Heavy-duty haul bodies provide safer solutions

The main things we all want on a worksite — efficiency, safety and profitability — usually don’t come from an off-the-shelf solution. No two mining operations are alike; so why should equipment be the same?

Well-run mines match customized haul bodies with loading tools to increase their loading safety and reduce the potential for damaging equipment. Wider bodies expand the loading target and equalize weight distribution while their lower sides allow the shovel to get closer to the floor of the truck body, which minimizes floor damage and uncomfortable vibrations felt by the driver.

This extends body and tire life because there isn’t more weight wearing on specific areas and reduces damage to the sides of the bodies. And operators benefit with the safer work environment for operators.

Efficiency by design

To help ensure durability, Philippi-Hagenbuch,(PHIL) of Peoria, Ill. manufactures custom truck bodies with 450 Brinell steel, sourced exclusively from Sweden. The floor bolsters that run from side to side under the body floor extend through the frame rails of its high-performance bodies.

Additional reinforcements and load-distribution cones double the reinforced area around the “sweet spot” within the centre floor section. The added strength from this floor-support structure allows bodies to maintain maximum payload capacity by supporting the full weight of materials hauled without stressing the truck’s chassis over the long haul of the body’s life.

Safety through strength

The 450 Brinell steel comprises the entire body; not just in the areas that contain the greatest load. This is due to its hardness, abrasion resistance, and its lack of ductility in both warm and ultra-cold climates. This also provides greater durability and increases the life of the truck bodies by 25-30 per cent.

In environments that haul sticky materials, hydrophobic steel liners integrate into the front corners and the front third of the body slope, to minimize material carryback. When PHIL designs bodies that are hauling hard rock and highly abrasive ore, they build the floor with specialized chromium carbide-fused steel liner that covers the rear two-thirds to three-quarters.

Josh Swank, vice-president, sales and marketing for PHIL says, “ Often, the payload is a mix of ore and sand, which becomes muddy and sticky, and it tends to form a bridge across the front of the truck body that leaves valuable and costly material clinging to the inside of the bed, which reduces payload.

“As the name suggests, the hydrophobic liner repels moisture so those materials are only hauled once, and the body can operate as efficiently as possible.”

Profitability and beyond

In addition to a custom design, reinforcing bolsters and incorporating strong steel, the right lifting system contributes to greater efficiency and profitability. The traditional method of lifting the bodies from their sides can cause them to bow in.

PHIL’s patented Lifting Eye System — used to remove bodies for maintenance and repairs — features removable, free-floating lifting eyes that are incorporated into the body floor. During installation or removal of a body, operators remove the 10-inch-diameter lifting hole covers and insert rigging into the eyes from beneath the body. There’s no stress on the sides because the lifting eyes integrate into the floor support structure.

Information for this article provided by Philippi-Hagenbach, Peoria, Ill.