Elphinstone delivers first Cat 789 dump body for Grange Resources

Elphinstone was excited to deliver the first of eleven (11) Cat® 789 Mining Truck dump bodies to Grange Resources through William Adams Pty Ltd. Grange Resources has long supported local business in Tasmania, so when the mining company required new dump bodies for 11 of its Cat 789 Mining Trucks, it turned once more to local manufacturer Elphinstone – and William Adams – for assistance.

After all, these were no ordinary dump bodies. First designed and manufactured for Grange by Elphinstone at its Wynyard facility in 2015, they are nine tonnes lighter than the standard dump body for the Cat 789.

“That difference increases capacity up to about 190 tonnes per machine,” says Jamie Palmer, William Adams Account Manager – Mining, adding that Grange runs about 31 Cat 789 Mining Trucks at its Savage River mine.

“Grange Resources has been a fantastic customer over several years and is always keen to source products close to home,”

– Jamie Palmer, William Adams Account Manager

The dump bodies are now fabricated in Elphinstone’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Burnie, but the size of Grange’s order still kept its technicians busy. The first body was delivered in July last year, with the final due onsite at the start of this year. “Grange Resources has been a fantastic customer over several years and is always keen to source products close to home,” says Jamie. “Once again, we were very keen to help.”

Custom-built to last

Normally, a Cat body for the 789 Mining Truck weighs about 35 tonnes; the dump body produced by Elphinstone comes in at a comparatively light 26 tonnes. But it’s still a big piece of equipment.

“Each body takes two to three weeks to complete, built-in sub-assemblies before being welded together,” says Jamie. “First, the plate is cut to the right size before the sides and floor are attached, the body is rotated, the headboard attached and all the remaining welds completed.”

Measuring eight metres wide, the dump bodies required road permits and escorts for their 100-kilometre journey from Burnie to Savage River on the west coast. Transportation was handled by logistics experts Gradco, whose bright-red prime movers added to the spectacle as the trays made their way across the state.

The bodies are also built to withstand the harsh conditions at Grange Resources’ Savage River mine, which produces some of the highest iron-concentrated magnetite in the country, with minimal impurities.

At Port Latta, some 70 kilometres northwest of Burnie, Grange also operates a pellet plant and port facility, producing over 2.5 million tonnes of premium quality iron ore products annually. This makes it one of Australia’s largest integrated iron ore mining and pellet production businesses.

We thank Grange Resources for supporting Elphinstone and local businesses in Tasmania.