

PHILIPPI-HAGENBUCH
PHIL began producing lightweight coal
bodies in the 1970s and has since
expanded its product range to include
gated and gateless bodies for hauling oil
sands, iron ore, gold, copper, coal, scrap
steel and radioactive materials.
Mr Swank says: PHIL has applied for
13 patents since MINExpo 2008, with an
additional eight patents having been
issued. Milestones in the past four years
include the introduction of an oil sands
body and our hard-rock body.
The company has also introduced a new
Body Lifting System that is supplied

Launching a New Brake Product Line

You May Know Us for Engineering Services, We Now Manufacture Wet Brakes!
OIL COOLED DISC BRAkE PRODUCTS
Available for Mechanical or Electric Drive Dump Trucks
Designed to Operate on both Front & Rear Axles
Adaptable to Existing & New OEM Designs
Prototyped, Tested, and Operating in Mines

advertiser

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING EXPERIENCE

Over 30 Years of Dump Truck Product & Application Knowledge
Experience in 40t to 400t Wet Disc Brakes
Expertise in Hydraulic Brake Systems Integration

SEE A BRAKE AT
Central Hall Booth 5433

Heavy Equipment Engineering Services

24800 Rockwell Drive, Cleveland, Ohio, USA 44117 www.pioneersolutionsllc.com 216-383-3376 sales@pioneersolutionsllc.com

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 130

20/08/2012 11:55

RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

standard on all off-highway bodies and

provides a safe and easy method for
removing truck bodies.
PHIL uses Hardox 450 steel for its
bodies. In some applications, we
supplement this with other types of steel
whether it is a chromium carbine fused
material or an overlay or completely
different material requested by the client,
explains Mr Swank. Our products can be
customised in any way, from the paint to
the coatings within and outside the body.
Wear attachments are also available.
The most popular option has been
hydrophobic steel, which is added to the
inside of PHIL truck bodies to minimise
carry-back. The company estimates that
through minimising exterior carry-back, an
extra 4-6% can be added to each truck
load. Bodies are designed and engineered
at PHILs Peoria, Illinois, headquarters.
Depending on where the products are
destined, they can be wholly constructed
at PHILs facility and assembled on site, or
manufactured at a remote facility by one of
PHILs partners.
PHIL has a good relationship with OEM
truck manufacturers and makes its design
and production facilities available to them
as needed. The companys most popular
bodies this year are for Caterpillar 797 and
Komatsu 930 trucks.

131

Duratray
Duratray manufactures Suspended Dump
Bodies (SDB) of 30-380t capacity with
flexible rubber components for mining
trucks. The rubber offers benefits in
carry-back reduction and increased wear
resistance, and reduces the load shock to
operators, as well as environmental noise.
The SDB comes in a number of
configurations with optional liner packages
on the side and front walls, and canopy/
headboard liners are offered in addition to
steel side liners. The company says that the
most common configuration selected by
clients is the optional front rubber liner.
Bodies are designed in-house and can
be delivered as modules, halves or whole.
The location of manufacture depends on
the mines location, logistics and the
delivery model selected by the client.
Duratray has appointed several steel
component fabricators worldwide, but
always sources rubber parts from its
factories in Melbourne, Perth and
Antofagasta. Assembly can be undertaken
in several ways according to the tray
capacity, location and transport restrictions.
Duratray can also work with OEMs to
supply SDBs for new trucks, customising
the body according to mine conditions,
truck fittings and clients requests.
The company says new bodies are

advertiser

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 131

always being designed and improvements

made. The latest is a model for nickel
mines in New Caledonia that will eliminate
the need for side clamps or wear bars. The
new-design wear mat lays around the side
wall on a curve and attaches higher up
than traditional models. This, the firm says,
will eliminate a further 2-5% of hang-up.
Duratray will also launch a new
lightweight tray following FEA and further
testing. Kevlar ropes among other options
are being considered for the suspension
ropes, and will be used to reduce the
weight while maintaining the same
strength rating. This will also allow
changes in the design of the side beam
and undermat, which will reduce the
empty tray weight by a further 2-3t.

Duratrays
Suspended
Dump Body
design

visit us at booth #7599

to see examples of our innovative
industry-leading designs

20/08/2012 11:55

132 RIGID HAUL TRUCK BODIES

Westech
Westech is part of Austin Engineering. The
company has been in the body business
since 1969 and today is the largest
designer and manufacturer of custom
mine-specific bodies.
Westech bodies are engineered in

Casper, Wyoming, and built in plants

around the world. Westech/Austin
Engineering has sales, service and
manufacturing facilities in Chile,
Colombia, Peru, Indonesia and Australia.
In the recently completed fiscal year,
more than 500 Westech-design bodies

Westechs world record

In a 2011, Westech delivered the worlds largest
truck body by volume (verified by the Guinness
Book of World Records). The Flow Control body is
patent pending and has a floor that allows the
payload to be controlled during dumping.
This has several benefits: the truck is safer to
operate because the centre of gravity
is kept forward of the rear wheels
longer, preventing the front of the
truck from lifting; and the amount of
dust generated is reduced substantially.
The design can also be used as a
combo body and can handle both
coal and overburden.
The 470m3 body was installed on a
Liebherr T282C truck, which normally
has a nominal payload of 363t, at

Peabody Energys North Antelope Rochelle mine in

Wyoming. At the given coal density, the Flow
Control body can hold a total weight of 404t.
The delivery resulted in a number of repeat
orders. Westech will display the Flow Control body
at MINExpo 2012.

Westechs record-breaking
T282C Flow Control Body, the
worlds largest truck body

were manufactured and delivered, says

Mr Peters.
Westech offers body designs for
virtually every OEM chassis available.
Westech bodies are designed to
outperform all other body manufacturers,
not just OEM bodies, states Mr Peters.
We offer a long list of design options
and make recommendations on the steel
that would be required for each body.
Different environments will call for
different grades of steel and wear
packages. This is determined on a mine
by mine basis.
Westech designs and manufactures its
bodies in-house to obtain consistent
quality control. These can be shipped in
several configurations, and Westech
provides field service crews when possible
to oversee construction. Independent
contractors must meet its strict standards
for quality and safety.
Mr Peters explains: Our engineering
group has designed more than 40
different bodies in a year. Each of these
designs is unique. Besides working with
new customers on their custom needs, we
are constantly evaluating current designs
at our mining customers for enhancements. We believe there is always room
for improvement and customers have a
great deal of input into that.

advertiser

113,115-117,119,121-122,124,127-128,130-132MM1209.indd 132

20/08/2012 11:56