Case Studies - Mining
Case Study #2:
Big Trucks – Little Variance
Safety is Critical Business
One of the premier providers of mine contracting worldwide, head quartered out of North Bay Canada is always putting safety at the forefront of its growth strategies. With a safety motto of ‘Safety First, Last and Always’ building sustainable safety practices into its growth strategies is not just preferred but a non-negotiable in the adaptation of new processes and services. Core activities that include shaft sinking, underground infrastructure and raise boring require equipment of immense dimension and weight. Given the nature of the business and the size of equipment both a practical and safe understanding of weight was considered difficult at best.
Searching for a Better Way
With a requirement to understand accurately a weight range from 5K to 70K it was always a challenge to gain knowledge of weight of both equipment, shipping containers headed to remote sites, and large-scale stores items. Floor scales are simply not an option and cranes are bound by the track structure. And guessing could lead to catastrophic consequences. Looking for a better way they contacted their supplier and partner material handling and construction equipment dealer to set out solving this problem. Given the types of containers and equipment needed to be lifted, moved, and placed as well as the large geographical coverage the first part of the solution was the recommended Kalmar DCE series lift truck capable of lifting 72,000lbs. This gave this mining supplier increased productivity and mobility as they could now better access and move loads of all sizes throughout all their productive footprint. But what about gaining knowledge on the weights?
Unmatched Accuracy in the SkidWeigh ED2E-Elite
We have worked directly with the material handling division of the supplying dealer for over 25 years and have worked on several projects including access control, equipment damage and pre-shift safety check compliance. When asked if we could provide an onboard scale that would allow the end user to accurately understand weight of loads lifted, we recommended the SkidWeigh ED2E-Elite. With a weighing capacity of up to 99,999lbs, the ability to account, measure and adjust to hydraulic accumulators as well as an industry leading accuracy of +/- 1% of capacity we felt it would be the perfect fit with its compact design that fits easily and unobstructive in the cockpit of the truck. Easily installed and configured to the specifics of the lift truck the ED2E-Elite outperformed expectations with load tests on both low range weights between 5K-7K and high range between 45K-60K consistently weighing in at .4% to .7% consistently. What’s more is the hydraulic technology platform means that the mining company does not need to worry about ongoing calibration as well as having a complete and confident understanding of the weight they are lifting. The system also provided the AT function (Accumulative Totaling), the ability to add loads, which eliminates calculations, possible mistakes and saves time.