The Show

The MINExpo was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Although the show was reported to be larger than the previous MINExpo in 2000, there were fewer displays outside the buildings. Liebherr's display of large equipment was prominant outside the entrance to the main hall.

Although I haven't been able to locate the show's official attendance figures, it was projected that 35,000 people would be present to examine displays by 1,300 companies.

Although the Convention Center is now equipped with Wi-Fi (wireless internet access), it comes at a price - and I didn't see anyone surfing the web on their own laptop. To their credit, the organizers of MINExpo provided 20 internet terminals in the Grand Lobby - where attendees each had 10 minutes of FREE internet access to check their email. This was a very popular place!

Throughout the week, an artist constructed a sand sculpture of a haul truck and loader at the Komatsu booth. It was interesting to see his work progress from day to day.

Update - Big Haul Truck Engines

At MINExpo 2000, the big news was Cummins' QSK78, an 18 cylinder engine producing 3500 hp. Since then, the Detroit Diesel 20 cylinder Series 4000 engine has been released into production, and now reigns as the world's most powerful haul truck engine.

While Detroit's show engine was not "dolled up" as pretty as Cummins, this engine has been "looking good" in service. Many mining companies are reporting that the 20V4000, and its smaller 16 cylinder siblings , are performing extremely well. Detroit Diesel capitalized on the good Series 4000 service history by advertising its longevity at their display.

The 400 ton Liebherr T282-B at the show was equipped with a Detroit 20V4000.

The Cummins Display had a lot of beautifully-detailed mining engines on display. They were a work of art - particularly the "cut-away" details. Click here to see a page containing several photos of this great display.

240 ton AC Drive Trucks

Komatsu displayed their 830E-AC, their proven truck to which GE's 240 ton AC drive system has been added.

The AC inverter/control system uses IGBT technology, and could be used on 240, 320 and 360 ton truck systems (although Komatsu continues to use the older GTO system on their 320 ton trucks).

The 830E-AC incorporates GE's "Whisper Grids", a recently developed retarding grid package having a reduced noise signature.

Terex's MT4400-AC truck uses this same AC drive & Whisper Grids. Although Terex did not have a truck at MINExpo, they have several MT4400-ACs in service at various mine sites.

The MT4400-AC brochure indicates it has a 260 ton max payload, while the 830E-AC's brochure lists its payload at 245-250 tons.

AC Drives for 360-400 ton Trucks

Both GE and Siemens displayed their new AC drive systemms for "ultra" class haul trucks.

GE's new "big truck" AC inverter/control system (360 ton) uses IGBTs which are air-cooled, similar to its GTO-based predecessor.

GE's new wheelmotor has a motor and gearing which matches the control system's 360 ton rating.

The new Siemens inverter/control system also uses IGBT technology, but their IGBTs are water-cooled. This is a departure from the closed vapor cooling arrangement used in their previous GT0-based system.

Siemens new AC traction motor features an innovative cooling arrangement which introduces air into both ends of the motor's stator. This reportedy elminates the hotspots which are typically found at the "exhaust end" of the motor.

Computer Simulation - Operator Training

5DT Inc. demonstrated their operator training/virtual reality training simulators. The main product was a haul truck simulator, including 3 wrap-around video projection screens and realistic operator's seat and control console.

A video of the haul truck simulator in operation can be found on their website, www.5dt.com.

Update: LeTourneau Loader - L2350

The introduction of the LeTourneau L2350 loader was included in the MINExpo 2000 Report. According to a LeTourneau representative, the first prototype L2350 has been operating for 2 years at a mine in the Powder River Basin. A second machine, which was sold to a mine in South America, is currently on the production line. The machine is reported to load 320 ton trucks in 4 passes, if a 53 yd³ bucket is installed.

Two-Piece Tire System - Goodyear

Goodyear displayed a cutaway and video of their "two piece" 45R57 tire, which was introduced into production last year for use on 240 ton trucks.

For a detailed description of this tire system, including an excellent video, go to the Goodyear Website http://www.goodyearotr.com and click on the "two-piece" button at the bottom of the page.

World Mining Equipment magazine also has a writeup on the two-piece tire on their website. Click here to read their comments.

Photos of Mining Trucks - UPDATED

The MINExpo displays indicate that truck manufacturers have concentrated their efforts on refining existing models, rather than developing new and innovative vehicles. The Euclid (Hitachi) EH5000 is a beefed-up version of the EH4500, which was displayed at MINExpo 2000. The Liebherr T282 B is a refined version of the original T282, and the CAT 793 D is also a standard truck loaded with enhancements. The Komatsu 830E-AC appears to be a standard 830E with an AC drive system installed.

Links to all Truck Photos taken at MINExpo 2004 and at MINExpo 2000 can be accessed by clicking here.