Spotlight On Bingham Canyon Mine
Earlier this month, DBA Silencing’s General Manager travelled to Salt Lake City in Utah to visit the Bingham Canyon Mine. This site is actually called a number of different names; its many aliases include the Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine and the Kennecott Copper Mine. Whatever moniker you choose to use, this is one impressive operation. It’s the largest artificially made excavation in the world, and it would be visible to your naked eye if you happened to be orbiting overhead in a space shuttle or on the International Space Station.
During his time on site, DBA’s GM spoke to current mine personnel, and also had a particularly interesting conversation with a former employee who worked in Bingham Canyon several decades ago. This individual suggested that, back in the day, he and his coworkers had often tried to prevent truck fires by installing a makeshift barrier of mud flaps around the engine turbos. The turbos needed to be walled off because these components get extremely hot and if operating fluids such as oil leak or spray onto their surfaces, a conflagration can result.
This former employee of the Bingham Canyon Mine had been relieved when DBA parts with composite shells had started to arrive on site. Because DBA’s exhaust parts were encased in rigid composite shells, there was no longer any need to jury-rig shielding for the turbos. The use of DBA parts led to fewer blazes and, as a result, less downtime. In today’s blog post, we’ll talk generally about minimizing downtime with quality truck parts, with specific reference to DBA exhaust components and the Bingham Canyon Mine.
Minimizing Downtime With Quality Truck Parts
The Bingham Canyon Mine has been in operation for ages. Minerals were first discovered in Bingham Canyon in 1848, and mining commenced in 1906. More than a century later, this operation runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is no surprise, as Bingham Canyon has proven to be one of the world’s most productive mines.
In fact, the value of the resources extracted from this site is greater than the Comstock Lode, the Klondike, and the California gold rush mining regions combined. Every year, the Bingham Canyon Mine produces roughly 300,000 short tons of copper, 400,000 troy ounces of gold, 4,000,000 troy ounces of silver, 10,000 short tons of molybdenum, and 1,000,000 short tons of sulfuric acid {a commodity chemical used in the production of materials such as fertilizer}.
The Bingham Canyon Mine is owned by the Rio Tinto Group, a British-Australian multinational company currently listed as the world’s second-largest metals and mining corporation. The site employs more than 2,000 people, and utilizes more than 60 enormous mining trucks. As you can imagine, Rio Tinto doesn’t want any of these trucks idle: every hour of downtime represents lost revenue. The good news for firms such as Rio Tinto is that DBA Silencing specializes in minimizing downtime with quality truck parts.
Safety
As mentioned above, truck fires are a constant danger when you have exhaust components running at high temperatures. And, as you would expect, truck fires result in significant downtime. Not only because the scorched vehicle can no longer complete its runs, but also because there may be significant cleanup required to clear thoroughfares. There may also be administrative delays as the appropriate paperwork is completed.
Clearly, truck fires are to be avoided. They’re expensive, they’re dangerous, and they can result in extended shutdowns. Many mine sites use DBA parts specifically because our proprietary insulating technology protects mobile assets from burning up. Our cutting-edge composite shells are widely considered to be more effective than alternatives such as blankets and double-walled exhaust components.
Maintenance
Many mine sites focus on minimizing downtime with quality truck parts. That’s an excellent strategy, but of course proper servicing of vehicles is also important if things are to run smoothly. In fact, maintenance of mine site exhaust systems is critical. Mine site mechanics typically prefer to use DBA’s aftermarket exhaust systems rather than their OEM equivalents. This is because OEM components are often large, heavy, and difficult to maneuver. In some cases, they require a crane when they’re being installed or swapped out.
DBA exhaust kits, on the other hand, are composed of larger numbers of smaller units. This segmentation makes it much easier for mechanics who are tasked with keeping a fleet such as the one at the Bingham Canyon Mine roadworthy at all times.
Repairs
In the previous section, we explained why mechanics tend to love using DBA exhaust parts and exhaust systems. What we said about maintenance is also true for repairs. Because they’re lighter, DBA parts are generally easier to work with than their OEM counterparts. And since they’re encased in composite shells designed to keep surface temperatures low, mechanics don’t have to sit around twiddling their thumbs waiting for DBA exhaust parts to cool down. They can address issues immediately and get vehicles back into the rotation right away.
We’ll take this opportunity to add, parenthetically, that DBA parts don’t only reduce downtime. They’re also cost-effective, as well as being associated with many other benefits. DBA mufflers, for instance, are an excellent choice when it comes to noise reduction for mining trucks. {You can learn more about our efficient mining truck muffler designs by checking out our article entitled “Let’s Hear It For DBA Mining Truck Mufflers“.}
Summary
If you’re thinking about minimizing downtime with quality truck parts, then DBA exhaust components and exhaust kits may be just the items you need. We have, in our many decades of operation, helped hundreds of mine sites remain both productive and profitable. And, as confirmed by the former employee of Bingham Canyon Mine that was mentioned at the beginning of this piece, the Kennecott Copper Mine was one of those many sites.
DBA is known worldwide for manufacturing durable mining truck exhaust components and you can find all of them on our website and in our catalogue. If you have questions about topics such as, say, choosing the right muffler for mining trucks, by all means get on the blower and ask away. We’re at 1-800-661-5886, and we’d be delighted to hear from you anytime!