N E W S   R E L E A S E   from  FURMANITE  ASIA  PACIFIC

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FAP/020:M

August 02, 2004

Hamersley Iron achieves a 25% time saving in challenging on-site machining project

High-level in-situ machining expertise from Furmanite Australia enabled Hamersley Iron to replace the hydraulic arm assembly on a car dumper in just nine hours – within a tight 12 hour window allocated so work could be undertaken without disrupting plant operation, and ahead of schedule.

The hydraulic arm assembly was replaced using Furmanite’s on-site machining skills on the car dumper at the Dampier port facility, where trains come in from Hamersley’s six Pilbara mines on the company’s heavy haul railway.

The arm, which was severely fatigued as a result of age and heavy usage, attaches to the iron ore train’s wagon (or car) coupler, pulling two at a time into the dumper frame for rotation through 135 degrees to deposit the iron ore. Standard ore trains consist of over 230 ore wagons, each with a load capacity of 105 tonnes. The hydraulic arm pulls the train along the track until the front two cars enter the car dumper. This is a significant load considering a fully laden train (some 2.3 km long), weighs more than 30,000 tonnes.

A new arm was procured and, in order to fit it, new mounting holes had to be drilled and reamed to secure the hydraulic arm to the car positioning carriage. As many as 18 holes, each 45mm in diameter, had to be drilled and reamed to a tight tolerance of 0-0.05mm. This was a challenge beyond standard capabilities for on-site machining – and a time window of just 12 hours was allocated for the job to be completed within the shutdown period. Any delays would mean disruption to operation, and were clearly to be avoided.

To achieve this to the level of accuracy required and within the time frame, three crews operating three blind hole boring machines were used (with two technicians working with each). And because access was difficult and space confined, Furmanite manufactured three purpose-built frames to support the boring machines. The frames could then be secured to the car positioning carrier, enabling the drilling machines to be mounted on top.

Testing was also undertaken at the Furmanite workshop, drilling a hole into a test plate and reaming it to final size.

Furmanite Australia’s WA business manager Greg Hewitt explained: “Drilling 18 holes 45mm diameter would normally be a simple task, but when this work is required to be conducted on a car dumper positioning arm on-site in a very confined space, to tolerances of 0.05mm, through three plates totalling 120mm thick, and in a single 12 hour period, then the task is by no means simple. This is where Furmanite’s extensive on site experience and machinery came into play. Extensive jig fabrication and testing of the equipment undertaken prior to arrival was invaluable in ensuring minimum set-up time and confirming that the challenge could be met.”

Hamersley Iron mechanical engineer Damian Pianta commented: “We were impressed with Furmanite’s proactive safety stance and rapid incorporation of Hamersley Iron’s safety systems and requirements. Furmanite’s off-site preparation and planning allowed machining crews to arrive on-site and combine with jobsite work crews without undue delays. The benefits became clear when the 18 machined holes were completed within 9 hours without incident. This allowed the project to continue ahead of schedule.”

Hamersley Iron, a member of the Rio Tinto Group, operates six open cut mines in the Pilbara. The company is a leading supplier of iron ore, exporting more than 75 million tonnes a year to the global steel industry. The company cites its world-class railway system as a fundamental element in its success, as part of the integrated infrastructure that is key to the organisation’s operational efficiency.

Furmanite operates around the world offering a range of engineering technologies and specialty services geared to maximising asset uptime, creating significant time and cost savings for its customers in the mining and oil and gas industries, among others. Further information is available on www.furmanite.com.au.

For further press information, please contact:
Sarah Manwaring-White, Keep in Touch Ltd,
Tel: +44 (0)1451 844 488
Email: sarah_mw@keepintouch.co.uk

Issued on behalf of Furmanite Asia Pacific www.furmanite.com.au