The mining industry is one of the most demanding industry sectors where heavy mining machinery is being used for a variety of tasks. Over the years different mining machines have been developed with unique specifications and configurations. From what is being used today, it is obvious that the mining machinery is getting bigger and more powerful. Bigger machine means more power and better results on the job site. From hydraulic shovels, excavators, loaders to draglines, powerful mining machinery is used at every mining site in Australia. Here are the most popular mining machinery currently in use.
Bucyrus RH400 Hydraulic Shovel
The largest and the most powerful hydraulic shovel in the world is the Bucyrus RH400. This monster machine was an inspiration for the Deception Demolishor in the Transformers 2 in 2009. When not on the big screen, this piece of mining machinery can be seen in the Canadian oil sands in Alberta where the RH400 hydraulic shovel has set the production record in removing around 9000 tons of ground just for one hour. The RH400 hydraulic shovel is capable of holding up to 95 tons or 58 cubic meters of ground in its shovel. This mining machinery is powered by two 16 cylinder engines which produce 4400 horsepower. Furthermore, the RH400 comes with 14 hydraulic pumps which can hold up to 12000 liters of fluid. The Bucyrus RH400 comes with a price tag of $11 millions.
Takraf Bagger 293 Bucket Wheel Excavator
This mining machinery holds the Guinness world record for being the largest land vehicle. The Takraf bagger 293 bucket wheel loader is 95 meters high and 220 meters long. It can be found at the Hambach strip mine in western Germany where it’s used for digging lignite and a low grade coal which is used in steam electric power plants. The Bagger 293 comes with a 21 meter long wheel which spins its buckets. It removes earth which is then dumped on a conveyor belt. On a daily basis, this enormous mining machinery is capable to scoop up materials enough to fill around 95 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Caterpillar 797F
Caterpillar introduced its 797B dump truck in 2002, and this machine was one of the largest dump trucks in the world. Few years later, in 2008, Caterpillar announced the new version- 797F. This mining machinery today is considered as the largest dump truck in the world. The 797F comes with a 20 cylinder single block engine that produces 4000 horsepower, beating the previous model by 450 horsepower. It is also capable to carry 20 tons more than the 797B model.
Metso Mobile Crusher
Unlike other mining machines that dig and move materials around the mining site, the mobile crusher makes the ground material easier for transportation by crushing it into smaller ground particles. The Metso Lokotrak LT160 mobile crusher is one of the largest mobile crushers that are currently in use. This mining machinery is capable to crush up to 1500 cubic meters of rock materials per hour. Metso designed its machine with a set of tracks for easy movements on a rough mine terrains. This mobile crusher comes with a V-shaped jaw crusher which uses a moving plate for pulverizing rock and concrete materials.
Le Tourneau 2350
The Le Tourneau 2350 is the largest rubber tire front end loader in the world, capable to move ground materials with its enormous shovel. This mining machinery is powered by a 65 liter diesel engine that produces 2300 horsepower. The Le Tourneau 2350 is capable to lift and move materials up to 70 tons almost 13 meters in the air, and can fill the largest dump trucks with just few passes.