Friday, November 9, 2012

New mining haul truck transforms into haul train

When huge, open-pit mines need to extract millions of tons of minerals out of the ground each year, fleets of huge, "Ultra-Class" haul trucks are used. The ETF Haul Train, a truck that turns into a train, pulls four times the minerals of with just one driver.

Haul trucks are capable of moving loads from 50 to 400 tons. Their huge capacity also makes them hard to maneuver.

The European Truck Factory of Germany built a smarter mining truck, which can carry 170-400 tons individually, spreading the weight out over up to seven axles with four tires per axle.

A "Central Tyre Inflation System" actively screens and regulates the pressure within each wheel as the ground surface changes. If a tire goes flat, which would sideline most haul trucks; the ETF mining truck will automatically raise that axle and warn the driver but still be able to finish the job.

The ETF's most striking characteristic is that multiple trucks can be connected into a single, united Haul Train operated by a single driver. Each truck in the train is connected with a steel arm that carries control data for throttle, brake, and steering input from the lead truck. No matter how many are linked, they operate in unison. This way, a single driver can haul an impressive 1520 U.S. tons of material per trip.

For more of the Gizmodo story: gizmodo.com

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