COVER STORY
Modularisation was an important consideration in order to design machines of this size.
Delivering some of the world’s largest rail-mounted machines ABHR speaks to the team at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Australia to learn how the company supplied some of the world’s largest stackers and reclaimers for BHP’s US$3.6 billion South Flank project. BHP’S SOUTH FLANK PROJECT is expected to produce 80 million tonnes of iron ore per year, making it one of the largest iron ore operations in the world. Billions of dollars have been spent on the project, which will involve the construction of a new crushing and screening plant, stockyard and train loading facility, a new mining fleet, substantial mine development and an overland conveyor. To help deliver this sizable project, BHP engaged thysseknrupp Industrial Solutions Australia to design, construct and commission three new generation stock yard machines, some of the largest rail mounted machines ever built. Danny George, Project Engineering Manager at thyssenkrupp, said the company had a long history of successfully delivering balanced machines and designing bespoke equipment. “Our installed base of the highest capacity iron ore machines in the Pilbara gave us the ability to deliver the machines,” George says.
“We have been reclaiming minerals up to a rate of 33,000 cubic metres with our giant bucketwheel excavators working in Germany.” The scope of supply includes two rail mounted stackers and one bucket wheel reclaimer. Process plants tend to operate on a 24-hour schedule, with all product fed into a stacker via a conveyor belt and stored in a longitudinal stockpile. When trains arrive at the mine facility to transport the commodities to the port, the bucket wheel reclaimer recovers the ore from the stockpile to feed the train. The two stackers and bucket wheel reclaimer that thyssenkrupp supplied the South Flank project are capable of stacking and reclaiming at a nominal throughput of 20,000 tonnes per hour and can travel along the length of the stockyard, which is approximately 1700 metres long, at a maximum speed of 0.75 metres per second. Each stacker weighs about 2000 tonnes with the reclaimer weighing in at around 3000 tonnes. The machines
14 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2020
can slew and luff, and a combination of three movements allows them to feed and reclaim product into and from all allocated and available space within the stockyard bunds area. Modularisation was an important consideration in order to design machines of this size. The large physical dimensions needed to fit within strict transport envelopes and weights to maintain optimal logistical expenditure. Anthony Squire, thyssenkrupp Project Site Manager, says the machine modules were designed to maximise structural, mechanical and piping and electrical and instrumentation preassembly at the Australian Marine Complex. “Due to the machine module size, careful consideration must be given to the constructability and transportation of modules,” Squire says. “Transport limitations around the Perth metro area and the subsequent weight and physical dimensional limitations during sea and road transport to the mine site, along with the final erection and module interface
