Rexx delivers in demanding mine trials

By MEq June 12, 2019 21:27

A revolutionary new mining haul truck designed and constructed in Western Australia by Bis has delivered outstanding results in trials at a working mine in the North Eastern Goldfields. Known as Rexx, the dual powered 20-wheel dump truck has been designed with a range of features specifically incorporated to deliver savings to Bis customers. Rexx has more than four times the range of conventional dump trucks, outstanding maneuverability, operator comfort and maintainability plus on-demand power that lowers fuel consumption.

Bis CEO Brad Rogers said the testing at Glencore’s Murrin Murrin mine has been carried out in `real-life’ operating conditions and the results to date indicated Rexx had the capacity to deliver up to a 30 percent reduction in operating costs compared with conventional dump trucks. Rexx will deliver savings to miners 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,” Mr. Rogers said.
Mr. Rogers said one area of the savings which could be passed on to Bis customers in haulage costs was average fuel use by Rexx, which was around half the fuel consumed by equivalent competing dump trucks.

The fuel savings are a direct consequence of Rexx being designed with patented on-demand power that lowers fuel consumption. The vehicle has the capacity to carry enough fuel for at least two 12hour shifts, eliminating downtime needed for refueling.

Mr. Rogers said Rexx had been designed in-house by the Bis engineering team while the construction had utilized the talent of Western Australian tradespeople. “In Rexx we have a game-changing workhorse that showcases Australian innovation,” he said. For example, the steering system enables an industry-leading turning circle of just 13.6m, allowing Rexx to maneuver easily in smaller spaces.

Mr. Rogers said 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 tires and sensors for detecting bin tipping, engineering operation and payload.

Mining Manager at Murrin Murrin, David Ayres, said “We were thrilled to be involved with Bis on this exciting project. Outside of autonomous systems, there haven’t been many major fundamental design changes in the rigid-frame off-highway game in a long time. 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”.
Rexx has sparked significant interest from major miners both internationally and within Australia and a series of demonstrations are now being staged with interested customers.