New coal truck beds go into service at Cordero Rojo Mine
This is from an article in the Rio Tinto "Miners in Motion" December 2008 magazine, Business Improvement section.
In September, Cordero Rojo and Antelope Mines each recieved two new dump beds to put into operation and test to see if production can be increased. the new dump beds differ from the current ones used, as they lack a tailgate and have an extension welded to the rear of the dump bed. The extension eliminates the need for a tailgate.
Current coal haul trucks have tailgates that prevent coal from falling out as it is transported to the hopper. When tailgates are damaged ten removed for rebuild, the truck remains in service, but with as much as 60 tons less capacity.
Cordero Rojo management raised this issue with the appropriate Gillette office personnel. After looking for alternatives, a tailgate-less option was found in Casper. Four dump beds were available for modification, along with four extra tailgates. The purchase and modification of these beds was expedited. Two dump beds were delivered to Cordero Rojo and two to Antelope. The four replacement tailgates were all delivered to Cordero Rojo. Cordero Rojo Mine has used a variety of other efforts in order to increase paload. Through the combination of the new dump beds, operator feedback and accurately counting the loads using the Modular system, the mine has seen significant results and a steady rise in average payload. "Our payloads have increased by almost 12 tons per coal load since July," said David Dooley, Cordero Rojo BIP Consultant.
"This is the future of our coal haul truck fleet," said Lew Gray, Director of Technical Services for RTEA. Grey was instrumental in finding and purchasing these new beds.
During this same time period, there have been efforts to provide real time payload feedback to the shovel operators. This improvement has led to a significant increase in haul truck productiviity.