88娱乐城
Waratah was exhibiting the first of seven Waracars bound for BHP Illawarra Coal operations on its stand; the unit features four-wheel independent suspension.
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To date Waratah has supplied 35 of its Waracar shuttle cars to the Australian underground sector, with 11 more on the order books.
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Waratah has designed a new body for the Waracar which has a symmetrical axis to enable the shuttle car to be non-handed - whereby the cabin and cable reel compartments can be detached and moved to the left or right.
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Waratah sales and marketing manager Terry Coggles said it was the first shuttle car to be offered to the Australian industry that was non-handed.
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"By designing a non-handed car it enables us to build shuttle car bodies to a planned build program, so when an order comes in we can offer decreased lead times," Coggles said.
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"It also allows the client to re-hand the car themselves, which can be very useful in mining systems."
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Waratah also had on show a Waratah designed cable minder which eliminates stresses on the cable when the shuttle car conveyor boom is elevated - making for a safer system. The design features a hairpin and traversing mechanism.
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Waratah also displayed its conceptual design of a shuttle cabin. The company was looking for industry feedback in order to refine the design to ensure complete operator acceptance.
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The design features a seat that can swing 180 degrees to face the direction in which the operator is travelling - giving ergonomic benefits. The design also enables a seatbelt to be used.
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The cabin has two sets of controls, each comprising a steering wheel, foot accelerator, foot brake, machine controls and monitoring display.
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The design also includes a sensor which switches when the operator has changed direction and activates the relevant control station.
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Coggles said he believes the additional cost of such a design would be minimal.
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Hydraulic hosing has been totally eliminated from the cabin eliminating any dangers from high-pressure hose failures.
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Waratah also featured the redesigned placement of the service or maintenance jack.
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Traditionally the jack - which lifts the shuttle car off the ground for maintenance - is located in the wheel arch. A safety collar must be put around the jack when used, which exposes the worker to hazards when fitting the collar.
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Waratah has placed the jack in the cabin area so it can be accessed from the front of the machine, eliminating hazard exposure.
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The new jack placement is now being fitted to all Waracars.
