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Rexx sics em in mine trial: Bis

New Australian pocket mining truck put through paces

 

Bis is making its case for its Rexx pocket dump truck to be an award winner following mine trials.

Designed for off-road use by Bis subsidiary Powertrans, Australia’s newest truck has its parent company waxing lyrical after testing at Glencore’s Murrin Murrin mine in Western Australia’s North Eastern Goldfields.

Propelled by a dual powered 1,100 hp (820kW) Cummins QSX-15 with Allison transmission, the 20-wheel dump truck has an extremely tight turning circle and compared with larger conventional mine vehicles, up to half the fuel consumption and four times the range, Bis claims.

“The fuel savings are a direct consequence of Rexx being designed with patented on-demand power that lowers fuel consumption,” it says.

“The vehicle has the capacity to carry enough fuel for at least two 12-hour shifts, eliminating downtime needed for refuelling.”

According to group, the trial has been carried out in `real-life’ operating conditions and the results to date indicated Rexx has the capacity to deliver up to a 30 per cent reduction in operating costs compared with conventional dump trucks, as part of Bis’ integrated haulage solution.

“At Bis, we are constantly searching for new ways to deliver safe, efficient and flexible solutions for customers and in these trials Rexx has ticked all the boxes,” Bis CEO Brad Rogers says, adding that Rexx was been designed in-house by the Bis engineering team while the construction had utilised the talent of Western Australian tradespeople.

“In Rexx we have a game changing work horse that showcases Australian innovation,” he says.

For example, the steering system enables an industry leading turning circle of 13.6m, allowing Rexx to manoeuvre easily in smaller spaces.


Read how Bis went about unveiling the Rexx truck, here


Rogers says that with an eye to industry trends Rexx had also been designed and built to be easily retrofitted for autonomous operations with features including steering sensors, stability control sensors and a futuristic in-cab console.

The console provides the operator with real time data including pressure monitoring on all tyres and sensors for detecting bin tipping, engineering operation and payload.

In cab technology includes the 360-degree Biscam onboard camera, fatigue management and GPS driver monitoring systems.

“Outside of autonomous systems, there haven’t been many major fundamental design changes in the rigid-frame off-highway game in a long time,” Bis quotes Murrin Murrin mining manager David Ayres as saying.

“The Bis design offers the ability to haul directly from pit-to-plant from a much longer distance, without the need for the rehandle step, which should save costs and reduce ore loss/dilution.

“Rexx solves a niche haul-distance equation.”

The vehicle is said to have sparked significant interest from major miners both internationally and within Australia and a series of demonstrations are now being staged with interested customers.

Rexx has also been shortlisted for the Future of Mining Innovation Award, which recognises collaborative innovation that results in standout commercial outcomes. The award is to be announced in Sydney on Sunday.

 

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