In close collaboration with a Tier 1 miner, Geographe has designed a lightweight haul truck tray linkage pin that solved a safety challenge associated with heavy OEM pins.
In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, a Tier 1 miner encountered a significant safety concern related to handling 12kg steel original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tray sling retaining pins on their Caterpillar 793F haul trucks.
Having collaborated with Geographe in the past to find a solution for difficult ball stud change-outs, the miner reached out to its partner once again.
Geographe investigated the possibility of creating a lighter and safer method for removing the heavy tray sling retaining pins provided by original equipment manufacturers.
“People in their workshop raised a safety concern regarding the OEM tray sling retaining pins,” Geographe project sales manager Lincoln Meeking told Australian Mining. “They approached us, explaining that lifting a 12kg pin with a U-shaped handle was cumbersome. They were searching for a solution to simplify the insertion and removal of the linkage pin from the haul truck.
“At the back of each haul truck, there is a linkage pin and a tray rope. This pin acts as a safety mechanism to secure the rope to the tray when it’s lifted.
“Considering the pin’s location and its sheer weight, it posed a safety risk to workshop staff who repeatedly had to lift and remove the heavy pin from their haul trucks.”
Geographe utilised its vertically integrated Western Australian production facility to manufacture a lightweight linkage pin suitable for Caterpillar 793F haul trucks.
“Our production facility was the ideal location to manufacture the lightweight tray sling retaining pins,” Geographe innovation manager Geoff Mutton told Australian Mining.
“We have all the necessary processes available internally. We utilise incremental and simultaneous manufacturing processes, combining them to deliver an unmatched level of quality in the final product to our customers.”
Meeking explained what makes the Geographe pin unique.
“Our lightweight tray sling retaining pins design weighs about a third of the OEM linkage pin but possesses the same strength,” he said. “It has the same size and fitment; however, ours is made of a different, much lighter material, making it easier to use.”
Unlike the U-shaped handle design attached to the OEM pin, Geographe’s pin uses a D-shape, allowing it to be handled with two hands where required.
“We also conducted a formal trial with the Tier 1 miner, ensuring that our pin design was effective,” Meeking said. “We did all the necessary due diligence with the customer, who was incredibly pleased to work with us again to resolve another site challenge.”
Reconnecting with its partner, Geographe, the Tier 1 miner was able to address its major safety concern and significantly improve pin handling – another industry example of how incremental safety gains can be achieved through shared expertise and commitment to safety.
For more information, visit geographe.com.au.
This feature appeared in the November 2023 issue of Australian Mining.